AKRON, Ohio — The city of Akron held a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday for what will be its newest fire station, set to open in the late summer of 2024.
Fire Station No. 12 will be located at 112 South Hawkins Avenue in the Wallhaven neighborhood. The new building will be 14,959 square feet, costing approximately $9.5 million.
Station 12 follows in the footsteps of Akron Station 2 and Station 4 as the latest locations to be replaced.
“Today was an exciting day for the entire Akron community and especially for the residents here in Ward 4,” said Mayor Horrigan. “In 2018, we broke ground on fire station 2 in Middlebury which was the first new fire station in Akron in 22 years. Now, just a few short years later, we’re happy to break ground on yet another new fire station, making it the third one in 5 years and marking our latest investment into Akron Fire.”
According to the release, the new station will include the following features:
- 3 full apparatus bays
- Living quarters for 9 firefighter/medics
- Equipment decontamination facilities
- Air drying hose tower
A rendering of the future building (as seen below) was released by the city.
“Station 12 has been serving the Akron community for 72 years, averaging almost 3,000 calls in 2022,” said Chief Natko. “This new building will help our firefighter/medics better serve Akron and will keep our firefighters safer as they answer the call to protect our residents. I know the Ward 4 community is gaining a great investment with this fire station and I’m confident it will serve this area for many years to come.”
Attending Tuesday's groundbreaking ceremony were Akron mayor Dan Horrigan, Fire Chief Joseph Natko, Deputy Fire Chief Richard Vober, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Clarence Tucker, Ward 4 Councilman Russel C. Neal Jr., and members of Akron City Council.
Discussions on which fire stations will be the next to be replaced are ongoing.
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From 3News' coverage of the West Side Market being allocated APRA funds for building repairs: