Work on a new Central Whidbey Island Fire and Rescue station has finally begun, five years after voters approved a bond to fund the project, WhidbeyNewsTimes.com reported Tuesday.
With construction prices increasing since the bond was passed, it has resulted in the fire district having to scrounge up additional funds as the project progresses, the report said.
The project officially began September 1 in a brief groundbreaking ceremony that was delayed by firefighters needing to respond to a call. The old fire station, located at 1164 Race Road in Coupeville, will be demolished and the new station built from scratch.
A city official said the fire department has outgrown the current station. The original plan was to expand the existing station — something the district has done several times since the building was first constructed in 1992 — but district personnel determined it would cost less to build an entirely new station, the report said.
The bond approved by voters in November of 2017 was for around $5 million, the estimated cost of construction at the time. Now, district personnel estimate the total cost will come to around $7 million, the report said.
