Charlotte broke ground on Firehouse 44, a $23.3 million mass timber station on Dixie River Road. Its temporary station has handled 1,500-plus incidents.

Charlotte broke ground Thursday, Oct. 8, on a permanent firehouse on Dixie River Road for the River District, a growing, newly incorporated part of the city. Firehouse 44 will cost $23.3 million. The city said it will be the first mass timber firehouse in the Southeast.

The figures come from two city releases issued the same day: one from the city and a longer one from Charlotte Fire. The department expects the building to be finished in late 2027 or early 2028.

Crews are already there

Firefighters are not waiting for the new building. Charlotte Fire opened a temporary Firehouse 44 next to the permanent site on Dixie River Road in early 2026. Firefighters live in a triple-wide trailer, and a pre-engineered building houses the engine and equipment.

Since then, crews from the temporary station have responded to more than 1,500 incidents, the department said. It said the temporary station lets firefighters work inside the community instead of relying entirely on crews traveling from surrounding firehouses.

“The setup may be temporary, but our commitment to this community is not,” Fire Chief Reginald T. Johnson said.

What the city is building

Details of the permanent firehouse, from the two releases:

  • about 14,000 square feet on two stories
  • three apparatus bays, housing both fire and rescue operations
  • built with mass timber, engineered wood used as the structure
  • 100% electric, with geothermal heating and cooling and in-slab radiant heat
  • the city’s first facility with a geothermal water heater
  • fitted with rooftop and ground-mounted solar panels the city says will offset 100% of the building’s energy costs
  • fitted with low-flow fixtures targeting 43% savings in drinking water use

The city is seeking two green building ratings for it: the International Living Future Institute’s Zero Carbon Certification and LEED Gold. Samet Corp. is the design-builder, and ADW Architects is the architect.

City Council members Dimple Ajmera and Joi Mayo spoke at the ceremony, the department said.

“More homes mean more residents. New roads, businesses and development bring more activity,” Johnson said. “With that growth comes increased demand for fire, rescue, and emergency medical response.”

What it means for you

  • If you live or work in the River District, nothing changes for now. The temporary Firehouse 44 keeps answering calls while the permanent building goes up next door.
  • The permanent station is more than a year away. The department gives late 2027 or early 2028.
  • To follow the project, the city keeps a Firehouse 44 project page and posted video of the groundbreaking.

Department releases and incident summaries are collected weekly in our Police and Fire log. For other development in the city, see building permits and zoning.