Fairfax County Fire and Rescue’s Station 25 should be complete and occupied by the end of this year.
That’s the most recent timeline for the project (1820 Wiehle Ave.), according to the department’s director of public information, Ashley Hildebrandt.
“Station personnel are very excited about the new station,” she says in an email.
Demolition on the former station began in March 2020 for the nearly $15 million project that will double the size of Station 25.
The former station was 2 1/2 bays, designed in 1972 and had “become undersized” and lacked “inadequate critical infrastructure and support functions to meet the needs of the expanding department and the community it serves,” according to a description by the project’s architect.
The new station has four bays and makes other adjustments for more firefighters to be located there, such as by providing 41 parking spaces.
Firefighters have temporarily relocated to 1840 Cameron Glen Drive during the construction to continue providing service.
As Fairfax County moves to expand its use of renewable energy, the Board of Supervisors is looking for feedback on the next round of county facilities being considered for solar panel installations.
The board will hold a public hearing on Tuesday (March 9) to determine whether the county should lease roof space at 22 county-owned properties to the energy company Sigora Solar, which would be responsible for installing, operating, and maintaining solar photovoltaic panels at the sites.
Sites under consideration in the Tysons and Reston area include:
- McLean Government Center and Police Station (1437 Balls Hill Road)
- Wolf Trap Fire Station #42 (1315 Beulah Road)
- McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Avenue)
- Thomas Jefferson Library (7415 Arlington Boulevard)
- Merrifield Center and Kerrifield Center Garage (8221 Willow Oaks Corporate Drive)
- Reston Fire Station (1820 Wiehle Avenune)
- Great Falls Volunteer Fire Station (9916 Georgetown Pike)
This is the second set of properties that county officials have proposed as possible locations for solar panels. The county previously approved leases for roof space at eight sites, including the Providence Community Center, in October.
In an effort to pivot to renewable energy as a means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Fairfax County announced in December 2019 that it had awarded contracts to multiple solar power companies in what was the “largest solar power purchase agreement initiative by a local municipality in Virginia” at that time, according to the Fairfax County Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination.
In addition to Sigora Solar, the county has contracted with the providers BrightSuite — a subsidiary of Dominion Energy — and Ipsun Solar for the initiative, which could also include Fairfax County Public Schools facilities.
In the board package for Tuesday’s meeting, county staff say there is no expected net cost from the solar panels. Sigora Solar has offered a fixed rate of $0.069 per kilowatt per hour (kWh) on a 25-year contract term. The county will save $0.016 per kWh compared to current electric costs which will help pay off the costs of installation and upkeep to Sigora Solar.
The public hearing is expected to start around 4 p.m. Like the rest of the Board of Supervisors meeting, it will be available to watch via the county’s cable TV channel and online live stream, and live audio can be accessed by calling 703-324-5300.
Image via Flickr/Minoru Karamatsu
Construction on the long-anticipated new Fire and Reston Station 25 on Wiehle Avenue in Reston is coming along and is planning to be set for occupancy towards the end of 2021, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue’s assistant public information officer Bill Delaney tells Reston Now.
Late last month (Dec. 2020), the department tweeted that the station would be ready by the summer.
It’s beginning to look a lot like…….a fire and rescue station! New Station 25, Reston, is coming along nicely! Estimated occupancy is the Summer of 2021. Funding for the new station was included on the 2015 Public Safety Bond Referendum approved by voters.#FCFRD pic.twitter.com/aNtFAbEcPk
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) December 29, 2020
Delaney says the delay is due to extremely wet weather over the last few months and “other challenges that are normal parts of the building process.”
The initial timeline floated in 2018 for completion in spring 2021, so the project appears to be behind that original projected date.
The nearly $15 million project will more than double the size of the previous station. The 17,150 square-foot, two-story facility will have four bays. It will also be able to accommodate up to 20 firefighters per shift and six apparatus equipment including a new engine, according to the architect’s description. The station is targeting LEED Silver certification.
County plans from early in 2018 said the design would have a “contemporary look to compliment the urban feel of Reston Town Center.”
Funding for the new station was included on the Public Safety Bond Referendum approved by voters in 2015. Four other fire stations were included in the referendum for renovation or rebuild. The Woodlawn station in Alexandria is set to open for occupancy in the spring and Edsall Road station in Springfield is scheduled for next year.
