The official ground-breaking ceremony of HFD Station 5 took place Tuesday, July 30, 2024 at the site of the new station, 450 Mt. Clinton Pike. Watch video from the ceremony.
The long-awaited station will improve safety and reduce response times while positioning the city for growth, especially in the northern end of Harrisonburg. The station is expected to open in summer 2025. The new station will improve service to the Park View area that includes the Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community, Eastern Mennonite University, several public and private K-12 schools and a developing commercial district. The current closest station to the Park View community is Station 4 (located on Rock Street) and response times to that area are closer to 6 minutes, or longer. This new station will significantly reduce response times in the Park View community, while also positively impacting the availability of fire engines in other areas of the city to respond to emergencies. Reduction of response times also will help to reduce insurance rates across the entire city, making Harrisonburg more competitive for businesses considering locating to the area.
Harrisonburg City Council has committed $5 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to the project, identifying Station 5 as a vital addition to the community and an important commitment to the City’s goal of providing high-quality services to all in Harrisonburg. Find more information on City ARPA projects.
Harman Construction, partnering with Mather Architects and Monteverde Engineering, will build the new station.