The City of Fort Stockton took another step forward in the process of building a new recycling center on Tuesday, Dec. 15 at Fort Stockton City Council meeting.

City council accepted a bid from Redneck Metal Buildings for a price of $407,875 to complete the job, which is set to be complete in approximately 120 days according to Fort Stockton City Manager Frank Rodriguez.

That puts the potential opening date of the new facility anywhere between the end of April to the end of May next year barring unforeseen circumstances that may arise during the project.

A total of two companies bid on the job as Onyx General Contractors, LLC. also bid on the project. Their bid came in $420,000, a little over $12,000 more than Redneck Metal Buildings bid.

The previous recycling facility at 604. N Valentine St. was demolished approximately two week ago by city workers.

The new facility will be built at the same location, just far more convenient and spaceefficient according to Rodriguez. “It’s going to be so

“It’s going to be so beneficial for the community to have this facility. We can expand and promote recycling,” he said. “The difference is, is that when that building was originally built it wasn’t per say for a recycling center. It was the entire public works. So now, we’re able to identify and make it a multi-purpose type of facility.”

The previous recycling facility had been around for over 30 years old and was potentially thought to be the original recycling facility in Fort Stockton.

While the new facility will be the same size as the old one that was recently demolished over the past two months (130 feet by 100 feet), the new facility will feature an area to work on sanitation trucks as well as space for a wash bay, along with an area for recycling and compacting.

“We’re going to maximize the space because it is going to be more open. To where before we had all those obstacles in there. The poles that kept the building up prevented us from doing what we wanted to do in the old building,” Rodriguez said. “It is going to be a better use space wise for our Public Works Department.”

The efficiency of space will help ensure the facility does not become a fire hazard and maximize recycling capabilities in the future.

“We don’t want it to become a fire hazard by overloading that building. We want to make sure we gauge it throughout the day as we progress and get them into the bins, get them out. Then the next day we’re ready for a new set,” Rodriguez added.

Recycling operations will remain the same as the new facility will be free for the public to bring items to be recycled. Those interested may also request from the Public Works Department a recycling run-off to be delivered to a location near them for a price that depends on the size of the run-off.