New Cairo ambulance building in the works

CAIRO — Officials voted Monday to put construction of the town’s new ambulance building out to bid.

The project involves demolishing a residence at 25 Railroad Ave., behind Cairo Town Hall, that the town purchased in 2017, according to Greene County Property Records.

The board voted to divide the project bidding into three packages: asbestos abatement, demolition and site preparation and construction.

“By breaking it into smaller parts, it will be more possible for local contractors to submit bids,” Councilwoman Mary Jo Cords said.

The project in its entirety was already put out to bid, Cords said, but town officials did not receive any responses when the bidding period closed Jan. 31.

With the passage of the resolution, the town’s consultants for the project, Kaaterskill Associates, are dividing the project into the three packages which will be put out to bid.

Coyne is holding hope that contractors will break ground on the new building this year.

The current ambulance building is located on Route 145 near the highway garage, Coyne said.

“The existing building is definitely outdated and in need of significant repairs,” Coyne said. “It is not cost-effective to make the repairs and the board felt it was appropriate to move the location and provide those quarters.”

Because bids have not been accepted yet, the town does not have an exact cost for the project at this time, Coyne said. The town will be taking out a bond to finance the project, he added.

The new building will have two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, bathroom and an office, Coyne said. A two-bay garage will be used for the ambulances.

In the garage section of the building, there will be a decontamination room and another bathroom, he said.

“We only have two people on at a time with one ambulance 24 hours a day,” Coyne said.

Staff who are on call for the second ambulance would report directly to the ambulance building if they are needed, Coyne said.