NYSSA – Back in the early 1940s, a Nyssa building owned by Union Pacific was damaged in a fire.
The railroad didn’t want the building and offered it to the city of Nyssa. The city used it for the next 80 years, mostly as the home of the public works department.
The passage of time was not kind to the structure. The building began to lean and was damaged in an earthquake a few years ago. It was too small to accommodate all of the equipment used by the public works department.
“It was basically condemned. We could use it for limited storage but our personnel had to be very careful going in and out,” said Jim Maret, Nyssa city manager.
The old building is gone now and the empty lot will soon be the site of a new home for the public works department.
The city recently inked the final plans for the $995,000 building, with construction to start in February 2024. Maret said Holcomb Construction of Nyssa is the contractor.
The city will pay the cost with money from its reserve fund and sewer and water budgets.
“We always save up a certain amount ever year for building and equipment funds. I didn’t go out for any loans on it, so it won’t hike anyone’s rates or anything like that,” said Maret.
The one-story, 2,800-foot structure will contain an office, break room, three bays for equipment, a wash bay and bathrooms.
“Then we will have a lean-to across from it, on the same lot, that will be basically a seven-bay deal,” said Maret.
The new building and the lean-to are key, Maret said, noting that the old building lacked enough room to get all the equipment under cover and safe from weather damage.
Duane Petty, Nyssa public works director, said the new building – at South Second Street and Reece Avenue – will help his six-man department be more efficient.
“It is centrally-located and provides more storage, and it will be easier to work on equipment,” he said.
Petty said delivery of the pre-engineered steel building is still a few months away but he hopes to be able to move into the structure by mid-spring.
“It will serve our community in a good, or better, way then every before. It will be great for the public works guys,” said Maret.
News tip? Contact reporter Pat Caldwell at [email protected]
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