MIDDLETON, N.S. — Middleton is a step closer to construction of a community centre and fire hall with the purchase of a parcel of land right across the street from town hall.
The town bought the property after a considerable search and several suitability studies. The town bought a parcel of land facing town hall at the corner of Commercial and Marshall streets. It was purchased at a price of $137,500 with $17,000 of that donated by the landowner, Betty Dupuis.
Construction of the new Community Centre and Fire Hall is proposed for spring 2020.
Mayor Sylvester Atkinson, who announced the land purchase at the annual Middleton Fire Department banquet, was pleased with the milestone.
“It’s nice to know that a location has been secured,” he said. “We’re moving quickly towards the next steps and I look forward to all of the pieces falling into place. We are primed to pull the trigger on the fundraising campaign.”
The ‘Last Mile’ fundraising campaign will be launched in the coming weeks and the methods and opportunities to contribute will be plentiful, the town said in a media release.
In October, cost of the proposed community centre for Middleton, that would include space for the Middleton Fire Department, was pegged at $3.4 to $3.9 million.
The fire department members, trucks, and other gear are currently in cramped quarters in their aging headquarters behind town hall. The department has been pushing for new facilities for about 11 years.
Plans hit a snag last year when it was discovered the parcel of land near the industrial park planned for the development was not suitable.
Federal and provincial funding for the new facility is still a question mark, but the fire department has put about $100,000 in the pot and the town has pledged $900,000. Other donations equal about $58,000.
Did you know?
-- The Middleton and Area Fire Department was established in 1890 and provides service to the Town of Middleton and surrounding communities.
-- The Middleton Fire Department takes an average of 100 calls per year; 50% of which are in the communities surrounding the Town of Middleton, in the County of Annapolis.
-- The department has 35 members serving an expansive area.
