The Town of Chapel Hill is “moving ahead” with plans to build a new Fire Station 4 and make room for an affordable housing development, both at the intersection of Weaver Dairy Road Extension and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, according to a release shared Thursday.
The current Fire Station 4 is more than 40 years old, having first opened in 1982. The new Fire Station 4 will be built next door to the old one and on the current site of a fire training facility, which is set to be demolished later this year. The Town says it will then request bids for the construction of the new station in mid-2027. The old station will remain in service while the new one is built.
“We’re incredibly excited to build a new station to serve our community and create a new, modern home for our dedicated crews,” said Fire Chief Jay Mebane. “I’m thankful to the Chapel Hill community for approving the bond referendum and look forward to inviting them to the ribbon-cutting for the new Station 4.”
Once Station 4 is open, the Town says it plans to demolish the existing station and build affordable housing on its footprint. Staff are “in the process” of selecting a housing partner and expect to announce that decision this fall, according to a release.
“This is a great opportunity to use well-located Town-owned land to deliver on our goal of creating more affordable housing,” said Alicia Arnold, the town’s Director of Housing and Community Development. “We expect as many as 100 affordable units with easy access to the upcoming NS RAPID transit service, grocery stores, healthcare, and much more.”
The Chapel Hill Town Council is expected to consider rezoning the property this fall, with an eye toward maximizing the number of affordable homes being built. A virtual public information meeting about the rezoning request is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 20 at 5 p.m.
The planned sites of the new Fire Station 4 and affordable housing development at the intersection of Weaver Dairy Road Extension and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. (Image via Town of Chapel Hill)
Both the fire station and the affordable housing projects will be funded by a $44 million bond referendum approved in 2024. The referendum set aside up to $15 million each for affordable housing and public facilities. The Town of Chapel Hill says it expects to use $10 million of the public facilities money to construct Fire Station 4, with the remaining $5 million going toward the eventual replacement of Fire Station 3 at the intersection of East Franklin Street and South Elliott Road.
For the construction of the affordable housing, the town says it expects to finance the project with Low-Income Housing Tax Credits from the state government, as well as “a portion” of the $15 million from the referendum.
“These important projects will help us carry out both our Complete Community strategy and our community safety goals,” said Chapel Hill Town Manager Ted Voorhees. “I’m thrilled to see these important bond-funded projects come to life.”
Featured image via Chapel Hill Media Group/Brighton McConnell
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