New Libby Fire Hall
An architect’s rendering shows how Libby’s new fire hall could look. Graphic courtesy Kootenai Valley Record.
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Less than expected competition raises hopes for fire hall grant
by Brent Shrum, Kootenai Valley Record
July 24, 2009
The Libby Volunteer Fire Department is facing less competition than expected in an effort to obtain federal stimulus funding for construction of a new fire hall.
While up to 50,000 applications were anticipated for a grant program targeted at fire hall construction and renovation projects, only 7,000 were actually submitted by the July 10 deadline, said LVFD Chief Tom Wood. At least 1,000 grants are expected to be awarded within the next few weeks.
"I think we’ve got a pretty good shot at it," Wood said.
The department is seeking around $2.5 million to construct a new two-story fire station adjoining the old City Hall building on the 600 block of Mineral Avenue, preserving the original 1930s-era building but tearing down a cinder block addition built in the 1960s. An option to demolish the old City Hall building altogether was rejected by the Libby City Council last month because of its historic and aesthetic significance.
The standalone fire hall farther down the block on Sixth Street, which was built in 1980, would remain and be turned over to the city police department, Wood said.
The fire department’s grant application points out health and safety concerns regarding asbestos-contaminated vermiculite insulation in the portion of the fire hall to be torn down, along with other issues due to the building’s age, such as inadequate electrical capacity, an outdated heating system and a leaky roof.
The proposed new building would include office space, sleeping quarters and a kitchen area. The design would mimic the original building to follow the downtown streetscape plan.
The department is looking to the stimulus program to address future needs before the situation becomes an emergency, Wood said.
"We’d love to get this, but we’re not going to go to the community for it," he said.
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Editor’s Note: See the July 21, 2009 edition of the Kootenai Valley Record for the printed version of this story. The Kootenai Valley Record publishes once a week, on Tuesdays, in Libby, Montana. They are a locally owned community newspaper, located at 403 Mineral Avenue in Libby. For in-county and out-of-county subscription information, call 406-293-2424, or e-mail kvrecord@gmail.com.
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