Ann Arbor's first new fire station in 45 years is weeks from opening, and Fire Chief Mike Kennedy says it will cut emergency response times on the city's southeast side.

Station 4, at the corner of Platt Road and South Huron Parkway, is expected to be operational in late September or early October, Kennedy told WEMU in a report published Thursday, Aug. 20. The geothermal wells are fully installed and workers are building out the interior.

"This station was not designed for 2026. It was really designed for 2066 and 2086, that this building's going to be able to meet future growth for the Fire Department," Kennedy said. "We didn't want to make the mistake of we move in the first day, and it's full."

The station replaces a facility built on the same site in 1966. It will be Michigan's first net-zero fire station, powered by solar panels and geothermal energy to achieve carbon neutrality, according to CBS Detroit.

The crew assigned to Station 4 has been working out of a temporary downtown location during construction. Once the building opens, those firefighters will move to the southeast side, where Kennedy says response times will improve once the crew relocates. No specific response-time data has been released.

The project hit a snag in December 2025 when a foundation layout error forced workers to rip up and repour the concrete, according to MLive. Kennedy's current timeline places the opening in fall 2026 despite the setback.

The new building includes gender-neutral individual bedrooms and bathrooms rather than designated men's and women's facilities, reflecting the department's staffing, which includes female firefighters.

Station 4 is part of the city's broader A2ZERO carbon neutrality plan, which listed the net-zero fire station as a 2026 milestone. Kennedy said two additional Ann Arbor fire stations also need to be replaced, and design elements from Station 4 may carry over to those future projects.

A Monday, Aug. 17 update on the Ann Arbor Fire Department's Facebook page showed curb forms for the parking lot and driveway being placed that week, with tile and ceiling work also underway inside.

The opening date has not been formally announced by the city. No ribbon-cutting ceremony or council action tied to the opening has been scheduled publicly.