Groundbreaking ceremony held for new Farmville fire station

FARMVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - A groundbreaking ceremony was held Monday morning for the new Farmville fire station.

Once completed, the new station will replace the current location, which officials say is over 100 years old. Due to limited space, the existing location cannot be expanded, prompting the need for a new facility.

This comes as the town of Farmville awaits approval for a $4 million loan from Pitt County commissioners to help complete construction.

Farmville Town Manager Justin Oakes said the project has been in the works for about six years and that the fire department has outgrown its current building.

“It’s very important for us, as we try to recruit industries, to have a full-time fire department in the future, a fire department that has trucks and equipment that is difficult right now to house in our existing station,” Oakes said.

Oakes said the new department can be expanded when necessary, thanks to the size of the property.

The total price for Phase 1 of the project is approximately $5.7 million. Construction is expected to be completed by August 2026.