GROVES, Texas — Groves firefighters are looking to save themselves from a deteriorating building that's been in use since 1956.
City Manager D.E. Sosa and Fire Chief Dale Jackson agree it's time for change.
Firefighters spend a third of their time inside a respective station, basically serving as a second home.
It's reached a point where renovation is no longer an option in Groves.
"We don't want a new fire station, we need a new fire station," Sosa said.
The building that first responders work from is now 63 years old and beginning to show its age.
"We're starting to have mechanical issues, roof problems," said Jackson. "A lot of things you'd expect having a structure this old."
He says space is also becoming an issue, with the addition of new firefighters and equipment.
Jackson adds they've done what they could with the building, but time is running out.
"We remodeled this place numerous times, trying to adapt to our growth and we're at that point where we just can't do it," said Jackson. "There's no where to do that anymore."
His plan is to build a new fire station along Washington Boulevard and Doyle Avenue.
Sosa tells 12News that the funding is expected to come from sales tax revenue.
"The good news is, we feel since we are an economic development corporation b-type, we can fund it with economic development funds," Sosa said.
Before plans can be put in place however, the city and EDC have to support the project.
"We do need to get city council and the economic development corporation to bless it, which I think they will," Sosa said. "Then, we can start moving in that direction."
That money would be used to hire an architect to create designs.
After that, the city would have a better idea to see whether the city-owned property will work.
Chief Jackson hopes it will for years to come.
"We're looking at trying to build one for the future," said Jackson. "We need two more bays and I'd like to see us build a building that's good for another 50 years."
Sosa expects the cost of this new facility to be in the ballpark of five to six million dollars.
It could take at least two years for this process to be completed, before any construction begins according to Sosa.
"63 years for a building, I think we've stretched it and got our money's worth," Jackson said.