New Raleigh fire station to open in 2018

The current station is too small and outdated to accommodate the demands, and on Tuesday, residents had the opportunity to give feedback about the new project. The site for the new building is off Harden Road.

"We wanted to show the neighbors the statistics," said Raleigh Fire Chief John McGrath. "Tell them what we wanted to do, and get them in on the ground floor so that they had a say in the design and how it looked."

McGrath said there were concerns in the beginning, but transparency has been key.

"Obviously, this is an ongoing process, but I think we were encouraged that we can move forward in a collaborative manner," he said.

McGrath says there will be several more meetings to give members of the community the chance to voice their feedback.

Construction is expected to begin in the middle of 2017, and the station is expected to open in 2018.