The city of Airway Heights has purchased two parcels just south of its City Hall and hopes to expand its main municipal building there as soon as next year.


Plans for the possible expansion are still in the preliminary stages, and the city probably would need to seek approval from voters to sell bonds to pay for the project, says City Manager Chuck Freeman. Preliminary estimates are that the project would cost about $1 million.


City Hall is located at 1208 S. Lundstrom. The citys administrative offices take up about 1,500 square feet of space in the building, and the Fire Department has a much larger area, which includes space for the citys fire engines and second-floor living quarters for a total of seven firefighters and other emergency services personnel, Freeman says. The city houses its Police Department in a 2,000-square-foot building nearby at 13414 W. Sunset Highway.


We now have about 65 firefighters, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians, although all but three of its firefighters are volunteers, Freeman says. Space is tight at City Hall, and the Police Department, located two blocks away along U.S. 2, is bursting at the seams.


The city might reconfigure the current City Hall building to meet the needs of the Fire Department, Freeman says. Under another scenario, the expansion area would house some combination of city administrative and police personnel, and day rooms and kitchens for firefighters.


The Airway Heights City Council is scheduled to discuss expansion plans in May, Freeman says. Wed like to build a building that would meet our 20-year growth needs, he says.


One of the possibilities the city is looking into would involve constructing a two-story, 8,800-square foot addition. The city bought two lots directly south of City Hall for the expansion, paying $85,000 for the parcels, Freeman says. A single-family house and a garage sit on the lots.


The city also owns a 2,000-square-foot building directly across Lundstrom from City Hall. That building houses its planning and community development departments and municipal court, and they would remain there after the planned expansion, Freeman says. The city is having the building where it houses the Police Department appraised in case it decides to sell that structure.


Contact Rocky Wilson at (509) 344-1264 or via e-mail at rockyw@spokanejournal.com.