Burke County officials will hold a groundbreaking for its new EMS headquarters and a new animal shelter next week.
The ceremony is set for 3 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 8, at the site of the new animal shelter, next to the Burke County 911 Center on Kirksey Drive in Â鶹´«Ã½.
The groundbreaking was originally set for Oct. 4 but had to be rescheduled due to Hurricane Helene.
The county's new EMS headquarters will sit on 4 acres at the corner of Drexel Road and South Sterling Street in Â鶹´«Ã½. The building will be a little less than 14,000 square feet. It will replace the current EMS base No. 1 that sits behind UNC Health Blue Ridge in Â鶹´«Ã½.
The new animal shelter will be located at 636 Kirksey Drive, Â鶹´«Ã½.
The shelter will be around 15,000 square feet, which will more than double the capacity for animals. The shelter will have the capacity for 36 dogs and 44 cats. The current animal shelter holds 16 dog kennels and 24 cat cages, according to animal services.
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At its October meeting, the Burke County Board of Commissioners approved a bid of $13.5 million to Beam Construction Company Inc. for the construction of both facilities. The cost of the EMS headquarters is $6.1 million and the cost of the shelter is $7.3 million, according to the county.
County officials say construction on the projects could take between a year to 18 months.
