Carbon County is hoping to complete the first phase of a proposed multipurpose fire training facility in Nesquehoning by the end of the year.

On Thursday, the commissioners approved a Multimodal Transportation Grant agreement with the Commonwealth Financing Agency in the amount of $485,619 for phase 1A of the project.This phase, which is anticipated to cost around $850,000, includes widening Emergency Lane from 11 feet to 22 feet to accommodate firetruck and larger emergency vehicle traffic; widening the roadway turning radius to Emergency Lane; relocating the existing access driveway to the water treatment building on the north side of the property; and site preparation.Commissioners' Chairman Wayne Nothstein said that this brings the total amount secured to just over $685,000.He added that the timeline still is on point, with all permits submitted to the Department of Environmental Protection for review.Once permits are approved, the county hopes to put this phase out to bid by mid-year and work to begin by September.Phase 1A is the first of three phases for the proposed $10 million project, located next to the current Emergency Management Agency on the Broad Mountain.It would include a 29,045.50-square-foot emergency operations and training center building, two parking areas with 69 spaces, a 1,600-square-foot law enforcement training building, 400-square-foot observation tower, 1,820-square-foot firefighter's training building, 924-square-foot firefighter's training tower, a storage building, concrete burn pad for class A combustible materials (wood and straw materials) for fire training purposes and four concrete pads for other training or storage.The project has been moving through the proper channels between county agencies, the state and Nesquehoning over the past year, gaining conditional approvals; and permit requirements are being fulfilled.