The City of Niceville is making another run at a major federal grant that could fully fund construction of a new fire station in the rapidly growing Deer Moss Creek area.
At its April regular meeting, the Niceville City Council unanimously approved Resolution 26‑04‑01, authorizing City Manager David Deitch to apply to the U.S. Department of Defense Community Infrastructure Program for roughly $9 million to build Fire Station 22 and an associated emergency fire equipment storage facility.
If awarded, the grant would cover both construction and furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) for the new station and storage facility.
This is Niceville’s second attempt to secure federal construction dollars for a Deer Moss Creek fire station. The city previously received a separate grant to pay for design and engineering, which are now complete.
Deitch said that after the unsuccessful attempt, staff engaged directly with the Defense Department office overseeing the program and worked to strengthen the application.
“We talked with the office in the Department of [Defense] eight or nine months ago. We have cleaned up all the errors and deficiencies with our application, we have ownership, the environmental piece is underway, and we are getting in the letters of support from the required commanders and politicians. So I anticipate we’re going to have a much, much stronger application this year, ” Deitch noted.
Earlier in the meeting, during a budget amendment discussion, Deitch also reminded the council that the city has already put some “skin in the game” as a local match on the earlier design grant:
Because the Community Infrastructure Program is tied to military readiness and community support around installations, letters from base leadership and elected officials are a critical piece of the application. The city’s staff, Deitch reported, have begun the process of getting those letters of need from local commanders.
Councilman Doug Tolbert urged staff to ensure the application specifically references the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) mission in the area as additional justification for the new station.
“It actually adds a certain element of need out there with the EOD school,” Councilman Tolbert explained.
Deitch replied that, so far, the focus has been on support from Eglin leadership, but he was open to going directly to EOD commanders as well:
After a brief discussion and no public comment on the item, the council granted unanimous authorization to move forward.
With design and engineering complete, land ownership secured, and the environmental review underway, Deitch told the council that he believes the city is in a much better position than it was during last year’s attempt.
If Niceville wins the 100% construction grant, residents in Deer Moss Creek and the surrounding area could see:
If the application falls short again, any construction funding would have to come from other grants, local revenues, or a combination of both — a decision that would return to the council at a future date.
Pro Communi Bono
St. Francis De Sales, Ora Pro Nobis!
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