22 Oct Zapata County Gets $750K Federal Loan to Help Finish New Fire Station

A new fire station in Zapata County is closer to completion with an additional $750,000 federal loan, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar announced Tuesday.

The loan comes through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Community Facilities Program. Cuellar said it adds to a $1.1 million federal grant he secured in the fiscal 2023 appropriations process, for a combined $1.85 million that narrows the gap between what the county had and what construction costs.

The station will take the place of a building from the 1960s and give firefighters and emergency staff better living quarters, Cuellar said.

Cuellar highlighted the loan at the Zapata County Fire Station, where he thanked USDA Rural Development State Director James Redfield, County Judge Joe Rathmell and the county commissioners for their partnership.

Per the Zapata County News, the new station will also have updated equipment storage and stronger dispatch capabilities. Construction is expected to start in about two weeks and wrap up in 2027, with the interim going to site preparation and lining up the builder’s schedule.