FERRIDAY. – The Town of Ferriday plans to apply by May 1 for a $300,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture grant to build a new fire station, Mayor Glen McGlothin said Tuesday.

Originally, the town was considering building the station in part of the old Pasternack building, a vacant First Street property that has been donated to the town.

But McGlothin noted the Pasternack building is decades old, &uot;and it would cost more to build there than to build a new station.&uot; He said the current plan is to erect a pre-fabricated building on First Street.

As it now stands, the fire station would either be built across from the Pasternack Building or just to the north, where the former water plant building now stands.

The old water plant building will soon be torn down, McGlothin said.

Town officials have said the fire department needs a new home because the Tennessee Avenue building that currently serves as its headquarters is more than 50 years old and showing signs of age.

The town also plans to apply by

April 30 for funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help purchase additional firefighting equipment and perhaps another fire truck, said town Administrative Assistant Alex Promise.

The town is also working on applications for several other grants. Ferriday could apply for up to $375,000 in grant money over three years to place three officers in the town’s public schools. No match would be required of the town.

It could also apply for up to $250,000 to purchase equipment for the police department’s community policing program. The town would need to come up with a 25 percent cash match for that grant, Promise said.

Both police grants would be funded by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Town officials also plan to apply by April 30 for a $34,500 downtown beautification grant from the State Office of Cultural Development.

That money could be used for such things as hiring a Main Street manager for the town and improving the facades of downtown buildings, Promise said.

Meanwhile, McGlothin said the town cannot apply in this funding cycle for a $600,000 Louisiana Community Development Block Grant to water line replacement in south Ferriday.

&uot;We’ll have to reapply in December,&uot; he said. That is because severe weather, water and sewer line malfunctions and other problems have delayed completion of a sewer line replacement project in south Ferriday.

The town was set to apply for the water grant by March 31, but it cannot apply until the sewer project, also funded with CDBG grants, is complete.