Construction could begin next year on a new fire station that will go up near the intersection of Juan Tabo Boulevard and Central Avenue and will be a part of the Albuquerque Fire Rescue Department.
The project has long been in the talking and planning stage but will now take a crucial step forward in the wake of an election seeing Albuquerque voters approving up to $140 million in general obligation bonds.
Of that amount, $7 million will target the construction of the new Fire Station Number 12, which will replace the existing Number 12 station at 201 Muriel Street NE. That facility has been regarded as too small and outdated for current needs.
The new station will serve Albuquerque’s International District. Studies determining the most effective location for the new facility were earlier undertaken by the Albuquerque-based firm Consensus Planning, which explored likely response times to specific calls, including those relating to drug overdoses.
The approved $140 million general bonds will also fund $5 million for the planning, design, and construction of an additional bay at Fire Station 18, located at 61 Taylor Ranch Road NW, while additionally providing $1 million to upgrade Albuquerque Fire Rescue facilities across the city.
The specific city language for the Number 12 project calls for the $7 million in bond funding to be used to “purchase land, plan, design, construction, engineer, furnish, equip, landscape and otherwise provide a new fire station.”
The Albuquerque International District comprises a nearly 4-square mile area made up of a diverse population of some 30,000 people.
By Garry Boulard
