Groundbreaking Set For Fire Station 203 In Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA—The Beverley Hills neighborhood of Alexandria is getting a new fire station to replace the old one at 2801 Cameron Mills Road. The groundbreaking is set for Saturday, June 22, at 8:30 a.m.

The current Fire Station 203 was built in 1948 and is 5,910 square feet. The new fire station will be 15,000 square feet.

According to the city's project page, the current station "is no longer adequate to support modern fire and EMS apparatus, equipment, and operations." The fire station's drive-in apparatus bays cannot fit the current fleet of fire trucks, leading some to be parked on the driveway or street. The current station also cannot accommodate the number of staff needed to serve this area, according to previous city staff analysis.

The new two-story fire station will have two and a half operational bays to house a fire engine, an ambulance, administrative vehicles and special service units.

Construction will happen in phases. A temporarily facility for the fire station will be built and occupied before the current station is demolished over the summer. Construction of the new fire station is expected to finish in summer 2020. After final site work, the station will open in late 2020.

The fire department says response times will remain the same from the temporary facility.