A new firehouse could soon be on the way in Round Rock, serving the town's growing northeast, as the city works to address growth and improve response times.

Contracts for the construction of a new firehouse to be located at 2901 Settlement Drive, Round Rock, and testing of materials for construction are on the agenda for the Round Rock City Council's Feb. 23 meeting.

The low bidder for the $8.53 million project is John King Construction Ltd., a contractor that has worked for the city in the past on projects, including the Rabb and Kinningham houses.

Construction of the new fire station that would replace the city's central fire station at 203 Commerce Blvd., Round Rock, would be potentially funded by some of the $274 million in proposed 2023 bond funds, should the $44 million Proposition B pass. In the event the proposition for pubic safety improvements does not pass, Sara Bustilloz, city of Round Rock public information officer, said the city would likely identify an alternate funding source, such as its general self-financed construction fund.

City documents show the property is already owned by the city, and design was greenlighted in April 2022. If the contracts are approved, city staff said the project could take up to 14 months to complete.