DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – In a neighborhood still fractured by the October 2019 tornado, the landmark Preston Royal Fire Station has remained one of the missing pieces.
“I think everyone’s noticed it’s not there, even though a lot of other things around here have populated again or been rebuilt,” said resident Daniel Sanders.
For many of the residents in the 6 1/2 square miles that Station 41 covered, that’s been a public safety concern.
“Obviously, this is a large area of people, and we need to be serviced just like any other area in the community,” said resident Andrea Miller.
But Tuesday night, Oct. 12, residents are finally getting a glimpse of the new station, which District 13 Dallas Council Member Gay Willis said will be a big improvement.
“Actually, it looks like our services are going to be better than they were prior to the tornado,” she said.
While construction on the new building begins, a temporary fire station will be erected down the street by the end of the year.
“It will have a covering for the engine as well as a facility for the first responders to wait for a call as they’re needed,” Council Member Willis said.
She said the five stations in the district have worked together since the tornado to ensure that residents’ emergency needs are met.
“So we have a number of stations that have picked that up, and because it’s so close to the Tollway, the response time is really not compromised,” she said.
But residents said they’ll be glad to see Station 41 return home.
“We have a lot of people who have cared about this community for decades, so I think that it’s probably a good idea to address it as soon as possible,” Miller said.
Construction on the permanent station should begin this winter and be complete in the winter of 2022.
