A parking lot is shown at the northeast corner of North Street and Woolsey Avenue where the city plans to build a new fire station. Flyer photo/Todd Gill)Fayetteville officials are ready to break ground on a new fire station in the center of town.
A ceremony is scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 9 at the location of the new station on the northeast corner of North Street and Woolsey Avenue.
The Fire Department will move its Station 2 from Garland Avenue to the North Street property. The Garland Avenue location will then be repurposed for use as a logistical support building.
The North Street property currently includes a parking lot that sits west of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest building. Washington County in October donated the 1.4-acre property to the city for the project. That same month, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs granted a release of a 1950s land restriction to allow the station to be built. The deed had previously stated that any use of the land other than for a hospital would revert the ownership of the property to the V.A, which has a local office just east of the site.
Having a station closer to the center of town would reduce response times to within four minutes for certain areas, which is a decrease of about a minute, according to city documents. Four minutes is the national standard of travel time set by the National Fire Protection Association.
Once complete, the new station will include 11,000 square feet with three and a half apparatus bays, sleeping quarters with eight bedrooms, a kitchen and dining room, a day room, offices and a fitness room. It will be staffed with existing personnel and fire companies.
The City Council on Tuesday approved a $1.7 million contract change order with Flintco LLC for construction management services on the project. It includes site demolition, groundwork, site utilities, concrete, a generator, and switchgear.
The new station was part of the $15.8 million bond issue Fayetteville voters approved in 2019. The total cost of the project is expected to be about $6.5 million.
