AKRON, Ohio - The City of Akron will break ground this summer on its new, $4.3 million Fire Station No. 2, located at 952 E. Market St.

The new station will replace the existing station, which has been in operation for more than 70 years. The city is finalizing plans to continue operations during the construction period. Construction is expected to be completed by the summer of2019. The new station, funded by the Issue 4 tax issue voters passed in November, will be the city's first new station in more than two decades.

"While it is bittersweet to retire Fire Station No. 2, we are proud to be honoring the rich history of this station and the neighborhood as we construct a new, modern, safe and efficient facility," Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan said in a news release. "I once again thank the Akron public for supporting Issue 4 last November, making it possible for us to make these critically important investments in the safety and stability of our city."

Akron-based Hasenstab Architects designed the station, while KZF Design is providing fire-station-specific consulting and expertise to make sure the station meets industry standards and best practices. The station design incorporates historic elements of the existing station, such as the fountain featuring a boy and girl under an umbrella, which was donated to the city in the 1880's.

New fire station features include:

Three full apparatus bays

A 500-square-foot Akron Police Department satellite office

Living quarters for six firefighter/paramedics

A training room with a triage station to assist emergency walk-in patients

Equipment decontamination facilities

An air drying hose tower

"We are thrilled to be preparing for the construction of Station No. 2, and planning for the construction of Station No. 12 soon after," Fire Chief Clarence Tucker said in a news release. "It is rewarding to be able to provide our firefighter/medics with the new safety equipment and facilities they need to keep our neighborhoods and families safe. This wouldn't be possible without the funding from Issue 4."

Design work to replace Station No. 12, located at 1852 W. Market St., will begin this year, with construction set to begin in the second half of 2019.

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