Fresno County residents near Armstrong and Belmont avenues should see quicker response times from deputies thanks to a new substation and its closeness to Highway 180, Sheriff John Zanoni says.

The Area Two substation is on 6.5 acres. It has community meet space, storage for rescue vehicles such as boats and snowmobiles, and a secured parking lot that will enable residents to safely conduct transactions such as selling a car, Zanoni said at Wednesday’s ribbon-cutting.

The $18 million facility replaces the former Area 2 substation on Shields Avenue, east of Clovis Avenue.

The project, which began in 2020 under former Sheriff Margaret Mims, faced a multitude of construction delays that included the COVID-19 pandemic and last year’s heavy rains.