The new Reston station is being built on the same site as the old station. That one was built in 1972 and last upgraded in 1986. It was only 2.5 bays and deemed “grossly undersized” for the community.
For comparison, Reston’s population in 1972 was about 16,000, according to the Reston Museum. In 2019, it was more than 61,000.Â
In January 2020, fire fighters moved to a temporary station nearby at 1840 Cameron Glen Drive until the new station is ready for occupancy.
A Fairfax County official told the Patch at the time that the move would have no impact on the station’s ability to serve the community.
Demolition started in March on the old fire station.
Photo courtesy of Fairfax County Fire and Rescue.
Construction on Station 25 in Reston has officially begun, according to the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department.
Steelwork began earlier this week on the $14.8 million project. Voters approved funding for the station via a bond referendum in 2015.
The project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2021. A temporary fire station has been set up at 1800 Cameron Glen Drive.
The old facility was demolished earlier this year to make way for a larger facility. The new station is double the size of the previous site and features two stories with administrative offices, a dayroom, kitchen, storage and bunk rooms.
Photos via Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department
Metro Services Limited to 26 Bus Routes — Metro is only running a core network of 26 bus routes and twice-hourly rail service only for the region’s “essential travel needs.” [Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority]
Local Unemployment Resources Available — Job seekers and employers in N. Virginia can access Virginia Career Works Centers, which offer a system of employment of training services through on-stop resource centers. Although the centers are closed, webinars, career coaching, and local labor market information is available. [Fairfax County Government]
Local Fire Station Demolished — Station 25 on Wiehle Avenue was officially demolished on Tuesday, making way for an upgraded facility that’s expected to open in May 2021. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department]
Reminder: Voting Underway for Reston Association Election — The last day to cast a vote for the annual Board of Directors’ election is April 3, 2020 at 5 p.m. [Reston Association]
Photo via Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department
Moving Day for Fire Station 25 — “Station 25, Reston, A-Shift had a busy day moving to their new temporary station, located at 1840 Cameron Glen Drive. FCFRD personnel will be operating out of the temporary station while the new Station 25 is built. Crews will maintain continuous emergency response to the Reston community during construction. The existing station on Wiehle Avenue will be demolished in the next several weeks.”
Three Suspects Rob Bicyclist on Washington & Old Dominion Trail — A man was riding his bicycle along the trail near the 1000 block of Crestview Drive when three victims showed him a weapon and took his belongings. The incident happened on Jan. 24. [Herndon Police Department]
Reston Association Board Voting Begins in March — Voting for the month-long election for the Board of Directors begin on March 2. Ballots will be mailed to members and voting can be done online or by mail. [Reston Association]
Playing Games at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods — Residents can gather at the center today (Wednesday) at 5 p.m. to play board games and other tabletop games. Patrons are encouraged to bring their own game collections. [Reston Community Center]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
County officials estimated that the demolition, which would make way for a new and larger fire station, would begin in early December. Due to construction delays, it is likely the project will not begin until at least February.
Until then, a spokesperson for the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department said that firefighters will not move into the temporary station until late January.
The $13 million project calls for replacing Reston Fire and Rescue Station 25, which was built in 1972 and last upgraded in 1986, with a two-story station more than double the size of the current site.
The new 17,150-square-foot station will include four bays and is designed to have a more contemporary look.
As work gears up on the new fire station in Reston, construction crews will soon tear down the current one.
The demolition on the old facility (1820 Wiehle Avenue) is expected to begin early this December, William Delaney, a spokesperson for Fairfax County Fire and Rescue, said.
Construction is underway for a temporary station at 1800 Cameron Glen Drive to serve the community until the new facility is completed in 2021.
The existing location is too small and does not suit the needs of the community anymore, another spokesperson previously told Reston Now.
The new station will cost $14.8 million, double the size of the station and feature two stories with room for administrative offices, a dayroom, kitchen, storage and bunk rooms.
“I am sure there will be a grand re-opening ceremony when new station up and running,” Delaney said.
Image via Google MapsÂ
A temporary fire station in Reston is almost ready for fire and rescue personnel to use while they await their new, permanent station.
