UPDATE: MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - For more than 50 years, the Central Fire Station has been home to many Meridian Township Firefighters and it won't be long before the building is too run-down to function properly.

“This one has definitely seen its use and we’re getting into a lot of maintenance issues with it.” said McGarry.

With a 56-44 approval from voters, the township will now start taking proposals for the design and layout of a replacement station.

Township Manager, Jerry Richards said, “We’re excited and we know our firefighters are very excited and thankful to the voters for approving the new station.”

With this approval, the average $100,000 homeowner would pay about $20 a year. This would last for the next 15 years to fund this $3.5 million replacement station.

“It will be at the corner of central park drive and okemos road. The southeast corner. And so it is a fairly large parcel, so we will have some options of how that building is laid out.” said Richards.

Until the new fire station is complete, this central fire station will remain open to continue serving the residents in the community. But there are some improvements that need to be made in the meantime.

“Some repairs have been done the the station and these are pretty much emergency repairs to keep things up and going.” said McGarry.

“I would guess that the timing on this is about late fall or so, we should be starting, identifying a low bidder and lining up construction with probably spring or late winter of 2014 as being the time when that building would be finished.” said Richards.

With a new Township Board in place, they will begin looking to approve a design and then move forward to selling bonds and getting the necessary funding.

ORIGINAL STORY: MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - The millage on the ballot to fund a replacement fire station has been approved by voters. Find out what is next on Meridian Magazine.