• New fire station's blueprints will be redesigned

MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Bids for the new fire station in Meridian Township are in...and over budget. The bids were more than the $3.5 million that voters approved in November 2012.

Township Manager Frank Walsh attributes a variety of reasons for this outcome.

“We actually are looking at 2012 construction numbers when we put the bond out. It took us until 2014 for a variety of reason to bid the project out,” said Walsh. “Its two years later and obviously it’s a different economy than it was two years ago.”

Walsh said the next step is to redesign the fire station and then rebid the project in late September – early October.

The Township Board approved 7 to 0 the move to reject the bids for the construction of the new fire station at the July 15 Township Board meeting.

“I support keeping within that budget that we have that the voters approved. I support keeping it at this location that the voters supported,” said Township Board Trustee Angela Wilson. “The details of what the building is going to be, we’re working on and I just want our residents to know that.”

Groundbreaking for the fire station was expected to take place on July 22, but now it won’t be until late this year or early next year.