RIVIERA BEACH, FL — A new state-of-the-art fire station will be one of the first new buildings constructed in the city of Riviera Beach in decades. Local businesses will play a large role in building Fire Station 88 due to businesswoman Ann McNeill, who has worked to bring inclusion and diversity into construction for more than 30 years
McNeill, a Riviera Beach native and owner of M.C.O. Construction and Services, Inc., has provided services to major construction firms to ensure that government established goals are achieved on private and public projects requiring participation of businesses that are small, local, disadvantaged or woman owned.
She has assisted some of the largest prime construction contractors in the region to reach their goals and has provided services on major projects such as: the American Airlines Arena, CONRAC – Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Scripps Research Institute, Marlins Ballpark Parking Garage, Miami Science Museum and EEA Reservoir.
“It is important to me to open the door for businesses to have the opportunity to work on projects that impact the community where they not only work but live,” McNeill said. “I will continue to work to level the playing field to create those opportunities for businesses to participate in these projects.”
The new fire station will be located at 1920 W. Blue Heron Blvd, where a former Walgreens once stood in Riviera Beach. The original fire station, located a quarter mile east, was demolished last year. Construction of Fire Station 88 is anticipated to begin in the coming months.
McNeill recommended Vincent Brown of Brown Electrical Solutions LLC, a Riviera Beach-based business, to be a part of a mentor protégé program as an electrical contractor to partner with M.C.O. Construction and Kaufman Lynn Construction on the project. Brown designed the electrical package for Fire Station 88, which includes the electrical, fire alarm, low voltage, generator, audiovisual, access control systems.
Brown, also a Riviera Beach native, credits his work on the Fire Station 88 project with helping him to partner with the Haskell Company and CDM Smith to design the electrical system for the city’s next project: a new $150 million water treatment plant. It will replace the city’s current 63-year-old water plant on 800 Blue Heron Blvd.
“It feels phenomenal to be able to work in our city,” Brown said. “Twenty out of the 25 employees at Brown Construction live in Riviera Beach. For me, Brown Construction has always been big on wanting to change the quality of life for individuals that live, work and play in Riviera Beach.”
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