RIVERSIDE - The Riverside County Board of Supervisors today approved final plans for an 8,900-square-foot fire station in Thermal, clearing the way for bidding to start among developers interested in working on the project.

The new facility, which will replace a county fire station in the 56900 block of Vic Higgins Street, is expected to cost $5.2 million to complete.

Plans call for construction of a three-bay firehouse with sleeping quarters for seven, storage and recreational space. Solar panels will be used to supply some of the station's electricity.

The facility will be located at Advertisement

[ Berry-Bell and Hall Mortuary ] Polk Street and 58th Avenue, on the east side of Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport, which can be accessed by engine crews via a dedicated gate.

"It'll be closer to the community,'' said Supervisor John J. Benoit, whose district includes Thermal. "The old station is in bad need of being replaced.''

Fees collected from commercial and residential developers, as well as redevelopment funds, drawn from property taxes, will cover the project's costs, according to the county Economic Development Agency.

Bids from contractors interested in working on the fire station will be accepted over the next several months.