Built in the early 1970s, Reston Fire and Rescue Station 25 is set to get demolished this fall and replaced with a new fire station at 1820 Wiehle Avenue.
Construction is set to begin later this year on the new fire station, which will more than double the size of the current department. The project is expected to cost $14.8 million.
“We are not planning a groundbreaking as this new permanent station is a replacement station not a new one to Fairfax County,” Ashley Hildebrandt, a fire department spokesperson, told Reston Now. “We will have a grand opening once the station is built.”
Until the new fire station is finished, fire and rescue personnel will use a temporary fire station at 1800 Cameron Glen Drive near the North County Government Center.
The temporary station consists of trailers and a large tent.
“The temporary fire station is in the final stages of construction,” Hildebrandt said. “Personnel are preparing to move into the temporary station in October.”
Several Teens Rob Juvenile — Police believe two to three teens assaulted a juvenile victim and stole his bike on the 1200 block of Herndon Parkway. The incident happened on August 8. [Herndon Police Department]
Texas Chainsaw Horns Concert Tonight — Enjoy rhythm and blues at the weekly summer concert series at Lake Anne Plaza from 7-9 p.m. The event is free and open for all ages. [Reston Community Center]
Leidos Secures Contract to Support Nuclear Detection Office — “The Operations Support and Studies II contract continues the Reston technology company’s work with the U.S. National Data Center, which detects and tracks nuclear-based events globally.” [The Washington Business Journal]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
The demolition of Reston Fire and Rescue Station 25 is set for the fall, bringing an end to the building that was built in the early 1970s.
Construction on the new fire station — Reston Fire and Rescue Station 25 (1820 Wiehle Avenue) — will begin later this year. The new facility is more than double the size of the current department, which officials said has long outlived its use.
Major redevelopment is planned around the fire station, which will have two levels and four drive-through bays with the capacity for adding more units in the future.
The county plans to work with the developer of Isaac Newtown Square, which is behind the fire station, to make sure the redevelopment project does not interfere with work planned at the fire station.
While the new station is under construction, fire and rescue personnel will be relocated to a temporary station at 1800 Cameron Glen Drive near the North County Government Center.
Site work and construction of the temporary facility, which consists of trailers and a large tent, is in progress, a spokesperson for the county’s fire department told Reston Now.
The project is expected to cost $14.8 million.
Photo via Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department
With a little less than a year before construction is scheduled to start on the new Reston Fire and Rescue Station 25, project is starting to shift from conception to physical.
Laurie Stone, a strategic planner for the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, said residents should start seeing work on the temporary fire station soon.
“The next thing you’ll see is when we start constructing the temporary facility behind the police station,” said Stone. “That will be starting soon… probably by the first of the year.”
After the fire crew moves into the temporary station at 1800 Cameron Glen Drive, Stone said demolition of the old fire station at 1820 Wiehle Avenue and reconstruction will begin in late summer-fall next year. The new fire station is expected to open in spring 2021.
The new station is scheduled to be 17,150 square-feet, over twice as large as the current 7,750 square-foot station. It will include four bays for the fire trucks on the first floor and administrative offices, a day room, kitchen, storage and bunk rooms on the second floor.
Stone said the station is built to facilitate any necessary new equipment or additional staffing required as the area near the Wiehle-Reston East area continues expanding.
The new fire station has also taken into consideration the developments planned nearby, like the redevelopment of Isaac Newton Square just behind the station.
“[This fire station] is in the Reston comprehensive plan for this area,” said Stone, “So we’ve met with the developer before to make sure they’re aware of it, so when their rezoning application goes through [to Fairfax County] it will go through our agency for review.”
As the area becomes increasingly crowded, Stone said it’s important to ensure the vehicles can quickly and safely enter and exit the station.
“This is going to be a drive-through station,” said Stone, meaning fire trucks will be able to leave from either a south or north entrance to the station. “When the development happens behind us at Isaac Newton they are going to work with us to make sure we can access the rear of the station.”
Stone also said the station development is keeping in mind the planned bridge over Wiehle Avenue which will be adjacent to the fire station. That bridge is planned to be built by October 2022.
“We’re ahead of their schedule,” said Stone, “so we’re coordinating construction so that they don’t disturb our operations.”
Plans to replace an outdated fire station on 1820 Wiehle Avenue are in-the-works in order to meet increasing demands fueled by population growth in Reston.
