County Board Approves $3.6 Million Ambulance Facility

By Debby Stricker

The Washington County Board voted 11-4 to award a contract for $3,635,000 to Johannes Construction of Centralia to build a new ambulance facility. The six bids ranged to a high of $4.78 million.
The facility will be built on a 5 acre tract on Enterprise Ave. that the county purchased earlier. The project will be financed with ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act COVID Funds) and income from Prairie State Energy Campus.
The new 12,000 square feet facility will replace the existing facility just west of the Court House. The Board proposed the new building because the existing one (2,500, which does not include garage) is too small and obsolete, and exiting to E. St. Louis St. is hazardous because of visibility. Also, lot space limitation does not facilitate expansion.
The new location will add 2-3 minutes response time into Nashville and reduce the response time to Okawville 2-3 minutes.
Construction is expected to begin this fall.

Read the rest of the County Board report in the September 20 issue.