Since work began on Brookhaven’s $3.1 million paving plan in January, 80 percent of the 77 streets have been paved.

Engineer Ryan Holmes anticipates Dickerson & Bowen, the project contractor, will complete the project by the middle of July. The company has until the end of July to complete 100 percent of the paving, Holmes said.

The crew will be working on Church Street, East Minnesota Street and Becker throughout the next week, Holmes said Tuesday at the Brookhaven Board of Aldermen meeting.

“They are making a lot of great progress,” Holmes said. “We are above 80 percent complete now. Based on what I see, I think they will finish by the middle of next month.”

Fire station proposal

Johnny Waycaster and Claire Cothern of Waycaster & Associates Architects in Natchez informed the Board of Aldermen of their interest in designing a fire station for Brookhaven.

“As I am sure you are aware, the word is all over the architectural community in Mississippi that you are considering (building) a fire station,” Waycaster said. “We’re here tonight just took make sure that you know we would love the opportunity to work with you on the project.”

Waycaster & Associates Architects has operated in Natchez for 32 years, Waycaster said.

“We’re an architectural, interior design and historic architectural firm,” Waycaster said.  “As with most firms in our area, we do whatever comes through the door. A lot of it is commercial; a lot of it is with municipalities. We’ve had the privilege, recently, to work with Ryan (Holmes) on several projects in this area.”

Waycaster said the firm worked with Holmes on the recreation facility and is currently in the early stages of working with him on a rehabilitation facility on Industrial Park Road.

“We’ve also had the opportunity to work on several fire stations in recent history,” Waycaster said.

The firm has previously worked with municipalities across Louisiana and Mississippi to build or renovate a range of fire stations including the Vidalia Louisiana Municipal Fire Station, the central fire station in Port Gibson, the Hermanville Fire Station in Hermanville, the Pattison Fire Station in Pattison, the Foster Mound Fire Station in Adams County, the Meadville Fire Station in Meadville and the Kingston Fire Station in Adams County.

Waycaster & Associates Architects has built fire stations for $100,000 and for $1.5 million, giving the firm the experience with a range of building costs, Waycaster said.

Brookhaven is set to receive $625,000 in state funding for the project later this summer. The funding was included as part of a $250 million bond bill.

Fire Chief Tony Weeks, Mayor Joe Cox and the board have been pitching the city’s need to replace Fire Station 2 on Willard Street to different sources for the last two and a half years, Cox said.

The board did not take action on Waycaster’s proposal. It’s waiting until the city receives the funding before it chooses an architectural firm, Cox said.

Waycaster & Associates Architects is the fourth firm to present ideas to the board on the proposed fire station. Nicholas Marshall of Chase Marshal Architects in New Orleans, Jamie Wier and Michael Boerner of Wier Boerner Allin in Jackson and Steve Cox of Cox Architecture in McComb presented their plans at previous meetings.

In other board business: 

• The board adopted a resolution to recognize former building inspector Steve A. Moreton for 27 years of service with Brookhaven.

• The board approved Red Oak Construction’s bid of $65,157.67 for the Manson Street pump station.

• Holmes updated the board on the proposed downtown renovations. Dungan Engineering is still analyzing traffic patterns in order to develop a recommendation and cost estimate on reflowing downtown traffic and creating more parking spots. Holmes suggested the board have a work session concerning the matter once he completed his report.

• The board approved Farmbelt’s bid of $91,721 for a new tractor with a boom mower to replace one that is currently in the shop.

• The board approved T & S Services’ bid of $5,350 to pour a 30-foot-by-20-foot, 8-inch deep concrete slab at the landfill in order for city employees to perform maintenance on it bulldozer.

• The board approved Redall’s bid of $7,400 for a 52-inch zero turn lawnmower to replace one that would cost more to fix.