City officials broke ground Wednesday on the Denver Fire Department’s newest fire station, which will serve residents in the Green Valley Ranch neighborhood, near Denver International Airport, as well as a stretch of Peña Boulevard.

The $19.8 million Fire Station No. 40 will be constructed on a 5.48-acre site east of Peña Boulevard, north of 56th Avenue, and adjacent to First Creek.

The land, owned by the airport, is currently leased to DFD through an intergovernmental Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for an initial period of 20 years.

Funding for the 17,000-square-foot facility will come from the city’s 2017 voter-supported Elevate Denver GO Bond.

“Every Denver family deserves to know that when there’s an emergency, help will arrive quickly. Thanks to Denver voters, Fire Station 40 will give families in Green Valley Ranch, Montbello, and Gateway peace of mind knowing first responders are close by when every second counts,” Mayor Mike Johnston said.

Designed to address growth around the airport, the new station will serve the far northeast area, including the Gateway Neighborhood, Montbello and Green Valley Ranch areas.

City officials said the station will enhance neighborhood safety by enabling quicker responses to emergency incidents in the community.

The station will feature three bays, housing shifts for up to eight firefighters, and, for the first time in Denver, provisions for Advanced Life Support (ALS) to be housed at the station, officials said.

“Denver International Airport is not only one of the busiest airports in the country, but also a critical hub for national and international travel,” Denver Fire Chief Desmond Fulton said, adding that the new station reflects his department’s commitment to both current residents and the future of Denver.

Airport CEO Phil Washington applauded the addition of another Denver fire station on airport property, “especially one that will not only serve the growth around the airport but also the surrounding communities and the Peña Boulevard corridor.”