Construction is set to begin this fall on a more modern, more efficient Fire Station No. 1 in Downtown Arlington.

The Arlington City Council recently approved a construction contract for up to $9.2 million with Steele & Freeman, which has built two other fire stations within the city. Arlington voters approved funding to rebuild the City’s oldest fire station as part of the 2014 Bond Program.

The two-story, 17,667-square-foot station will replace the existing Fire Station No. 1, which originally opened in 1954 and has gone through various remodels over the decades. Fire Department response times are not expected to be affected during demolition of the existing building and construction of the new station, which is set to open in 2023, Assistant Fire Chief Jonathan Ingols said. Fire Station No. 1 crews will temporarily work from nearby fire stations No. 3 and No. 4.

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The future facility is designed to provide a better work and living space for Arlington’s firefighters. Features will include five larger, drive-thru apparatus bays that can hold more equipment, training areas and indoor and outdoor kennels for the Fire Department’s K9 Unit, a full kitchen and a dining room, and various offices.

The station will also include a public space for community events and meetings as well as a museum area where residents can learn about the Arlington Fire Department’s history and accomplishments and see historical items up close, such as an antique fire engine.

“It’s going to have a community center where citizens can come and see some of the history of the Fire Department and be more active with us, Ingols said. “All in all, we are trying to put a building together that is going to be more efficient and better for the citizens and the firefighters who work here.”

Living quarters for the station’s three shift crews, who each spend 24 hours working from the Downtown station, will also be an improvement. Firefighters on shift will no longer have to share an open dormitory space. The second story of the new station will offer 12 private dorm rooms and separate men’s and women’s bathrooms with showers.

The new station’s design also includes several energy-saving features, including Low-E windows with a solar ban coating, a mechanical system with variable refrigerant volume, low-flow plumbing fixtures, and native landscaping that requires minimal irrigation systems.

Want to learn more about the projectsapproved by Arlington voters in the City’s bond elections? Check out the Bond Tracker webpage for maps, project timelines, articles, and more.