Cookeville Budgeting For Designs To Rebuild Two Fire Stations

The Cookeville Fire Department wants to begin the process of rebuilding two of its stations.

Fire Chief Daryl Blair said the city’s new budget includes money to start design work for the North Washington Avenue and Gould Drive stations.

“We’re out of room. They’re outdated,” Blair said. “We’re making the best out of them over the years as we can, but we are getting to the point that they are going to have to be rebuilt.”

Blair said it would be optimal to relocate the stations to improve service but finding property might limit that possibility. Blair said the stations were built in 1975, and the department has since out grown the buildings.

“As your department grows and when those stations were built, Cookeville was not as big as it is right now in ’75,” Blair said. “As your community grows, you got to grow your services, and that is something the city manager and the council has been looking at.”

About $150,000 has been allocated towards the engineering and design. Cookeville’s budget passed on first reading and will be up for full adoption at the next council meeting.