BANGOR, Maine — Bangor residents will be voting on whether to approve a $2.4 million budget for a new public safety training facility.
The new space would be built near the Bangor Fire Department's existing training site off of Odlin Road near the Bangor International Airport.
Plans for the new facility have been in the works for a long time, according to Deputy Fire Chief Eric Pelletier.
Pelletier said the new facility would have a large open floor plan, tall ceilings, and will be large enough to accommodate props for training.
This new space will make training and necessary ladder truck maintenance possible year-round—things the current site can't accommodate.
Approval for this new project is up to the citizens of Bangor because of a rule stating that all projects that make up more than 0.05 percent of the city's valuation must put to a public vote.
Based off of Bangor's 2024 state valuation, that threshold is at $1.79 million.
Declan Dean, a Bangor resident and member of the Coast Guard, says he will vote in favor of the new facility come November.
"[The] more well trained they are, the better they will perform when they're actually doing the mission when they are out there trying to help people," Dean said.
Bangor resident of 31 years Christy Bruton agrees with Dean, seeing the investment as proof city officials are keeping up with modern challenges.
"It's good to see that the city of Bangor is continuing to grow with the times and adapt to its community and figure out ways to better serve its community," she said.
The wording voters will see on the ballot is not yet finalized, David Warren, the communications manager at the Bangor City Manager's Office, said. However, sample ballots and the issues on them should be available in October.