Huntingburg purchases former Fox Metals property for new street department location

The flood earlier this year did considerable damage to the Huntingburg Street Department. Fortunately, the city already had plans to move the department as part of the Stellar Communities program; the flood just exacerbated an already obvious problem of the department office and equipment sitting in a flood zone.

Tuesday night, the Huntingburg Common Council approved the purchase of the Fox Metals building and property on 19th Street for $800,000 for the street department’s new location. The 5-acre property includes a nearly 32,000 square foot building originally used for manufacturing and two other structures.

The property will also be used as a secondary site for the Dubois County Emergency Management office. Plans will include a community shelter and large meeting/training room as well.

The Fox Metals building is large enough for the street department to house all of their equipment and trucks under roof as well as provide storage for emergency management equipment for the county.

Since the addition will support the county emergency services, the Dubois County Council appropriated funds to assist in the move. The city will pay $425,0000 for the property with the county picking up the remaining $375,000 from funds it dedicated to the Stellar project. The city’s portion will come from tax increment finance funds.

According to Street Superintendent Jason Stamm, the new location will be a good fit for the needs of the city as well as move the street the department from the flood area. “When the city needs us the most, we have trouble getting to our equipment to respond,” Stamm said about the current street department location.

The new location will give them quicker access to the roads servicing the manufacturers in the area in the event of snow or other inclement weather.

The property also allows the street department to expand its street salt storage. The expansion will preclude the department from having to pay storage fees to the salt suppliers.

Stamm added the department is still finding damaged equipment from the storm in May that flooded the building and salt storage area.

According to Mayor Denny Spinner, Universal Design in Ferdinand will complete a site study to determine the next steps to begin the renovation of the building. Once that is completed, the city will have a better idea of how much the renovation will cost.

Spinner was optimistic the department could be moved out to the new location by mid to late 2018.