Ajax Building Corp. of Oldsmar was hired Monday night to design and build two Sumter County public safety buildings.
Commissioners approved a contract with the company for the twin construction project expected to cost $23.5 million.
Project architect is Clemons Rutherford and Associates of Tallahassee and the contract also names engineers, surveyors and support firms.
Construction will be funded by capital improvement bonds, which were scheduled for issue on Wednesday. The county sped up the project timetable to take advantage of low interest rates, said County Administrator Bradley Arnold.
A large public safety building of up to 60,000 feet is planned for five acres next to the county service center on Powell Road near County Road 466A.
The two-story building will house the northern headquarters of the sheriff’s office as well as the county’s emergency operations center, fire and emergency medical services offices, ambulance services and the dispatch and emergency call center. It also will have holding cells for prisoners awaiting transport to the county jail in Bushnell.
smaller 20,000-square-foot public safety building in Bushnell will house the sheriff’s southern office and backup capability for the other services.
Construction is expected to begin late this year with completion in December 2017.
Ajax was founded in 1958 by J.B. “Block” Smith and the family operated the company into the 21st Century. Current projects include a Clearwater library, a city hall and police station in Dade City, a Florida State University sciences building and a Pinellas County high school.
Commissioners also voted Tuesday to lower road impact fees paid by The Villages and bring them in line with fees paid by other developers.
Arnold said The Villages agreed last year to higher fees, but now will pay the same as other builders of age-restricted developments.
“We want to make sure it is a level playing field for all parties,” he said.
The commission adjusted its impact fees after an analysis by a Tampa consulting firm. Road impact fees, which are assessed when builders receive permits, fund the cost of roadways and related improvements.
