This is an ongoing blog posting about the project to relocate Raleigh Fire Station 3. 

See photos of the construction and the completed building: 2026 | 2025 | 2024

Contents 

• Apr 2026 – Opened
• Apr 2026 – Furniture Move-In
• Apr 2026 – History Walk
• Apr 2026 – Artwork Installed
• Nov 2025 – Nearing Completion
• Feb 2025 – Construction Update
• Nov 2024 – Design + Public Art Unveiled
• Nov 2024 – Community Meeting Scheduled
• Oct 2024 – Site Clearing Started
• Aug 2024 – Construction Bid Awarded
• May 2024 – Construction Bids Solicited
• Mar 2022 – Call for Artists
• Mar 2022 – Official Project Site
• May 2021 – Design Contract Awarded
• Nov 2017 – Property Purchased
• Earlier Project History
• Legacy Station 3

April 2026 – Opened

On Monday, April 27, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., the new fire station was placed in service. See photos of “A” shift personnel on moving day at the old station. Here’s a crew photo from that afternoon:

April 2026 – Furniture Move-In

On Thursday, April 16, 2026, the first pieces of furniture were unloaded at new Fire Station 3. The engine house is a couple weeks away from opening. 

April 2026 – History Walk

Here’s a transcription of the plaques that are featured in the history walk component of the public art installation:

2021
Victor Fire Company honored with plaque at Fire Station 3 at 13 S. East Street.

2020
First African-American Fire Chief Herbert D. Griffin

2019
First African-American female Lieutenant Kamilah Webb. In 2022, she became the first African-American female Captain.

1999
First African-American Assistant Chief Larry Stanford.

1978
First eight female firefighters, two of which were African-American.
Constance L. Austin, Becky P. Jones, Janice K. Olive, N. Jan Parker, Sheila D. Sapp, Barbara J. Turner, Matilda A. White, C. Pamela Williams.

1963–1964
First seven African-American firefighters hired by Fire Chief Jack Keeter.
Larry Gene Williams, Welton Jones, Louis Stephens, James Giles, James Greene, Norwood Peacock, and Richmond Davis.

From the seven, Richmond Davis became the first African-American to hold the ranks of Lieutenant, Captain, Battalion Chief, and Division Chief.

1952
Fire Chief Alvin Lloyd advocated for creation of an African-American fire company in a future budget year.

1912
The Victor Fire Company’s run ended when a paid firefighting force was organized to replace the volunteer fire companies. Only white men were hired and the Victor Fire Company was forced to move out of their quarters and disband. Their building became the original Fire Station 3 at 135 E. Hargett Street.

1869
First African-American fire company created. One year later, the volunteer members of Fire Company No. 1 were renamed the Victor Fire Company, after winning a fire engine contest at the North Carolina State Fair.

1852
Unified Raleigh Fire Department created, with three new fire companies. Formed are Fire Company No. 1, Fire Company No. 2, and the Hook and Ladder Company.
Following this city, county, and state governments began using more fire-resistant materials.

1831
State Capitol building destroyed by fire.

1819
First volunteer fire company formed.

1816
First major fire on record.
Destroyed fifty-one buildings.
First fire engine ordered.

1792
City of Raleigh created.
Every citizen had a duty to combat fires when they occurred.
Lines of people passed buckets of water from supply to fire and back for refilling.

April 2026 – Artwork Installed

The public art and history walk installation was completed during the week of April 6, 2026. Created by artist Maxwell Emcays, it features a lighted “history walk” of the fire department milestones going back to the first volunteer fire companies.

The contractor has been completing interior work over the past several weeks. The city is now conducting final walk-throughs. 

November 2025 – Nearing Completion

New Fire Station 3 on Rock Quarry Road is nearing completion. Occupancy is expected in December. Engine 3 will relocate from their current quarters at 13 S. East Street, from their 1951 engine house. 

February 2025 – Construction Update

Here’s an aerial view of the construction that’s underway.

November 2024 – Design + Public Art Unveiled

At a community meeting on November 14, 2024, the building designs and the public art designs were unveiled in a community meeting.

During a two-hour community meeting on Thursday, November 14, information about the project was presented by Fire Chief Herbert Griffin, Asst. Chief Danny Poole, Division Chief Scott White, and Eric Sowers of Huffman Architects.

The guest speaker was fire department historian Mike Legeros, who presented a short history of Station 3 and its connection to the department’s volunteer era and the Victor Company, that first occupied the later original location of Station 3.

Notable features of new Station 3 include electric charging capabilities for both passenger vehicles and fire apparatus. The station will house the city’s first electric fire engine. It was also designed with the capacity to add a third apparatus bay, if expansion is required.

Also of note is an outdoor public art installation created by Maxwell Emcays. It features a lighted “history walk” of the fire department milestones going back to the first volunteer fire companies.

The new station is planned for completion in December 2025. Planning for the project started in (or before) 2014. The site was acquired in 2018.

