Franklin County commissioners have signed a construction contract with a company called Cook Brothers to install a new fire suppression system at the Fort Coombs Armory

Franklin County commissioners have signed a construction contract with a company called Cook Brothers to install a new fire suppression system at the Fort Coombs Armory in Apalachicola.

The final price of the project is just under 690 thousand dollars, far above what was originally budgeted for the job.

The engineers for the project managed to pare down the costs and the project will be paid for by the Franklin County tourist development council along with money from the State Fire Marshall’s office and insurance proceeds.

The installation of a new fire suppression system at the Fort Coombs Armory is necessary if the county wants to use the building as a convention center and destination for private events

Without the system, the building is limited to a capacity of only 50 people, though it will easily hold many more than that.

The project also requires the removal of lead-based paint from the building which will have to be done before the installation of the sprinkler system.

Once the work is complete, The Tourist Development Council will manage the bookings, maintaining the location calendar and handling the promotion of the armory as a destination venue.

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