Hillsborough County is responding to the growth in the SouthShore area with plans for a new fire station in Riverview. The station, proposed for the southeast corner of the intersection of Rhodine Rd. and US Hwy. 301, is expected to open in the spring of 2021.
“There is a tremendous need for fire stations in the south county area,” said Hillsborough County Fire Chief Dennis Jones. “Stations are sparse around there to begin with, and with the exponential growth the area is seeing, a new station is an absolute necessity.”
According to Jones, U.S. Hwy. 301 was the natural choice for a new station as much of the growth is centralized around the corridor. Residents were invited to learn more and give input on the station at a public meeting last month.
“Many concerned citizens attended the meeting and everyone there was overwhelmingly in favor of the new station,” said Jones.
The proposed site for the station currently houses a Hillsborough County Public Utilities Maintenance Facility.
“The current facility will be razed and all operations will be moved to a new location with a fleet facility and parking,” said Jones.
The fire station will be built on the northeast boundary of the property with a budget of approximately $3.8 million. Hillsborough County’s Public Works Department is managing the building of the fire station, the 46th in the county and the third planned since 2006.
According to Jones, the new Riverview fire station will be one of the largest in the county at approximately 12,000 sq. ft. with four bays and will include an emergency signal. There will be 14 dorms and it will be one of only five stations in the county to house a ladder truck in addition to a traditional engine, a rescue ambulance and a water tanker. The ladder truck, the first added to the county’s fleet in 10 years, will boast a 100-foot ladder and platform.
“We are very anxious to build this station and serve the thousands of new homes in the south county area,” said Jones. “We are still in the planning process and there are a lot of things that have to happen as we move along, but we are making progress.”
To learn more about the fire station, visit www.hillsboroughcounty.org.
