Construction of Essex Fire Station 3 is about to get underway, according to mayor Sherry Bondy.
The new $4.8-million fire station will be built at the Harrow Soccer Complex, at 2215 Roseborough Road.
Bondy says the build is expected to take approximately one year.
"We are expecting shovels in the ground any day now, and construction, you know, it takes a while, so probably close to a year when we're all said and done and up and running in that fire station," she said."
Ahead of construction, the town has installed fencing around the construction site.
Reduced parking will affect users of the Harrow Soccer Complex, especially on busy soccer days, though Bondy said accessible parking remains available.
"We still have our handicap parking spots available for those who need them, but if you are a parent, just plan accordingly, get there early or you might have to park a little bit further away," she said.
"There's still lots of parking, though, on the north side."
Bondy said once construction is complete the parking lot will be fully restored and designed to better support both soccer activities and future community events.
"We have some storage units, those are going to be moved a little bit off site to allow for more parking, and it's just an overall good use of space," she said.
"We're using the same engineering that we did for fire station 2. So once this fire station is done, the Town of Essex will have new fire stations 1, 2, and 3, and that's something we as residents and council can be really proud of."
Final approval was given last month after a 2018 assessment found the current Centre Street East station in poor to fair condition and unsuitable for up