BRANSON, Mo – The Branson Board of Aldermen has approved a contract to purchase nine acres in southwest Branson from Wyndham Vacation Resorts Inc. for $350,000 that will be the site of a new fire station. The City will purchase this land using the money generated by a half-cent public safety sales tax Branson residents passed in 2017. The land is located along Champagne Boulevard which is directly across State Highway 165 from the entrance to the Pointe Royale Condiminium Resort and Golf Course.
This new fire station will reduce response times to the southwest parts of the City and will contribute to improving the effective response force for all parts of the City as resources are added. This new fire station should also help reduce fire losses and improve life safety for everyone in the community.
“I’m really excited about this. The safety of our residents and visitors is our number one priority. This land purchase is part of how we are fulfilling our promise to the community when they passed the public safety sales tax. It’s important for our citizens to see how we are spending the money and the life-saving benefits,” said Branson Fire Chief Ted Martin.
The City would like to thank everyone who supported the public safety sales tax. Not only did it allow the purchase of the land for a new fire station, but the City has also purchased land for a new police station, new communications radios for the police and fire departments, and new in-car and body cameras for the police department. It has also permitted two new school resource officers for the Branson Public School District.
The City will soon take requests for proposals from architects and engineering firms to design and build the fire and police buildings. City officials would like to break ground on the buildings in 2019. This is all part of the City keeping its promise to the community, when residents passed the public safety sales tax, to keep the community a safe place to live, work and play.