Athens to break ground Aug. 11 on third fire station at Elizabeth Street

The City of Athens is scheduled to break ground Tuesday, Aug. 11, on its third fire station, advancing a planned public-safety facility at 300 Elizabeth Street.

The groundbreaking ceremony is set for 1:30 p.m. at the Elizabeth Street site. The station is planned to provide 24/7 emergency service and is intended to expand fire-department coverage and improve response times for fires, medical emergencies, vehicle accidents and other incidents.

Planned staffing and service

The facility is planned to be staffed by nine City of Athens firefighters. Three of those nine positions are new firefighter jobs approved in the city’s current fiscal budget.

The additional station is expected to place emergency resources closer to calls in the areas covered by the facility. The city’s stated goal is improved response time and broader coverage; those are intended effects of the project, not results already achieved. The station will not be an operating facility simply because of the groundbreaking ceremony.

Adding three positions would also expand the Athens Fire Department’s staffing while creating a new emergency-response location for residents and others who need fire, medical or accident assistance.

Site and facility plans

Athens City Council planning documents show that the city acquired 2.47 acres on Elizabeth Street in June 2024 for construction of fire station No. 3. Council materials authorized continued planning and coordination for the project, including design, competitive bidding, contractor selection and construction.

Project information describes a planned 10,900-square-foot, one-story building. The scope includes a FEMA-rated storm shelter, site grading, utilities and mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems.

The planned building is designed for the work of a modern fire station, with space and systems intended to support round-the-clock emergency operations. The Elizabeth Street location is the city’s identified site for its third station.

What happens next

The scheduled groundbreaking is the next public step for the project. It marks the transition from planning toward construction, but it does not establish that construction has already begun or that the facility is open.

The ceremony is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, at 300 Elizabeth Street in Athens. The city has announced the event and the planned staffing and service goals; project information also identifies the building size and major site components.