The first fire station to racially integrate in St. Paul is one step closer to historic preservation.

The St. Paul Planning Commission unanimously approved a recommendation to the St. Paul City Council on Friday morning to designate Fire Station No. 10, which was built in 1885 and closed in 2010, as a Heritage Preservation site.

The building’s upcoming owner has plans to open a brewery inside the building located at 754 Randolph Ave.

Emily Northey, executive director and community organizer of the Fort Road Federation, said a historic designation for the fire station is important because of the social impact it had on St. Paul through its integration.

“Keeping [the fire station] as a living fabric of the city is part of … keeping our neighborhood unique,” Northey said. She added it’s also a feature that helps differentiate the neighborhood from the rest of St. Paul.

Travis Temke, who is in a tentative developer’s agreement with the city to buy the building, said the designation was one step forward in the process of opening a brewery in the old fire station.

“I look forward to developing this historic property … and preserving its historical value,” he said.

The historic designation limits what can be altered on the building’s exterior, St. Paul Senior City Planner Kady Dadlez said at the meeting.

To remember its social impact, Dadlez said a plaque depicting its history may be installed outside or inside the building.