Image courtesy of Greene County Animal Facility Facebook page

The Greene County Animal Facility continues to make progress.

Organizer Don Orris presented to the Jefferson City Council in July some modifications that cut the price of the original $1.1 million building in half. He says due to the pandemic and with another fundraising campaign to build a new Greene County Early Learning Center, it was time to make some changes to get their project started. Orris notes the changes that have been made to the facility is having a metal exterior instead of a block structure. He points out that the improvements to metal buildings are such that the material can meet the restrictions to building an animal shelter. 

Orris says they’ve raised $592,000 in donations, which he believes could be close to the estimated cost to build it. The City Council approved a contract with Atura Architecture for $39,000 to complete the design before it can go out for bid. Orris says he is working with the architect firm to ensure the bid price is manageable.

“At the same time, we want them to not write something so ridiculously hard that the normal people can’t bid on it. So we’re working close, hand-in-hand, with the steel building people to make sure that they don’t write something that they can’t even bid on because it’s too technical, or it’s too hard, or whatever.”   

Other changes include reducing the amount of storage space and downgrading the odor control system. Orris expects to have the design phase done soon, so they can receive bids on the building within one month and have construction begin next year. The facility will be located in the Greene County Development Corporation west business park, along north Highway 4 in Jefferson. To hear more from Orris, listen to today’s Community State Bank in Paton Let’s Talk Greene County program.