OAKLAND — A long closed fire station in the Dimond District will be converted to a restaurant run by the same people who operate the popular Cosecha Cafe at Swan’s in Old Oakland.

“We are thrilled at this point we found someone who is local, who will bring a well-managed, well-run restaurant to the community in a space that has been virtually a blight for so many years,” said Daniel Swafford, of the Dimond Improvement Association, at a July planning commission meeting where the project was unanimously approved.

The project was not appealed to the City Council, so the commission’s decision is final, city planner Aubrey Rose said in an email. The city is in the process of selling the property to Dominica Rice, the chef and owner of Cosecha.

City Fire Station No. 14 operated at the site at 3455-3459 Champion St. until 2013. The building is 30 feet wide, 117 feet deep and 19 feet tall. Because the parcel is less than 40 feet wide, it is not required to provide parking, Rose said.

“The district is intended as a pedestrian-friendly shopping district,” he told commissioners.

Some neighbors said they were concerned the business could cause noise, parking and trash problems. But several people who live near Cosecha in Old Oakland appeared before the commission to support Rice.

“They have been really good neighbors; there isn’t noise and commotion,” said Peter Weinstein, who lives about 150 feet from Cosecha.

“When they first moved in, things were pretty dead in our neighborhood,” he said. Since then, other restaurants followed and the area has come alive.

“They have been a good influence on our neighborhood,” Weinstein said.

Swafford said he thought the restaurant would be an excellent fit for the neighborhood.

“It is right there in the middle of a commercial district that we see needing more night life, more of this kind of activity, more of an opportunity for families to come and dine,” he said at the meeting.

Rice said she used to live in the Dimond District and was impressed with how the neighborhood supported new businesses such as Farmer Joe’s supermarket. That inspired her to open Cosecha, despite people warning her previous businesses had not lasted there.

“When we found out about this project about a year and a quarter ago, we were so excited to have a chance to get back to our old neighborhood,” Rice said. While she has moved out of the Dimond District, she does live close by and shops in the district, she said.

“I understand the fears that some of the neighbors may have; I’m sensitive to that and we’re willing to work with them, definitely,” she told commissioners.

The full-service, 4,500-square-foot restaurant, named Bombera Bar & Grill, will specialize in Latin fusion dishes and serve beer and wine, according to the staff report. It will have an outdoor patio that closes at 10 p.m.; the restaurant itself closes at 11 p.m.

“We’re trying to build and support a neighborhood-serving retail that can really be a resource and an amenity for the neighborhood,” planning commissioner Emily Weinstein said. “I think it’s important that we support new businesses, especially a business owner who knows what it’s like to be a pioneer in a neighborhood and has been a great neighbor in Old Oakland.

“I’m a big fan of Cosecha’s food, and I think this will be a great resource for the neighborhood,” she said.