Concrete poured on firing range of new APD facility
Published 12:00 am Saturday, April 10, 2010
Construction is on schedule for the Andalusia Police Department’s training facility, Chief Wilbur Williams said.
Friday, crews were busy pouring concrete at the facility’s firing range, which will be outfitted with a fully automatic target system, Williams said.
“The company will be here May 6 to install all the equipment, and it’s up to us to make sure the site is ready to go by then,” he said. “Overall, I’d say we’re in good shape.”
Williams said this portion of the project is expected to be completed in 60 days.
“Then we’ll be ready to shoot here,” he said.
Once completed, the firing range will be outfitted with 20 pistol lanes and a rifle area and a “shoot” house, used for close-quarters tactical training.
As for the 7,500 square-foot training facility, which is located on the property adjacent to the firing range and behind Montezuma Academy, Williams said the foundation has been laid and plumbing installed.
“At this point, we’re waiting on the building to arrive before we can go any further,” he said. “They’ve said it should be here in about six weeks. We hope it’s less, but we’ve done all we can do until it gets here.”
Williams said the property is also outfitted with a 6-inch water main and fire hydrants that could allow for the property to be utilized in the future as a public safety training facility.
The bid for the $416,000 project was awarded in January. The facility is being constructed on 15-acre parcel on Academy Drive and will be used to train local law enforcement officers, as well as officers from smaller departments in the area.
It will have one classroom with a capacity of 85 people, and two smaller classrooms with a capacity of 30 each, as well as offices, restroom facilities and a garage area.
To fund the facility’s construction, the city will use a $259,822 grant for the facility and will finance the remainder through USDA at 4.475 percent interest.