Construction begins on new city fire station on Hope Mills Road

July 20--A formal groundbreaking ceremony was held today for a new Fayetteville fire station on Hope Mills Road beside J.W. Coon Elementary School.

"This has been a long time coming," Fire Chief Ben Major said as he welcomed the crowd that included Mayor Nat Robertson, City Council members and firefighters.

Construction on the $3.1 million facility began Tuesday and is scheduled to take 300 days, said Nathan Walls, a city spokesman.

The address will be 911 Hope Mills Road.

It will replace the aging station, built in 1956, at 307 Hope Mills Road and is a joint effort between the city, the Fire Department and Cumberland County Schools, Major said.

The new building is being constructed on a large open space that is to the right front of the elementary school.

Robertson said talks between the city and the school system have been ongoing for about two years.

The current fire station, Station 12, originally was home to for the Lafayette Village Fire Department. The city annexed the area in 2004. The station and its staff were brought into the Fayetteville Fire Department.

Mike Middleton, 67, was the last man to serve as the Lafayette Village fire chief. He spent 43 years with the department and served as chief for 19 years. He attended the ceremony and said he was glad to see a facility in the works.

"It's been added on to two times," since 1956, he said. "There's a lot of history, but I'm glad to see it. It's an investment."

Councilman Bobby Hurst, who represents the district, drew a couple of laughs and compared the aging structure to himself.

"I have my fire engine red shirt on and firetruck red underwear," Hurst said. "I was 3 years old when Station 12 was built and I had hair back then."

Fayetteville architect Gordon Johnson has designed the building, which appears to resemble the city's newest station on Andrews Road. M&E Contracting of Fayetteville is the contractor.

Staff writer Nancy McCleary can be reached at nmccleary@fayobserver.com or 486-3568.

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