To consolidate millions of dollars worth of emergency services vehicles and equipment at one location, Butler County commissioners are planning to build a garage for around $4 million at the 911 center in the Sunnyview complex in Butler Township next year.

The commissioners haven’t finalized the design and timeline for the garage, but they have been planning project financing.

“This is a multiphase project that will entail the construction of a new 12,000-square foot heated emergency services equipment garage to protect the county's investment in critical emergency services vehicles and equipment that enhance public safety,” said Commissioner Kim Geyer.

Emergency Services vehicles and trailers are currently being stored in multiple, mostly rented, locations, Leslie Osche, commissioners chairwoman, said.

Keeping the equipment in a centralized location allows for faster deployment. The garage will also be home base for the district attorney's and county's special response teams, she said.

“Right now all of our emergency equipment is stored in rental space scattered throughout the county. The garage was to consolidate the equipment here for ease of response and to eliminate rent,” said Steve Bicehouse, emergency services director.

The county is expecting to receive a grant of around $2 million from the state Department of Community and Economic Development and plans to match the grant with $2.07 million that will be reallocated from state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Project funded projects that never came to fruition, Geyer said.

Most of the match, $1.6 million, will be reallocated from a once proposed police and ROTC building project at Slippery Rock University. The SRU Foundation obtained the funding, she said.

The $475,000 balance of the match will be reallocated from Experience Butler County’s Born and Built Expansion Project.

“SRU and Tourism (Experience Butler County) were unable to do their projects as planned. Rather than return the monies back to the state, the commissioners worked with the state and all entities involved to rededicate those funds toward the county garage,” Geyer said. “We are grateful for everyone’s cooperation in making this happen and for the benefit of all the public in Butler County.”

Many permits will have to be secured before construction can begin, Osche said.

“We have seen multiple proposed layouts largely depending on cost,” she said. “So we don't have anything final as yet.”