Members of the Columbia-Richland Fire Department were on hand with Columbia city leaders to celebrate a new milestone for neighborhoods in Olympia.
The ceremony to officially break ground on the new Fire Station 2 took place near the development site between Bluff Road and Hamrick Street on Wednesday February 4, 2026. Work will be ongoing in that area over the next 18 months to take the station from blueprints to reality.
“We really wanted to bring our community together to celebrate this moment because we got to this point thanks to the collaborative efforts of many,” said Columbia-Richland Fire Chief Aubrey D. Jenkins, “As our city and region continues to grow, our fire department has to keep pace in providing the best emergency services we can for our citizens. This new fire station is going to be of tremendous value to us as we continue to plan for the future.”
Fire Chief Aubrey D. Jenkins, Columbia City Manager Teresa Wilson
& Members of Council Break Ground on New Fire Station
At roughly 15,000 square feet, the new Olympia station will be situated between Bluff Road and Hamrick Street, with rear parking areas for the site abutting the old Capital City Ballpark. Features of the new station will include more space to house CRFD firetrucks, added firefighter dorms and a contemporary design that will help promote the department’s commitment to adhere to newly established NFPA contamination mitigation measures.
CRFD’s current fire station in Olympia has been in use since the 1990s and houses one engine company as well as a battalion chief. Those resources have handled roughly 3,800 emergency calls from the station over the past two years.
Department leaders are confident that the added space created by the new fire station will keep CRFD in a position where it can meet the continued growth of the community.
Among honored guests at the groundbreaking were Columbia Mayor Daniel J. Rickenmann, City Manager Teresa Wilson, City Council members Will Brennan and Sam Johnson and CRFD community advocate Vi Hendley.
Firefighters serving out of the current Station 2 firehouse, which has been in use by the city since the 1990s, were also in attendance to help put ceremonial shovels in the ground.
Groundbreaking Ceremony for New Fire Station 2
Reeves Young is heading up construction on the project, which is expected to take at least the next 18 months to complete. The new station was designed by architectural firm Stewart Cooper Newell Architects. One principal goal of the project’s design was creating a modern fire station that would fit in with aesthetics found in other iconic architecture found in Olympia, most specifically the Olympia Mill.
“We’re grateful to be part of such an important project in our community and for the opportunity to partner with the city, CRFD, and Stewart Cooper Newell to bring it to life,” said Reeves Young President Chad McLeod.
The new station is estimated to cost about $10 million all of which will be covered by a Community Development Block Grant that was obtained by the city for the project.
