Mayor: Another shelter needed
Russellville Mayor Troy Oliver met with state and federal officials this week about the possibility of securing funding to renovate the old National Guard armory building.
Oliver told Alabama Emergency Management Agency and Federal Emergency Management Agency representatives that the site would be ideal for building safe rooms for storm protection and using other portions of the old building as a distribution center for storm supplies.
Oliver said the two shelters the city currently has — one behind the old Thomas football stadium and another at the Ralph Bishop Community Center — are too small and residents often choose not to use them in the event of a storm.
“The worst case scenario is that we have a major tornado in the city and people are standing outside the shelter because they can’t or won’t get in,” Oliver told officials.
The old National Guard armory building was deeded to the city for $1 when a new Guard complex was built in Haleyville. The armory received extensive roof damage when Hurricane Ivan moved across the region in 2004 and very little has been done there since.
“It’s worthless right now, but structurally, it’s very sound,” Oliver said.
The idea behind the meeting, which included Alabama EMA, FEMA, the Northwest Alabama Council of Local Government and an architectural firm, was to look at options concerning the building and adding storm shelters.
Oliver said the location of the building would be ideal for residents living in the Eastside Housing Project and the Mill Village.
“That location would allow everyone in those areas to walk to the shelter in just a matter of minutes,” the mayor said.
“There are a lot of small children and single mothers living in those areas and we need to have a place for them to go.”
Kenneth Brooks, who was representing NACOLG at the meeting, told EMA and FEMA officials that the project was badly needed.
“This is a must have,” he said. “We need to make this happen.”
Several scenarios were discussed, but the most likely included the addition of a storm shelter adjacent to the old armory or adding the shelters where the middle portion of the armory building is currently.
The second option would allow the shelter to connect to both sides of the existing building. In that case, the rear portion could be renovated and used as a distribution center in the event of a natural disaster. The front of the building would house a command center to be used by the Franklin County EMA and city emergency responders.
Oliver said the federal government should help because “they gave it to us in this mess.”
The project the city is looking to do would require almost $1 million in funding, with the city being responsible for at least a portion.
Franklin County EMA director Roy Gober said the city’s portion could come through in-kind services, such as providing labor for work on the project. Officials also believe that the use of the armory building could be considered as an in-kind expense, which would help offset costs.
More meetings will be scheduled at a later time to discuss the project, Oliver said.
