Wake County Unveils Plans to Rebuild EMS Station 5 on Hargrove Road

Wake County commissioners approved plans to tear down and rebuild EMS Station 5 on Hargrove Road in Raleigh, replacing a 35-year-old, 2,066-square-foot building with a modern 4,383-square-foot facility designed to handle rising call volumes and improve working conditions for emergency responders.

The existing station, known internally as the Mini City Station, was constructed in 1989. Its two vehicle bays consume more than half of the total square footage, leaving cramped quarters for staff. The rebuilt station will add a third ambulance bay and significantly expand living and support areas, including dormitories, day rooms, exercise space, kitchen facilities, a staff wellness room and dedicated work areas.

Commissioner Vickie Adamson tied the project directly to the county's growth pressures. "By improving our EMS stations, we also improve our system's long-term ability to meet the needs of a growing community," she said. "The upgrades to Station 5 reflect a workplace that is ready to support sustainable, exceptional service delivery and employee health and resilience for decades to come."

Sustainability features are built into the design. Plans call for a rooftop solar photovoltaic system, roofing materials with high solar reflectivity, drought-tolerant landscaping and energy-efficient systems and appliances throughout the building.

With schematic designs now approved, Wake County will advance the project into permitting and the public bid process. Construction is expected to begin this fall, with completion targeted for late 2027. EMS units are expected to begin operating out of the new station by early 2028.

The Station 5 rebuild is one piece of a broader facilities push across Wake County. Commissioners approved a separate schematic design on February 17 for a new shared public safety station in northwestern Wake County, a facility that will house the Northern Wake Fire Department, Wake County EMS and the Wake County Sheriff's Office under one roof. That project carries an $8 million construction budget, with a notice to proceed potentially issued as soon as September 2025 and an October 2026 target for opening. The northwestern station fills a specific geographic gap: the area currently falls outside the five-mile response boundaries of both the Creedmoor Fire Department and Northern Wake Fire Department, meaning a new station would reduce response times and could lower insurance premiums for nearby residents.

A third project, the replacement of EMS Station 2 at 2020 Noble Road, received schematic approval from commissioners on April 21. That station will replace a 1978 facility with a 4,400-square-foot building designed to house at least four staff and three emergency vehicles. Project manager Tommy Moorman of Wake County Facilities Design and Construction described a site plan that includes a new access drive, five parking spaces behind the building, shared parking with the adjacent Raleigh Senior Center, a new landscape buffer and a modified stormwater device. Construction on the Noble Road station is expected to begin in late 2025.