Fairfax County is set to hire an architect to design a long-awaited replacement of the Great Falls Fire and Rescue station, one of the first major projects funded by November’s bond referendum to move forward.

The up-to-18,700-square-foot, $12-million-plus station will replace the oldest emergency facility in the county, which opened in 1960. Great Falls, a wealthy eastern Fairfax County suburb, has since outgrown the building. Officials cite the need for additional space for both equipment and firefighters.