A partnership among city, county and private individuals could change the face of Spur’s Burlington Avenue while bringing a much-needed modern fire station to the community.
At the Monday meeting of the Dickens County commissioners court, precinct 3 commissioner Charlie Morris spoke on discussions under way to build a new fire station in downtown Spur.
Morris said benefactors have offered to build the facility as a part of an urban renewal effort to improve the streetscape of downtown Spur’s main street as part of a cooperative effort.
Dennis Wyatt and Benny Ball have donated the property that was the long-ago Rickels Auto showroom and adjacent building, and donors have offered to build a new fire station in that location, if the county would provide the demolition.
The commissioners court voted to approve the county demolishing the facility.
The proposed fire station would be 8,000 square feet and would include a kitchen.
After the commissioners’ meeting Monday, The Texas Spur talked with Wess Abbott, fire chief and emergency management coordinator, about the proposed facility. He said that a group is working on getting a rendering of the proposed new fire station. He said early plans include having the bay doors open south toward Rickels Park.
He also said that another advantage of building a new fire station across from Rickels Park is that it will enable the fire department to continue to house vehicles and equipment nearby in its current location on South Burlington.
Abbott said that the project will be done in stages, including transfers of deeds and titles. With change under way to the new Rolling Plains Title Company in Dickens (formerly Warren Title Company), there may be some time involved in transition, he said.
The Spur Volunteer Fire Department launched a Fourth of July celebration last summer as a fundraiser for a new facility, and also hosted local leaders for a series of tours of the existing, overcrowded facility.
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