Watch the video: Granicus | YouTube.

View the history slides (PDF) 

November 2024 – Community Meeting Scheduled

Design drawings will be unveiled at a community meeting on Thursday, November 14, 2024, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.  The meeting will also feature a brief history of Station 3.

The location is John P. “Top” Greene Community Center, 401 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. See meeting announcement. 

Site photo, November 9, 2024. 

October 2024 – Site Clearing Started

By October 8, 2024, clearing of the construction site had started. The address is 936 Rock Quarry Road.

Site photo, October 8, 2024. 

August 2024 – Construction Bid Awarded

On August 20, 2024, City Council approved a consent agenda that included the formal bid award for the construction of new Station 3. 

View agenda item that includes a pair of PDF attachments.

May 2024 – Construction Bids Solicited

On May 14, 2024, the city advertised for formal construction bids. From city bid number #274-2024-CM-13:

“The project consists generally of the following major items. Construction of a new 11,105 sf fire station and other Work indicated in the Contract Documents. Work includes masonry cavity walls, structural steel roof framing, modified bituminous membrane and structural standing seam roofing, hollow metal doors and frames, flush wood doors, non-load-bearing steel framing and gypsum board interior walls, acoustical panel ceilings, and bi-folding and roll-up fire bay doors. Interior work also includes toilet accessories, residential appliances, and furniture. Exterior works includes clearing, grading, asphalt and concrete paving, pavement markings, concrete walks, curb and gutter, retaining walls, neighborhood transition wall, retention pond. Also included are NCDOT and handicap parking signage.”

Sealed bids would be received until June 25, 2024. Also, the bid announcement noted a new street address for the project, 936 Rock Quarry Road. 

March 2022 – Call for Artists

On March 4, the city issued a call for artists, to design artwork for the facade or grounds of new Station 3. The project budget is $126,000, with qualifications submitted no later than April 15, 2022. More information. 

March 2022 – Official Project Site

Here’s the official project site and includes such details as:

• Located beside 1000 Rock Quarry Road [site address is 936 Rock Quarry Road]
• Site is 1.74 acres
• Budget is $11.5 million
• Design contract to Huffman Architects 
• Project design started September 2021
• Final design expected in fall 2022

May 2021 – Design Contract Awarded

Included in the Consent Agenda for the May 18, 2021, meeting of City Council was authorization of a contract with Huffman Architects, PA, for the design of a new Fire Station 3 [beside] 1000 Rock Quarry Road, for an amount not exceeding $799,988. They were selected from eight firms that responded to a request for qualifications that was issued on November 19, 2020, and were received on December 8. 

The project is for design and construction of a new station, necessitated by the age of the 1951 facility on South East Street, along with inadequate dormitory and parking space. The current station also causes an overlap of service areas that doesn’t allow for maximum response coverage, and reduces the city’s ability to meet the NFPA 1710 deployment standard.

The new facility will be approximately 12,000 square feet, with two apparatus bays to house Engine 3 and a reserve engine or ladder, as needed. 

View agenda item as well as PDF attachment. 

November 2017 – Property Purchase Authorized

Included in the Consent Agenda for the November 8, 2017, meeting of City Council is authorization to purchase a portion of a parcel addressed as 1034 Bragg Street as a site for replacing Fire station 3. 

The fire station site faces Rock Quarry Road just north of Raleigh Boulevard. View agenda item as well as PDF attachment.

The property to be purchased is currently owned by the state Department of Corrections. The city is seeking about 1.74 acres for the future fire station. The parcel is appraised at $300,000.

Funding for design and construction will be sought in FY19, along with funding for Station 13 (formerly planned as Station 30) on Ronald Drive off Wake Forest Road.

The site is located 1.7 road miles southeast of current Station 3. The change will redistribute their first-due district, and which will aid in coverage to the south and east, as Station 12 is being relocated about a mile east as well. Click to enlarge:

Earlier Project History

In 2014, reported a special facilities edition (PDF) of the Raleigh Fire Department Newsletter, planning for moving Fire Station 3 was underway. Land was sought near the intersection of Rock Quarry Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway. The relocation would address a “coverage gap” between the current Station 3 and the response area of Station 10. It would also eliminate “redundant response coverage” downtown, due to the close proximity of Station 3 to Station 1. 

Legacy Station 3

The current (or legacy) Station 3 is located at 13 S. East Street. It was built in 1951 and is the oldest active engine house in the city. The 3,564 square-foot building occupies a 0.3 acre site. 

It’s planned for replacement at a new location due to the tiny lot size. The new fire station is planned in the 15,000 square-foot range.

The city’s third “career” fire station was originally located at 135 E. Hargett. It opened in 1913 and moved to the current location in 1951. Station 3 housed a rescue company from 1976 to 1978, a brush truck circa 1983 to 1985, and a mini-pumper from 1986 to 2016.