PHOENIX - The West Valley suburb of Avondale is replacing a 40-year-old fire station with a new state-of-the-art facility.

Construction on the new station No. 171 started last month at 519 E. Western Ave., a few hundred feet from the aging venue it will replace.

Avondale built the original No. 171 at 101 S. Fifth St., near Dysart and Buckeye roads, in 1985. It was remodeled and renovated in 2006.

The station serves Old Town Avondale, the Phoenix-Goodyear Airport and some of the city's largest commercial businesses.

It has become obsolete and would require significant renovations to bring it up to current standards. In addition, the nearby Sam Garcia Western Avenue Library cut off direct access from the station to Western Avenue when it was built about 15 years ago.

The replacement station will have four bays that exit onto Sixth Street, a lobby facing Western Avenue and 10 dorm rooms. It was designed with firefighter health and safety in mind.

It is being built on the site of a police substation and detention center that is getting demolished. The project has a budget of $15.8 million.

Construction won't interrupt fire services, but it could create delays for traffic in the area.

City officials expect the new station to be completed in February 2026. The original No. 171 will remain in service until the new facility is operational.