After seven years of waiting, the Sulphur Public Works Department received a grant to remodel its maintenance facility.

John Bruce, public works director, said the process took several years because it had to go through application, public hearing and environmental clearing processes before everything could “fall into place.”

The $268,300 community development grant will cover most of the project’s cost, with the city picking up the remainder of the funding.

Bruce said the project will cost about $371,000 and will include a 1,100-square-foot expansion to the maintenance building, improved sanitary facilities, and a conference room that will assist the department in emergency response scenarios.

“The primary intent is that we will be able to provide improved conditions for workers to stay overnight at the facility depending on the type of emergency we have,” he said.

“For example, for Hurricanes Gustav and Ike a … group was required to stay on site overnight to be ready for any type of response. The existing building isn’t ideal for those types of things, so these improvements are geared to give workers better conditions for when they do need to stay on site overnight.”

Mayor Chris Duncan said workers will use the former Old Tyme Variety Store for their meetings while construction is under way on the facility, but it will not get in the way of construction to turn the store into a judicial center.

Bruce said the maintenance facility should be complete in about six months.

Sulphur Mayor Chris Duncan. (American Press Archives)

Karen Wink