Kearney advances $13.5 million Fire Station 3 project in northeast city

Kearney is moving forward with a new Fire Station No. 3 in the northeast part of the city after approving a $1,080,987 guaranteed maximum price for the project’s first early construction package.

The Kearney City Council approved the package March 24. It covers site grading, underground utilities and associated indirect costs at the future station site near the new water tower at East 48th Street and N Avenue.

The city estimates the full Fire Station No. 3 project will cost $13.5 million. The $1,080,987 approval is an early bid package, not the final cost for the station.

Groundbreaking planned for April 6

The city has announced a groundbreaking ceremony for April 6, 2026, at the future station site near East 48th Street and N Avenue. The event is expected to mark the public start of construction activity for the facility.

The station is intended to support public safety and the community’s continued growth. The project’s northeast Kearney location places the future facility near the new water tower and adds a planned public-safety facility in an area where the city is expanding.

Final construction price still to come

The early package allows initial site work to move ahead while the city continues toward a final guaranteed maximum price for the broader project. City materials said officials expected to bring that final price to the council within six weeks of the March 24 approval.

That timeline would place the anticipated council presentation in early May 2026, although the six-week period was an expectation rather than a final construction deadline. The overall $13.5 million figure remains an estimate, while the approved early package identifies the first portion of the work.

Budget and bond financing

Fire Station No. 3 was included in Kearney’s fiscal 2026 budget. The city plans to finance the project through a bank-qualified bond purchased at the end of calendar year 2025.

The financing and budget authorization put the station among Kearney’s current capital commitments. The initial package funds preparatory work at the site, while later construction costs are expected to be reflected in the final guaranteed maximum price presented to the council.

The April groundbreaking will give residents a scheduled milestone for a project designed to strengthen public-safety service capacity as Kearney grows. The city’s announced next step is the council’s consideration of the final guaranteed maximum price after the early site-work package moves forward.