Wake County is getting ready to beef up emergency response on Wendell’s north side, after county commissioners signed off on the schematic design for a new Wendell North Public Safety Station just outside the town limits. The co-located facility is planned to house both Wake County EMS and the Town of Wendell’s fire units, adding vehicle bays and staffing to cut response times in one of eastern Wake’s fastest-growing areas.
County officials say the project is expected to move into procurement this spring, with construction targeted to start in late 2026 and service projected to begin in late 2027 or early 2028.
Board Signs Off, Project Moves To Procurement
The approval appears on the Wake County Board of Commissioners April 20 agenda, clearing the schematic design phase and giving staff the green light to start negotiating construction services. According to the Wake County agenda materials, the item was listed under the regular agenda and follows earlier planning work in the county’s fire and EMS capital program.
County staff say the vote keeps the schedule on track for a ground breaking in late 2026, as long as procurement and permitting stay on pace.
Design, Size And Vehicle Bays
Wake County’s announcement puts the Wendell North station at about 17,664 square feet, with bay space for eight ambulances and four fire apparatus. In a post on the county’s official Facebook page, officials say construction is expected to start in fall or winter 2026, wrap up in late 2027, and open for service in early 2028.
Public procurement documents describe the project as a regional EMS hub combined with a replacement for Wendell Station 2 and confirm that it is included in the county’s capital improvement plan, according to Construction Bid Source.
Funding And Procurement
The Wendell North station has also shown up on Capitol Hill. Rep. Deborah Ross’s office lists a 750,000 dollar Community Project Funding request tied to the station, positioning it for federal support alongside local funding.
Wake County released a construction manager at risk, or CMAR, request for qualifications earlier this year that covers both the Wendell North and Lynn Road public safety projects. Those procurement records outline short-listing and contract negotiation activity expected through spring 2026. County officials anticipate that work will lead into site work and permitting ahead of the planned late 2026 construction start.
Why Wendell Needs It
In Wake County’s Fire Services long-range plan, eastern Wake shows up as a trouble spot for response times, and the Wendell North Public Safety Center is listed in the capital program as a key fix. The plan puts Wendell Fire’s 90th-percentile travel time at roughly 7 minutes and 41 seconds. That kind of number is one of the metrics county planners lean on when deciding where new stations go and why colocating EMS and fire makes sense at this site.
The timing is not accidental. Wendell and the surrounding eastern Wake County area are bracing for rapid growth and development pressures, which have been front and center in recent town meetings and local coverage. Reporting has spotlighted debates over zoning and data centers as residents and leaders wrestle with what that growth should look like.
With schematic approval in place, county staff will now move into the nuts-and-bolts phase: finalizing construction documents, choosing a CMAR partner, and working through permitting and site preparation. Timelines and budgets could shift as contractor negotiations play out, but the design sign-off is a major step toward modernizing emergency response coverage north of Wendell.
Residents who want to keep tabs on the project can watch Wake County’s procurement pages and the county’s regular communication channels for updates on public meetings, contract awards, and key construction milestones.
