Public officials take part in the ceremonial ground breaking for the new Woodforest fire station.
By Peter Ricci
Area officials, firemen and residents were on hand Friday to help break ground on a new Lake Conroe Fire Department station in Woodforest, a master-planned community spearheaded by The Johnson Development Corp.
Actual construction of the station, the fourth for the fire department, should begin in about a week and is expected to take about seven months to complete. The facility will have two garage bays, a kitchen, a workout facility and space to sleep for up to eight firemen.
Leonard Mikeska, the Lake Conroe fire department chief, said the station’s construction is a natural progression in Woodforest’s growth.
“With the growth occurring in Woodforest and continued growth expected, we needed a fire department in the area,” he said. “This station will easily handle any emergency calls and motor accidents in Woodforest … having a station in Woodforest will drastically reduce our on-scene arrival time in the community, hopefully saving homes and lives.”
The fire station is being built at 2675 Woodforest Parkway North, a two-acre parcel deeded to the fire department for $10 by The Johnson Development Corp. Construction of the station, contracted to LDF Construction, will cost approximately $1.5 million.
Virgil Yoakum, the general manager of Woodforest, also spoke to the benefits of the new station.
“Having a fire station so close will be of great benefit to Woodforest residents and the immediate area, especially in emergency situations when even a few minutes can make a tremendous difference,” Yoakum said.
For a detailed rending of what the new station will look like, click here.
(Pictured above are: Janice Murphy, commissioner of Montgomery County Emergency Services District; Dick Austin, ESD No. 3 board member; Lake Conroe Fire Chief Leonard Mikeska; Ken Conatser, general manager of Montgomery County Utility District No. 3; Virgil Yoakum, general manager of Woodforest; Ray Holiday, architect with BRW Architects; and Lynn Foster with LDF Construction.)