This project provides for a new five-bay fire and rescue station in the Rockville/White Flint area and the purchase of associated apparatus. The new facility will be located on an acquired site at the south-east quadrant of Route 355 and Randolph Road. The northern border of the site has frontage along Randolph Road and the eastern border fronts Chapman Avenue. The new station will be constructed in accordance with the general square footage specifications of the prototype Program of Requirements (POR) for a Class I fire station, with adjustments made to meet these specific site conditions and additional uses. This fire station will include apparatus bays, dormitory and support space, personnel living quarters, administrative offices, and meeting/training rooms. Parking requirements will be accommodated on site to the greatest extent possible. Fire/rescue apparatus to be purchased for this station includes a new Emergency Medical Services unit and related equipment. Space has been added to co-locate a future police substation at the fire station. Site constraints for this project include a significant Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority easement which bisects the site running north/south through the mid-parcel. A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment has been performed. This project also supports land acquisition for the development of affordable housing immediately adjacent to the fire station that will be funded through the Advanced Land Acquisition Fund and reimbursed by this project.

Design began in October 2023 and is expected to be completed winter 2026. Construction is expected to begin in FY27 and be complete in FY29.

Cost increase reflects the addition of land acquisition costs to reflect the acquisition of land for the development of affordable housing and construction escalation.

The existing Rockville Fire Station 23, located at 121 Rollins Avenue, has only three bays and is extremely undersized to meet the current response time requirements. A new station is necessary in this area due to the present and projected population density for the Rockville and North Bethesda areas. The White Flint sector is envisioned to include a mix of housing, commercial, retail, recreation, and civic uses with the North Bethesda District as the focal point. North Bethesda is experiencing fast growth and the population is expected to increase with a significant amount of residential and commercial development, including 5,938 new proposed dwelling units and nearly 3 million square feet of new non-residential/commercial space. Relocation of Rockville Fire Station 23 operations to the new North Bethesda location is needed to better position Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service in relation to the high-density development in the approved White Flint Sector Plan and to minimize response time to the highest incident call load area. The new site is of sufficient size to accommodate the construction of a larger station which can house additional needed apparatus and other public safety services.

A number of test fits have been conducted at the proposed site located at the southeast quadrant of Route 355 and Randolph Road for the fire station and co-location of a Police substation. Land Acquisition was funded initially through the Advanced Land Acquisition Revolving Fund and will be reimbursed from this project.

Debt service for this project will be financed with Consolidate Fire Tax District Funds. FY24 funding switch from GO Bonds to Recordation Tax Premium.

A pedestrian impact analysis will be performed during design or is in progress.

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service, Department of General Services, Montgomery County Department of Police, Regional Service Centers, Department of Housing and Community Affairs, Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Department of General Services, Department of Technology and Enterprise Business Solutions, Department of Permitting Services, WSSC Water, Department of Transportation, Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA), State Highway Administration, Department of Environmental Protection, and Pepco. Special capital projects legislation will be proposed by the County Executive.