The City of Madison, Wis., Fleet Service Division is hoping to open a $30 million consolidated fleet repair facility to replace three of its aging shops.

The consolidated facility would replace the main fleet maintenance garage built in 1954, a fire repair facility, and a radio shop, Bill Vanden Brook, CEM, fleet service superintendent, told Government Fleet. The city would keep two separate, smaller streets division repair shops.

The city has been talking about consolidation for years, Vanden Brook said. It purchased 15 acres for the new fleet facility for about $2 million two years ago. The main shop is aging and small, and dispersed locations lead to inefficiencies.

"Everything Public Works and Public Safety has, has a radio in it," he said. "To transport vehicles from our current location to our current radio shop is very inefficient. And the place they’re in is too small. It affords us an opportunity to be under one roof and save some travel time."

The main shop is 50,000 square feet, while the fire and radio shops measure about 9,000 square feet each. The consolidated facility would have 90,000 square feet of work space.

The city fleet consists of about 1,200 units. About 50 employees, including radio personnel, would move into the new facility.

Funding would come from the general fund, and approved through the budget process. City council is expected to vote on the budget in November. If it is approved and all goes well, the new facility could open in late 2018, Vanden Brook said.