The $13 million project calls for replacing Reston Fire and Rescue Station 25, which was built in 1972 and last upgraded in 1986, with a two-story station more than double the size of the current site.
The new 17,150-square-foot station will include four bays with a “contemporary look to compliment the urban feel of Reston Town Center,” according to plans submitted to the county this month.
The current 7,750-square-foot fire station is “grossly undersized” with only two-and-a-half bays, leaving little room for storing equipment and managing additional responders and units. Service demands are also expected to increase as construction and residential development rapidly expands in the immediate area, according to the plans.
If approved by the county, construction is expected to begin in the summer of 2019 and be completed by early spring of 2021.
Lisa Goddard, a project manager for the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Service, said the transition from a one-story to two-story building was well-received by the community at a Reston Planning and Zoning Committee meeting earlier this week.
“It will anticipate the growth for the Reston area,” Goddard told Reston Now. “And that’s the big concern given how Reston is growing so much.”
The new station will also include space for programming on the second floor, along with administrative offices, a dayroom, kitchen, storage and bunk rooms.
Expected construction costs are not available because the project is still in the design phase, Goddard said. Roughly $13 million has been allocated. The fire station is one of five stations slated for upgrades under a bond referendum in 2015.
During the course of the project, the fire station’s operations will temporarily move to 1800 Cameron Glen Drive.
Photos via handout
#ThrowBackThursday – This week, we look back at Fire and Rescue Station 25, Reston #TBT pic.twitter.com/7T9Mmvnxec
— Fairfax Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) September 28, 2017
Check out these “Throwback Thursday” photos of the early days of Station 25, Reston, posted on Twitter today by Fairfax County Fire and Rescue.
Soon, the station as it has been known by longtime Reston residents will change forever.
The station, at 1820 Wiehle Ave., was built in 1972 and last renovated in 1986. It was one of five fire stations approved for replacement and/or renovation under the county’s 2015 Public Safety Bond Referendum. The new fire station on Wiehle Avenue, according to the county’s Capital Improvement Plan, will cost about $13 million. It is needed due to “outdated infrastructure and critical operational space deficiencies.”
The work on the new station is estimated to take place from spring 2019 through late 2020.
While the permanent station is being replaced, a temporary fire station will stand at 1800 Cameron Glen Drive. The Fairfax County Planning Commission unanimously gave its OK to the plan for the temporary fire station earlier this month, and the County Board of Supervisors did the same at their meeting this week.
You can see more historical photos of the Wiehle Avenue station at the FairfaxFirefighters.org website.
Plans for a temporary home for Reston Fire and Rescue Station 25 will go before the Fairfax County Planning Commission next week for a public hearing.
The permanent fire station, located at 1820 Wiehle Ave., will be replaced in the next few years. During the work, there will be no room on that site for fire operations to be based.
The temporary home for the fire company at 1800 Cameron Glen Drive will be a 7,680-square foot, one-story pre-manufactured modular building containing living quarters and office space, along with three apparatus bays. Construction is expected to begin next summer.
The site was used by Reston Hospital Center as a temporary helipad in 2013. Two years later, it was used as a temporary surface parking lot for the Reston District Police Station during construction of its new station.
Project manager Lisa Goddard, of the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services, previously told Reston Now that a full restoration of the temporary site, with removal of all improvements back to its original state of a grass lot, will take place once the fire company moves into its new permanent home on Wiehle Avenue. She said no trees will be removed in the implementation of the temporary fire station.
Reston Fire and Rescue was one of five fire stations approved for replacement and/or renovation under the county’s 2015 Public Safety Bond Referendum. The new fire station on Wiehle Avenue, according to the county’s Capital Improvement Plan, will cost about $13 million. It is needed due to “outdated infrastructure and critical operational space deficiencies.” The work on the new station is estimated to take place from spring 2019 through late 2020.
The Planning Commission hearing is scheduled to take place during the Thursday, Sept. 14 meeting, which begins at 8:15 p.m. at 12000 Government Center Parkway in Fairfax. The project is then slated to go before the Board of Supervisors for a public hearing at its Tuesday, Sept. 26 meeting at 3:30 p.m.
Map courtesy Fairfax County Planning Commission
