A new $7 million fire station that is expected to serve thousands of residents in the fast-growing Southside area had its grand opening on Tuesday.
Fire Station 63, which is located on Gate Parkway not far from the St. Johns Town Center, filled a gap in coverage and will respond to nearly 5,000 homes, 400 businesses, 30 apartment complexes and several schools, Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Chief Keith Powers said during the opening ceremony.
Before the station opened, a smaller temporary station nearby was one of the busiest stations in Duval County, Powers said, seeing a 45% increase in the number of runs in the area over the last year.
“This area was in dire need of a fire station to reduce response times and lower the insurance rates for residences and commercial businesses in this area,” Powers said.