Greer approves $9.7 million Groce Meadow fire station

Greer will build its new fire station on Groce Meadow Road for no more than $9,689,790.

City Council voted 7-0 Tuesday to approve the guaranteed maximum price from Hogan Construction Group. Every member, including Mayor Rick Danner, voted yes in the roll call, the city’s video of the Nov. 10 meeting shows. The city’s meeting recap lists the price among the items the council voted on.

The money comes from the Corporation for Greer Fund, the staff memo in the meeting packet says.

What happens next

City staff told the council the contract with Hogan could be signed within a week to 10 days. Hogan would then start work on the site.

“The idea is to have this project completed in December of next year,” a city staff member said during the discussion. That is December 2027.

Staff said the price is “a full package.” It includes furniture and the setting of all the specialty equipment, and staff said no additions would come back to the council.

Bigger than Suber Road

Council members asked why the new station is larger than the city’s Suber Road station. Staff gave these sizes:

Staff said the Suber Road station cost $8.9 million to build about four years ago, not counting the land. They called the new price “highly competitive” with that one.

The extra space comes from a new bunk room layout and added bunk rooms, staff and fire officials said. A fire department official said the city has started planning so it could move firefighters to a 24-hours-on, 72-hours-off shift schedule in the future.

The contingency and the savings

The price carries one contingency of 3.25%, staff said. Hogan agreed that 100% of any savings would come back to the city.

Staff also said the drive around the building will be reinforced concrete, because fire trucks are heavy. Only the parking lot will be asphalt.

City staff told the council that the Suber Road station and the Public Safety Training Facility, built under one contract, both came in under budget. The city has received $475,000 back from the two projects, staff said, and that money goes toward paying the bonds. Staff said the goal is to bring the Groce Meadow station in under budget too.

Why the city is building it

The station is one of four ForGreer projects, paid for with bonds. The city’s ForGreer projects page says it will serve the Lake Cunningham area and house water rescue equipment and Quick Response Vehicle medical teams. The page says it “will address increased growth in the northern part of the city.”

The site is 701 Groce Meadow Road, about six miles northwest of City Hall. It uses a Taylors mailing address. Our earlier story has the full cost breakdown from Hogan’s price sheet.

Also decided Tuesday

The council also voted 7-0, the video shows, to:

• pass on second and final reading the rezoning of 104 Albert St. from Suburban Neighborhood to Traditional Neighborhood
• receive the council’s 2027 meeting schedule
• reappoint Flora Jones to the Housing Authority of the City of Greer Board of Commissioners
• appoint Wanda Adams as an associate judge for a four-year term

Before the meeting, the council heard from Police Chief Matt Hamby on the city’s license plate cameras. We cover that in our story on the Flock camera briefing.

What it means for you

• Work should start soon. Staff expect Hogan’s contract to be signed within about 10 days, with site work after that.
• The station is due in December 2027. That is the city’s target, not a promise. We will report the start of construction and any change to the date.
• The money is set aside. The city’s ForGreer page says the 2025 bonds fully fund the new fire station, and the memo names the Corporation for Greer Fund as the source.

The next City Council meeting is 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24, at City Hall, 301 E. Poinsett St.