City begins preliminary work toward new public safety building

Patrick Fisher, Staff Writer

With the community growing, the City of New Prague has to consider changes in its public services, while at the same time considering the cost of those changes.

One change in the works is a new home for the New Prague Fire Department and New Prague Ambulance Service. While there is no deadline set to have the designs for the proposed structure done, it is known that the building would be constructed in the Wally Miller Business Park on the west side of town, along Highway 21.

Randy Engle of the firm Buetow & Associates was hired in 2005 to do a space needs study for the city concerning several of its departments, including the city hall, fire and police departments and ambulance service. The study was published in January, 2006, with the body of the report detailing what kind of facilities would be needed.

The study found that moving the fire department out to Highway 21 would serve the city better as Main Street can be congested at times, making it difficult for emergency vehicles to get onto the street.

City staff, along with representatives of the fire department and ambulance service, have been meeting with an architect to discuss a possible design of the building. Some of the early designs included all of the wants and wishes of each organization in the building, resulting in a project would exceed the amount the city could afford.

The New Prague City Council saw the design at its Tuesday, Jan. 16, meeting. The structure presented would be more than 21,000 square feet and cost an estimated $5 million.

We should have something nice