City holds fire station groundbreaking ceremony

TRAVELERS REST, S.C. – The city of Travelers Rest on Monday held a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of a new fire station being built on the grounds of the former Travelers Rest High School.

(To see photos from the ceremony, click here.)

The 14,000 square foot station, which is more geographically centered to city limits following the recent annexation of Furman University, includes four double bays to accommodate the larger equipment used today as well as other modernization upgrades.

The current fire station on Poinsett Highway has been in use since 1958, housed in the building that was, before that, city hall. It has not yet been determined if it will remain open, serving as a second station for area residents.

Designed by DP3 Architects and contracted to be built by Lazer Construction, the new station is scheduled to open in December of this year. According to city documents, the total cost for the project is $2,250,000.

In 2013, council members approved the issuance of approximately $2 million in purchase revenue bonds. The bond issuance, along with the sale of assets and revenue from the city's expansion, will allow the fire station to be built without the need for a tax increase, according to City Administrator Dianna Turner.

The new station, located at 155 Wilhelm Winter St., is part of the master-planned site that the city purchased from the Greenville County School District in 2008. In addition to the station, the site includes an amphitheater, farmers market, festival grounds and, eventually, city hall.

Known as Trailblazer Park, the amphitheater opened Saturday night, kicking off the inaugural Music in the Park series with a performance by the Malpass Brothers. On Saturday, May 10, the Travelers Rest Farmers Market will open their 2014 season at the site's covered pavilion.