Construction of new Allen fire station approved by council

Construction for a sixth fire station was approved by Allen City Council in a Tuesday meeting. 

The station, Allen Fire Station No. 6, will be the Allen Fire Department's northernmost facility, plotted for location at the intersection between North Watters Road and Ridgeview Drive. 

“It is time to build Fire Station No. 6, and the location is deliberate for that reason," said Chris Flanigan, Allen's engineering director, during his presentation to the council. 

Flanigan added that the location was meticulously selected to give fire stations in Allen a uniform distribution and to accommodate any high call volume that would come from the State Highway 121 area following its commercial development.

The action item approved by Council specifically authorized a $11.2 million construction contract for the facility. The city will incur a total expenditure of roughly $15 million for the fire station, with the remaining $3.8 million being used for architectural design services, infrastructure and equipment. 

Funding for Allen Fire Station No. 6 will come primarily from a city bond package that was approved by voters in 2016. While roughly $9 million of the funding will come from general obligation bonds, $3.5 million will come from funds given to the city by the federal government amid its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) rollout. 

The remaining $2.5 million will come from "city council strategic non-bond" funds, Flanigan said. 

Allen Fire Station No. 6 is anticipated to open in October 2023.