BONAIRE, Georgia — Folks in Bonaire and surrounding areas can look forward to quicker response times to emergency situations.
The construction of two major buildings are now completed to serve the community.
Houston County and Houston Healthcare held a joint ceremony on Friday, Sept. 22, celebrating the completion of two major building projects: the Houston County Public Safety Complex and the Houston Healthcare Medical Office Building – Bonaire.
According to Commission Chairman Dan Perdue, the co-located site is a new collaboration among three entities: the Bonaire Emergency Response Center, Houston County Sheriff's Office, and Houston Healthcare.
The public safety complex is home to a new fire station, EMS station,and sheriff's precinct.
The newest Houston Healthcare medical office building will house two separate medical offices: Houston Physicians for Women and Houston Family Care Bonaire.
According to Ayshia Hatcher, the administrative director of physician service, the family care center will fully relocate to the Bonaire address. Additionally, the women's health center on North Houston Road will still be open.
The medical office building is 13,500 square feet. Inside, there are two waiting rooms for each office, a check-in desk, 16 exam rooms total, nursing stations, a check-out station, a conference room, and support spaces.
The public safety complex and medical office buildings sit side-by-side on Old Highway 96.
According to Perdue, the public safety complex was especially needed because of the growing population in the unincorporated Houston County neighborhoods and around Bonaire. It cost $4.1 million.
"It's like we're running out of space because there are so many places where we're building new houses, new businesses," Central Georgia native Joey Wrye said. "What a wonderful place to live."
Wrye was born and raised in Centerville. After he married his "sweet thang" 36 years ago, he's lived in Kathleen since.
"If I had to live anywhere in the United States, it'd be Georgia. If I had to live in Georgia, it'd be middle Georgia. If I had to live anywhere in middle Georgia it'd be Kathleen, Bonaire, Georgia, [on] Bear Branch Road in Kathleen, Georgia," he said.
He has more to look forward to now with a fire station just 10 minutes from his home.
"You have fire and EMS there in one facility. It gives our Houston Healthcare EMS provider a convenient location to really continue to serve the citizens in that area and offer a quick response time and good service to those citizens," Perdue said.
"You never know when you need that help, you never know," Wrye said. "If you have an accident out on this road, on 247, hey-- they're right here, they'll help you. That's what they do as a community. They're all about supporting each resident. It doesn't matter who you are. They'll be there. What a blessing."
The county and Houston Healthcare celebrated the completion of the buildings with a ribbon cutting on Friday.
However, the medical building is not open until Nov. 1 after the OBGYN and family care practices relocate.