ACFR Fire Station 21 Groundbreaking
Press release from Alachua County
ALACHUA, Fla. – The Alachua County Commission held a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday to celebrate the beginning of the construction of the new Alachua County Fire Station #21 (16121 NW 173rd St, Alachua).
Speakers included Alachua County Manager Michele Lieberman, Fire Chief Harold Theus, and County Commission Chair Mary Alford.
View the video of the groundbreaking ceremony.
Station 21 will be the second fire station of the new ACFR prototype design. The single-story concrete masonry facility features energy-efficient equipment and sustainable design features, with 100% backup generated power. It is an 11,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art building that will last 50-plus years. The Lunz Group, from Lakeland, provided architectural and engineering services for the project, and the D.E. Scorpio Corporation is the construction management firm “At Risk.”
This new fire station provides adequate space for the existing fire rescue crew and will enhance the service delivered to this growing area of unincorporated Alachua County. Building and opening this facility provides critical space for staff and equipment.
Once the construction is complete, Station 21 will move from its current location at 15040 NW U.S. HWY 441, Alachua (across from Alachua Elementary School).
Typical of the county PR flacks to leave out the cost. They don’t want the taxpayers to know how much money is being wasted. And you can bet they’ll be raising the fire fee next budget.
The price is $6.5 million, and we see it as money well spent. Public safety is the County’s most important core service, particularly when it comes to getting ambulances and fire trucks to the scene as quickly as possible.
This station is replacing a 45-year-old small and dilapidated station. This station is sited to accommodate population trends in The City Alachua and surrounding areas. It will also give our brave men and women a nice facility that is designed to keep them safe from the toxic elements they come in contact with on calls.
To learn more, watch this video about the recently opened Fire Station 80, which is identical to Fire Station 21:
https://youtu.be/wsTLETBxMqQ?si=WNEA7ijeVGlZ6e9_
As a citizen of Alachua I see it as money well spent to.
@ Joe: how do you figure a fire station in Alachua is this a “waste” of money? The closest fire station to us is down 441 closer to G’ville than Alachua.
The “gubbermint” for sure wastes a lot of money but this isn’t one of them.
Is this also replacing station 20, which is next to the rural collection center between Alachua and High Springs?