Construction is underway on College Station’s Fire Station No. 7—the first station the city has added in over a decade.

The gist: Officials broke ground on the city’s seventh fire station in April 2025 at 2981 Greens Prairie Road, College Station, which is being funded by city bond dollars. In 2022, voters approved a bond proposition totaling $18 million for the design and construction of the fire station, Cain said.

Also of note: Mann said 24 additional staff—including paramedics—are needed to open the station.

Measuring the impact: Station No. 7 is expected to improve emergency response times for both fire and medical-related calls citywide, Mann said, as the city will have more resources to deploy to emergencies.

Going forward: The fire department’s call volume has increased 6% over the last five years, which correlates to College Station’s population growth in that time, Mann said.

Activewear retailer Lululemon has relocated to a larger space in Century Square near CoCo Shrimp, officials announced in a Feb. 5 news release.

The details: The new 5,766-square-foot store more than triples the amount of space of the previous location, while providing an updated layout designed to highlight apparel offerings as well as seasonal offerings, per the release.

Why it matters: Clayton Freels, executive vice president of Midway, which developed Century Square, said the brand's expansion underscores the success of Century Square and its impact on the local economy.

Quote of note: “After outgrowing its original space, the brand expanded within the development to gain increased visibility along University Drive, reinforcing the value of thoughtful mixed-use planning that supports growth and enhances the community,” Freels said in the release.

• 1177 University Drive, Ste. 600, College Station

As early voting begins Feb. 17, here is everything voters in the Bryan and College Station area need to know ahead of the March 3 primary election.

What residents should know: In Brazos County, voters can cast their ballot at any polling location during early voting and on election day. Brazos County will have five polling locations open during early voting and 28 polling locations open on election day, according to the Brazos Votes website.

Per the website, the polling locations will be open in accordance with the following schedule:

• Feb. 17-20: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Feb. 21: 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
• Feb. 22: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Feb. 23-27: 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
• March 3: 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

• U.S. Congress, District 10
• Texas Senate, District 5
• Texas House, District 14
• Brazos County chair
• Brazos County commissioner, Precinct 2
• Brazos County commissioner, Precinct 4
• Brazos County district clerk
• Brazos County judge
• Brazos County justice of the peace, Precinct 3

From 2020 to 2025, auto-pedestrian accidents in College Station have increased by 432%, according to an annual report by College Station’s fire department.

The gist: Much of the rise in accidents is attributed to micromobility devices, such as electric scooters. The report, which was presented to City Council at its Feb. 12 meeting, prompted council members to request a future workshop to discuss implementing more policies to prevent accidents.

More details: Texas A&M University is the most frequent area where auto-pedestrian accidents occur.

Also of note: College Station’s Fire Department is also preparing for growth in the Northgate district.

Currently, there are six existing high-rise apartments in Northgate, with five more under construction and two in the planning phase. 

What's being done: To prepare for the growth, the fire department is expanding with Fire Station No. 7 on 2981 Greens Prairie Road, College Station, which is slated to open in fall 2026.

• Feb. 16-19: Right single-lane closure on the southbound mainlanes. Southbound entrance ramps north of Harvey Road and Southwest Parkway, as well as the Southwest Parkway exit ramp, will be closed nightly.
• Feb. 16: Northbound entrance ramp south of Harvey Mitchell Parkway closed, eastbound single-lane closure at the Harvey Road overpass
• Feb. 17: Eastbound single-lane closure at the Harvey Road overpass
• Feb. 18-19: Westbound single-lane closure on the Harvey Road frontage road overpass

Early in-person voting in Texas’ primary elections begins Feb. 17 and lasts until Feb. 27.

How it works: Texas has an open primary system, where voters decide at the polling place whether to cast ballots in the Democratic or Republican primary. Voters may not participate in both primaries.

What to expect: Voters will be given a ballot with a slate of statewide seats and other races determined by the voting precinct they live in. During early voting, registered voters can visit any polling location in their county.

Candidates who win their primaries will advance to the Nov. 3 midterm election.

Why it matters: Early voting gives registered voters the opportunity to cast their ballots before primary election day March 3.

Voter advocacy groups and experts told Community Impact that a vote in the March primaries is “the most impactful vote” Texans can cast, due to consistently low voter turnout and competition in certain races. Over 18 million Texans are registered to vote, although about one-fifth of registered voters participated in recent primary elections.