On Tuesday, Oct. 18, McKownville residents voted “yes” — 90 to 46 — on a $3.2 million renovation of their 49-year-old firehouse, located at 1250 Western Ave.

Nine votes were contested, according to Fire District Commissioner James White.

The department has 50 volunteer firefighters, along with 20 non-firefighting members and 10 members of the Ladies’ Auxiliary, according to White.

The “yes” vote means that the 962 residential and business parcels in McKownville will divide the cost among them, at a rate of $1.38 per $1,000 of assessed value, of the annual debt payment. White told The Enterprise that he hopes financing will be over 25 years, with a 4-percent interest rate, for an initial total annual debt payment of $202,692 on the $3,231,000 renovation. The average yearly payment for a residence would be $136.58, he said.

The renovation will more than double the square footage of the building, by adding a second floor. The second floor will include a new training space, members’ rooms, a kitchen, and workstations. The first floor will be expanded to allow for more room for fire trucks and the establishment of a dedicated communications center. The entire building will be made compliant with fire codes and with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The next step, said White on Wednesday, will be to complete the detailed design, “including electrical, etcetera,” and then send the project out to bid, “hopefully in November.”

The plan is to begin construction in the spring, he said.