By By JAN GRIFFEY / Niles Daily Star
NILES -- City of Niles firefighters are a little closer to a new home-away-from-home.
The city council on Monday approved the bid of $1,803,300 from Shelton Construction of Benton Harbor to construct a new City of Niles Fire Station, which will include new meeting chambers for the city council.
As the council accepted the bid, the 10-plus firefighters in attendance burst into spontaneous applause.
The new facility, which will occupy more than 15,000 square feet, will house all of the city's fire protection equipment. It will be constructed on property known as "the wedge," located across from the entrance to Silverbrook Cemetery on East Main Street.
Larry Lamb, Niles City fire chief, said in a presentation to the council that the facility is designed to meet the city's fire protection needs for the next 50 years.
The facility's council chambers, which will include a conference room suitable for holding closed sessions, will be available to the community for larger community events.
Bids received ranged from a high of $2.186 million to Shelton's low bid of $1,803,300.
Lamb said the building's architectural firm, DLZ, recommended Shelton's bid to the council and said construction of the facility by that company should be completed in 240 days.
In other recent business, the city council:
Infonit is an internet and networking solutions company located at 306 E. Main St., No. 6, in downtown Niles. The company has been in business in downtown Niles for about three years.
Garba said he will use the loan funds to help him employ and train four new employees.
The city approved the loan, repayable over a five-year period at an interest rate of one point under prime.