West University’s upgraded public works facility set to open in April

The details

The new facility will be at Westpark Drive and Dincans Street, and will be over 17,000 square feet and two stories tall. The current facility is located on Amherst Street.

The facility will include three vehicle bays, an upgrade from the two at the current facility. Austin Bishop, assistant to the city manager, said this means a full fire engine will be able to fit in the facility for maintenance. Bishop said currently, an engine can only partially fit, and sometimes the city will have to send a fire engine elsewhere for maintenance.

“Weather conditions and stuff could impact the time it takes to work on the vehicles, whereas in the case we have rolling doors, and we can bring it in and close it off from the elements,” he said.

One more thing

During the address to the city, Sample announced that public works’ operational staff will be housed in the new facility, but the administration will still be housed at the Amherst Street site, adding that it is good to have resident-facing staff in the middle of the city.

Operationally, this would help the departments, Bishop said.

“Right now our existing facilities are kind of split between Amherst [Street] and Milton [Street],” Bishop said. ”This consolidates everyone under one roof.”

When the parks maintenance division moves, Bishop said the city will look at options to reuse the space in the rec center.