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GROVES — An office in the former Groves Fire Station will soon be put to use.

JM Test Systems will lease the former fire chief’s office for 75 cents per square foot on a month-by-month basis at 6150 Short St.

Groves City Manager D.E. Sosa said a business, which provides calibration and repair services, was growing so fast they were in need of office space.

The company was once located adjacent to Groves City Hall on Lincoln Avenue in the space that previously housed the city’s police department. They then moved to a location on Texas 73 in Port Arthur.

The money brought in by the lease of the approximate 500-square-feet office will help offset the cost of utilities to the building. This would bring in approximately $410 per month, and the cost of utilities come in around $500, Sosa said.

The reason the utilities remain on at the more than 65-year-old building is to keep it from falling into disrepair and to keep it from mildewing.

JM Test Systems is expected to move in by next month.

Sosa said the business might need to lease additional space in the bay area if they have a large project.

The city manager explained even though the property is being leased on a month-by-month basis, it would still be available should a better offer be made or there’s an offer to buy the property.

Mayor Pro Tem Rhonda Dugas asked Sosa if the price of 75 cents per square foot is a proper rate, to which Sosa said he spoke with several realtors who confirmed, due to the uniqueness of the building and the fact it is a former fire station, 75 cents per square foot is suitable.

Should JM Test Systems want to lease additional space, they would need to go to council for approval.

The building has been empty since the fire department moved to a new station at 5911 W. Washington in March.