LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — Lafayette Consolidated Government and the Lafayette Fire Department will be breaking ground on a new fire station at 429 Cooper Dr. on Monday, July 19, and the public is invited.

“We are thankful to the administration and council for supporting the construction of a new fire station in City Council District 1,” stated Fire Chief Robert Benoit. “The new fire station will support the fire department’s goal in delivering quality public service to the citizens of Lafayette.”

The original Fire Station #3 was built in 1978 and was torn down in March of 2020 due to major structural concerns. The new fire station, over 7300 sq. ft., will comprise living quarters designed with eight gender-neutral separate sleeping rooms and a three-bay apparatus room for fire trucks and service vehicles. The estimated cost of the new construction is $2.5 million. The fire station is expected to be completed within one year.

The new layout will also allow firefighters easier access to both Cooper Dr. and Falgout Dr., helping firefighters to quicken their response to emergencies.