Plans to demolish the American Fire Co. 1 building at 26 E. Patterson St., Lansford, are rolling along.

Fire company officials and engineers met Monday with potential bidders for the project.Fire company 2nd Asst. Chief 1503 Joseph Greco said that bids for the project are due no later than April 8, and that council hopes to award the job at the April 10 council meeting."According to the demolition specs, demolition is to be completed by July 1, then we will move on to the building phase. According to the engineers we could have a new fire company building by the end of the year," he said.The old fire company, built in 1906, will be replaced by a pole building.Last August, council voted 6-1, with Councilwoman Mary Soberick opposed, to allow the fire company to raze the building.According to figures given to council by fire company officials at that meeting, held Aug. 8, 2012, refurbishing the building would have cost about $350,000. That figure did not include structural repairs, which fire officials estimated at $10,000.Also not included was electrical work, which was estimated to cost $50,000, nor did it include heating/air conditioning and garage doors. In addition, the fire company would also need to figure out what to do to fix sinking engine bay floors, repair the crumbling basement, and repair the failing mesh that holds up the floor.Fire officials said that demolition and new construction, on the other hand, would cost less: About $99,000 to tear down the building, and another $150,000 to put up a 55-foot by 80-foot, two-story structure that would include three bays, an office, a classroom/meeting room/crew quarters, a social room and a kitchen. The estimated cost does not include plumbing, the concrete floor/foundation, flooring, bathrooms, showers, electrical, heating/air conditioning, lighting fixtures, and refitting the Plymovent (an air cleaner), the oil burner, kitchen and house siren.A $265,000 state grant may help pay for the project.