Members of Alliance Corporation, the Glasgow City Council and Glasgow Police Department participate in a groundbreaking ceremony held along Pin Oak Lane at the site of the department’s future training and maintenance facility. From left: Maintenance Technician Joey Shields, Major Terry Flatt, Alliance CEO Tommy Gumm, Councilperson Terry Bunnell, Chief Jennifer Arbogast, Councilperson Marna Kirkpatrick, Mayor Harold Armstrong and Barren County Economic Authority CEO Maureen Carpenter.
(PHOTO: ALLIANCE CORPORATION)
Story by Angela Briggs, special to WCLU News
GLASGOW — Bits of dirt scattered through the air Friday afternoon as officials broke ground at the site of a coming maintenance and training facility for Glasgow Police.
The new facility will set across the street from the current police department along Pin Oak Lane. It will include a maintenance garage, wash bay, training facility and an impound lot behind it.
Alliance Corporation will oversee the construction. Tommy Gumm, CEO, said he is proud to have been a part of many projects in Glasgow since he founded the company in 1973. He has been at the site along Pin Oak Lane before.
“I was here with the Gray Construction when this building was built and when these trees were planted,” Gumm said.
The Gray family donated the property along Pin Oak Lane to the city of Glasgow for the project. The Glasgow City Council approved the construction on Feb. 28. The Council appropriated $550,000 to the project.
The city’s police department is scattered across much of Glasgow. Their current maintenance garage resides at the curve just off College Street. Their impound facility and station are housed at different locations, too.
Glasgow Police Chief Jennifer Arbogast said she has wanted to combine all the department’s facilities to one location since her appointment as chief three years ago.
“Safety reasons. Security reasons. Especially having the impound lot together with our police department,” Arbogast said. “It’s going to be a good thing.”
Detective Steven Fields, a ten-year veteran of the department, said the consolidation of facilities will make the department more efficient.
“It’s going to be very convenient for us to have everything in a one stop shop so that it doesn’t take so long,” Fields said. “You’ve got to get vehicles in and out for officers.”
Construction is expected to begin in early June. Alliance Corporation expects the project to be completed later this fall. Dick Doty will serve as the project manager.
Matt Gumm, vice president at Alliance Corporation, said the company plans to continue in its involvement of Glasgow’s growth.
“Alliance is very proud to be a part of this community,” Matt said. “We just keep building. That’s our success.”