Cleveland City Council OKs fire hall trade

Written in association with the Cleveland Daily Banner.

It’s a deal!

In a 7-0 vote, the Cleveland City Council has agreed to trade Bradley County’s current Fire-Rescue Headquarters building on 260 Inman St. for a new facility on Minnis Road, following a “long, bumpy, windy road” of negotiations, according to Joe Fivas, Cleveland’s city manager.

As a result, the county will exchange the aging Inman Street building — which has significant structural issues and an estimated repair cost of $800,000 — for a 9,600-square-foot fire garage. The new facility will have six bays — one more than the current headquarters — and is designed to better accommodate the county’s fire trucks.

The decision concludes a nearly yearlong negotiation with the City of Cleveland that began publicly in August 2023.

Meeting on Monday, July 15, the Bradley County Commission approved the trade in an 11-1 vote — Commissioner Scott Gilbert said, “Pass,” abstaining from the vote. Commissioner Tim Mason was absent. Commissioner Bobby Goins was the sole vote in opposition to the exchange.

Construction of the new fire garage is expected to be completed by June or July of 2025, providing the county with improved facilities and greater capacity to serve the community’s needs.

A memorandum presented to the council on Monday, July 22, detailed the terms of the trade and outlined the city’s plans following the acquisition.

According to the document, the city will issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) to gauge interest in redeveloping the Inman Street property. A portion of the property will be retained for public parking.

Fivas emphasized the timeline and expectations associated with the agreement.

“It does have a year timeline in which we would have to meet the expectations of the agreement. Hopefully, it isn’t challenging, but you never know,” he said.

The city’s internal cost estimates suggest that the trade is likely to be even, although economic uncertainties regarding material costs could cause variations.

“Staff is not promising to make this an even trade for the future redevelopment costs,” the memorandum stated.

The city council has given itself a three-month window to reassess the decision if redevelopment expenses exceed expectations.

“The city council has three months to change our minds on this purchase if the costs prove to be elevated,” the memorandum stated.

Fivas also addressed future plans for the Inman Street property.

“We intend to have an RFP that we will put together to find the right development partner that will hopefully purchase it from us and take it off our hands,” he said.

Reflecting on the process, Fivas noted the duration and effort involved in reaching this point.

“We’ve talked about it for about three years,” he said. “After you approve that, we’ll probably sign it in the next couple weeks, and then we’ll be off to the races.”