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Orillia Packet & Times
County paramedics want to buy the old West Street fire hall and the property it sits on.
A request has been made to Simcoe County council to allocate the money in the 2015 budget to make an to offer purchase 68 West St. S., Andrew Robert, director and chief of the county’s paramedic services, confirmed Monday.
“We’re pursuing it,” he said of the acquisition. “We wouldn’t have recommended in the budget to go through with it if we weren’t strong on the position.”
On a 2015 budget expenditure request form titled “Orillia – Property Purchase,” paramedic services asked for $600,000 in 2015 to cover land and legal fees.
Outgoing county council has recommended that the purchase go ahead and has prepared a draft budget that includes the $600,000 request, but it needs to be approved by incoming county council.
In fall 2013, county paramedics entered into discussions with the city about potentially buying Orillia’s old fire headquarters, which were officially vacated by the Orillia Nov. 20. When firefighters moved into a new 20,000-square-foot facility at 500 Gill St.
A confidential appraisal of the property value prepared by Andrew, Thompson & Associates Ltd. was released to county paramedics over the summer.
While Robert said the exact value of the property is to remain confidential right now – a point reiterated by the Orillia’s developmental services manager, Ian Sugden, when he was contacted about it – he did say that the amount requested by paramedic services in the 2015 is “in alignment with the assessment that came back through the report that Orillia undertook.”
City real estate issues are dealt with by council committee in closed session, Sugden said in an email to The Packet & Times.
“I can only confirm that the information the county has provided to you is accurate,” Sugden said in the email. “No City of Orillia council decision has been made with respect to the matter.”
The county, which has 16 paramedic stations, operates four ambulances and two countywide inventory vans in Orillia out of a spaced leased from the province at 820 Memorial Ave.
“We’re kind of on the edge of town and when you look at where our calls occur, we’re travelling longer than we would like to most of these calls,” Robert said. “The location on West Street is really right in the heart of a large amount of our activity.”
Robert said he contacted the city in 2008/2009 when he first heard that it was looking at building a new fire hall to see what the city’s plan was for the old one.
“Back in the day,” he said that there was nowhere to for paramedics to set up shop other than on Memorial Avenue.
“Now we know there’s space available right where we want to go,” he said, adding the lease with the province is flexible.”
How county paramedics would use 68 West St. S. if it’s sold to them has yet to be determined, Robert said.
“I can’t tell you whether its going to be retrofitted or demolished. That’s yet to be determined,” Robert said.
“Right now, the only thing we’re clear on is that we really like that location in terms of where our business is,” he added.
A review of the current building design would have to be undertaken by an architect, Robert said.
“What are the options? Or what would have to be moved? Or what would fit? Or what wouldn’t fit?” Robert asked.
He said whether a mechanic bay to address repairs and maintenance would probably be considered in the review.
In August 2013, Robert told The Packet & Times that paramedics don’t have enough space on Memorial Avenue.
He said back then that they need to keep spare vehicles around and were looking for an increased number of bays in Orillia and, potentially, facilities for fuel.
“Ultimately, we want to get into… something that we own for our long-term financial performance and have it in the right spot for operational performance,” Robert said.
Of pursuing a move to West Street, he said: “We’d be crazy not to look at improving our services this way."
