GULF COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Wewahitchka city officials and citizens gathered Monday to celebrate the grand opening of the newly constructed fire station. Work began on the project in January 2021 when the city hired Winterfell Construction.
But city officials say Winterfell owners Tommy Hamm and his wife Jamie performed shoddy construction and terminated by the contract in 2022. There were lawsuits by both sides. After a 3-year delay, Monolith Construction took over the project this past July.
“So, some of the bigger issues was the structural issues of the concrete, the building itself, the framing of the walls. We were going to try to repair a lot of it but ended up just tearing everything out and starting over. It was definitely a process. There was a lot more that was learned once we really got into everything,” Monolith Construction President Chris Karagiannis said.
Despite the complications, Monolith completed the project 90 days ahead of schedule while staying within the city’s $1.5 million budget. The fire station has modern amenities and expanded storage space for emergency equipment. With a centralized location, Wewahitchka’s 28 volunteer firefighters can efficiently help those in need.
“We had the other two engines down at the city maintenance work yard. So, it was a little difficult to have to go get them. But this way, we were centrally located. And another thing, not only do we respond to fires in the city, but we respond to fires outside of the city,” Wewahitchka Fire Chief Ward McDaniel said.
McDaniel says the station that originated in the 1950s can now service the community for many years to come.
“Leaving your mark somewhere and being able to ride by this building in 20 or 30 years. And maybe my kid or one of my team members can say, hey, my daddy built that place,” Karagiannis said.
The city hopes to have paid firefighters at the station in the future.
