Mayor Faulconer, Councilmember Gloria Kick Off Reconstruction of Hillcrest Fire Station
Multi-Million Dollar Neighborhood Investment Marks the Fourth New or Reconstructed Fire Station Project Since Mayor Took Office
San Diego – (RealEstateRama) — Marking the fourth fire station built as part of his commitment to improve neighborhood services throughout the city, Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer was joined today by City Councilmember Todd Gloria and Fire-Rescue Chief Brian Fennessy to announce the reconstruction and modernization of Fire Station No. 5 to better serve the growing population in Hillcrest and surrounding neighborhoods.
“This 1950s-era station will be replaced with a modern facility that can house more equipment and fire vehicles to better serve nearby neighborhoods,” Mayor Faulconer said. “It’s an example of the City’s record-level investments in infrastructure and ongoing improvements to public safety coming together for the community’s benefit.”
The new 10,731-square-foot, two-floor station will include a larger apparatus bay able to house a fire engine, a fire ladder truck and a chief emergency vehicle. The $9.2 million project will more than double the size of the current station, which was built in 1951 and is too small to house modern-day ladder trucks.
“Today marks the beginning of an important and much-needed public safety improvement for Hillcrest and its surrounding neighborhoods,” Councilmember Gloria said. “Fire Station No. 5 is one of the busiest engine companies in the City of San Diego and with the construction of this new facility we will not only better equip our Fire-Rescue Department to respond to emergencies faster, but also improve the living conditions for our firefighters who dedicate themselves every day to keeping our residents safe.”
The fire engine at Fire Station No. 5 is the third busiest in the City with nearly 6,000 calls annually or an average of about 16 calls per day. Only the engines serving City Heights and downtown San Diego answer more calls.
The new Fire Station No. 5 will be located on the same site – 3902 Ninth Ave. – and is scheduled to open in 2018. The current facility will be demolished in late November. During construction, fire crews will be working out of a temporary facility at 4311 Third Ave. to ensure no interruption in emergency service.
“Our firefighters are committed to their city, department and mission,” Fire-Rescue Chief Fennessy said. “The firefighters assigned to Fire Station No. 5 have a long history of ensuring that fires are suppressed quickly and medical calls are answered with excellent patient care. With a larger and modernized station, they’ll be able to continue that tradition for generations to come.”
Since Mayor Faulconer took office, the City has also opened a new fire station in Mission Valley and begun construction of new fire stations for Bayside and City Heights.
An architectural rendering of the new fire station is attached.
CONTACT: Craig Gustafson at (619) 453-9880 or cgustafson (at) sandiego (dot) gov
