Fire Station #8 Replacement

After more than five years, work has finally begun on replacing Fire Station #8 at its current location. In the interim, temporary structures (at left) will house the fire equipment vehicles for Fire Station #8.
[all photos via Arlington County]

History of the Fire Station Replacement

In September 2015, and after a rigorous public process to identify new sites for Fire Station No. 8., the County Board appointed the Fire Station No. 8 Task Force and charged the group with reviewing these siting options for a replacement station. The Task Force held several meetings and ultimately recommended building a new four-bay station in the location of the existing station at 4845 Langston Blvd. In July 2016 the County Board accepted the Task Force recommendation and voted to build a new Fire Station No. 8 at its current location. The persistent efforts of the Old Dominion neighborhood were primarily responsible for this decision.

On December 15, 2016 the Arlington County Board approved the County Manager’s recommendation to purchase the two properties adjacent to the current fire station for a temporary location while the current Fire Station #8 is rebuilt. Then in January 2017 the County Board directed the County Manager to purchase the third property adjacent to the current fire station, assuring that the temporary station will be located adjacent to the current fire station, and that it will not be built on Dominion Green (26th & Old Dominion Drive).  In 2018 the County Manager appointed a Fire Station 8 History and Legacy Working Group to develop and recommend strategies to recognize, emphasize, and honor the history and legacy of the Hall’s Hill/High View Park Volunteer Fire Department and Fire Station No. 8 to incorporate into the planning and design of the replacement fire station at 4845 Langston Blvd.  The group’s recommendations can be found at: https://arlingtonva.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2018/06/HLWGReportFinal.pdf

After the demolition, groundbreaking for the new station is scheduled to begin in the Fall of 2020, with completion and grand opening of the new station scheduled for the Fall of 2020. The County is currently reconciling the design and budget and hopes to come to a decision shortly. 

Due to many unforeseen circumstances, incuding COVID-19, the Fire Station demolition and construction was placed on a temporary hold. 

History of the Issue of Relocation

Arlington’s Fire Station #8, located at the corner of Langston Blvd and Culpeper St., is a historic fire station founded by black volunteers 98 years ago. In 2016 the Arlington County Board voted to rebuild the fire station on the same site where it has always been. The board members rejected the county manager’s advice to move the station eight blocks north, to North 26th St. and Old Dominion Drive, saying that the move would not significantly improve response times to the northern part of the county, and it would shift emergency crews away from the portion of the station’s most densely populated zone — an area where significant new residential development is planned for coming years.

ODCA Input to Arlington County Board

The County Board supported the recommendation of a citizens’ task force after community members from both the Old Dominion Citizens Association and the High View Park Citizens Association complained they had not been consulted about whether to close down the cramped, two-bay station and build a larger, modern one on a county-owned parcel at 26th Street and Old Dominion Drive. Residents who opposed moving the facility included descendants of the African American firefighters who founded the station to provide protection to neighborhoods ignored by white fire crews, as well as other residents concerned about worsening response times and losing resources along the busy Langston Blvd corridor.

Current Status

Visit Arlington County’s website for additional information.