The Spokane Valley Fire Department took another step Wednesday in its multi-year program to improve fire protection in Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake.

Fire commissioners and other district officials gathered for a ground-breaking for construction of a new Station No. 10 at 17217 E. Sprague Ave. in Greenacres.

The 10,300-square-foot, three-bay station is being built by Ginno Construction of Coeur d’Alene for $1.6 million. It will replace the manufactured home and relatively small station facility that houses one of the district’s two pumper-ladder trucks there.