The city also plans to move Station 4, currently near Mitchell Nielsen Elementary, to Medical Center Parkway in the near future.

Previously, Harlingen fire department officials have said the new station could cut response times to homes and businesses in the area by up to four or five minutes.

Better fire coverage in the area has been a concern for the city, which is trying to get out in front of a wave of commercial and residential development in the area.

Texas Regional Bank also plans a new headquarters building nearby, and real estate agents and city planners have said they expect a dramatic and rapid expansion of commercial development from Harlingen to La Feria along the interstate.

An advantage of the Coral Canyon Boulevard site will be quicker access to the Coral Canyon area by state Route 9, as well as the industrial park where businesses like Litehouse Foods and Dats Trucking are located.

The new fire station is estimated to cost around $1.5 million and will be financed by a 30-year, $1 million loan from the from the state’s Permanent Community Impact Board to the Hurricane Valley Fire District. The CIB, as it is sometimes called, is also supplying a $500,000 grant on top of the loan.

The $1 million not covered by the grant will be split between Washington City and the fire district.