Old Brunswick fire station gets new life

It’s rundown, boarded up and been vacant roughly 20 years, all things Glynn County Commissioner Allen Booker said he can overcome.

“The roof is intact. There's no water damage. Mostly, a lot of cleanup and painting,” he explained.

Wednesday, Booker laid out his plans for the building and took Action News Jax’ Erica Bennett on a tour.

With a $20,000 grant from Honeywell and plenty of volunteers, Booker will make a home for his nonprofit group called Rebuilding Together.

It provides home repairs to low-income homeowners -- timely after Hurricane Matthew. A police substation will be at the back of the building, and an environmental resource center will set up permanent shop in one of these bays.

“In my district, I have two Superfund sites, and we want to help the neighborhoods to find out more about the cleanup and the whole process,” Booker continued.

The fire station sits in the Midtown area of Brunswick. Roughly 40 percent in Booker's district are living in poverty and need the extra assistance. Those involved with this new project are glad to help.

“I think it's going to do wonders for the area, as well as all the residents. Give us something to be very proud of,” Tres Hamilton, board member of Rebuilding Together, said.

Work on the fire station will begin this weekend. Final touches will be done January 14, right in time for MLK Jr. Day. The new nonprofit center will open a week after that.

Cox Media Group