CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Corpus Christi Fire Department will be breaking ground for rebuilding Fire Station Number Three on Morgan Avenue by mid-September.
The construction of the new station was made possible by a 2020 bond.
The current station was built back in 1954. Chief Douglas Matthijetz told 3NEWS that the nearly-seventy-year-old building has seen better days and had to adjust to changes over time that have led to wear and tear.
"We've just really outgrown the use of this station in capacities as far as the equipment that we can fit in here and things it can do," said Matthijetz. "The units are getting bigger. We've had to make some modifications to this station already. If you look at some of the doors, we've had to increase the size of the door openings to get the trucks in. They still just barely fit in there ."
The new location will cost around $10 million.
"The design is already complete. The construction should be starting at the end of this month, and we're excited to have a new station. It has four bays and will fit 12 firefighters," Matthijetz explained. "As far as the training props, it has a mezzanine. It'll have a door on the side where they can do some of their rescue training in house, inside the station and not have to go the drill field at del mar and things like that. "
According to Matthijetz the fire station did a land swap with the Ed Rachal Foundation, meaning there will be no need for a tear down and rebuilding process. Firefighters will be able to work out of the current station until the new one is built.
Matthijetz expects to the new station to be completed in the fall of 2024.
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