Florida Construction News staff writer
Construction is underway on a new fire station in northeast Gainesville, the first of two public safety projects the city is launching to expand emergency response capacity.
City officials broke ground July 22 on the new Fire Station No. 3, a 16,773-square-foot facility with three engine bays that will replace the existing station serving northeast Gainesville. The new building is being constructed at 1025 NE 13th St., near the intersection of Northeast Eighth Avenue and Waldo Road, just west of the current station.
The Gainesville City Commission approved the project in 2023. Commissioners approved a site work agreement in April, and a construction agreement is expected to come before the commission in August. The project is estimated to cost $14 million.
The new station is part of the city’s Northeast Eighth Avenue and Waldo Road-Citizens Field Revitalization Project.
A second public safety project is scheduled to begin later this month with the groundbreaking for the Southwest Public Safety Center on July 31.
The $22 million facility will include a four-bay fire station, a Public Works warehouse and a community meeting room. The 29,754-square-foot building will be constructed at 4320 SW 47th Way near Archer Road and Interstate 75.
Designed to withstand hurricanes, the center will expand emergency response resources in southwest Gainesville and serve as a base for deploying personnel following natural disasters. When completed, it will replace Fire Station No. 9, which currently operates from a modular building in Butler Plaza North.
The City Commission approved the Southwest Public Safety Center project in 2023. Commissioners approved a site work agreement in April and a construction agreement in June.
Both projects are being funded primarily through the Streets, Stations and Strong Foundations half-cent infrastructure surtax approved by Alachua County voters. The surtax supports road repairs, fire stations, public facilities and affordable housing. The Southwest Public Safety Center also received grant funding from Alachua County.
Construction on both facilities is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
