Gainesville’s oldest fire station could receive a makeover soon.

City Council members approved a resolution to purchase land at 328 Piedmont Road next to Fire Station No. 2 for $87,250 for future expansion.

Built in 1954 near the split of Green Street into Thompson Bridge Road and Riverside Drive, the station is ready for some upgrades.

“The land owner approached us about his land next to the station, and Chief (Jon) Canada knew we had a need,” City Manager Kip Padgett said. “It’ll help to expand the footprint of that station.”

For a reduced price on the Piedmont Road land, the resident agreed to swap a piece of right-of-way owned by the city next to another piece of his property along Queen City Parkway and Banks Street.

“We’ve been looking at plans to replace Station No. 2 where it’s at, which would involve either a tear down and rebuild or extensive remodel,” Canada said Tuesday. “There aren’t any immediate plans, but we’re starting to move forward.”

City staff have applied for one grant to help fund the station rebuild and are searching for additional grants.

“That land is narrow, and right now the trucks have to back into the station from the street,” Canada said. “We’re looking to make that safer and redesign how we go in and out of the station.”

Fire officials are still in the planning stages of the renovation, he added.

“It was a good opportunity and a good time to purchase the property,” Canada said. “When it’s feasible and affordable, we’ll move forward.”

The station has some of the best coverage for the department, where firefighters can reach both northern and southern parts of the city from Green Street.

“It’s a neighborhood station and their firehouse there,” Canada said. “It’s due for some renovations.”

In other business, a few Gainesville residents came to Tuesday’s council meeting to express ongoing concerns about trash pickup changes to start Jan. 1.

“I’ve been to other hearing and meetings, and I don’t recall anything about not being able to put trash in a can in the ground,” said Walter Byrd, a Mountain View Circle resident. “Why has that specifically been pointed out or stopped?”

Byrd noted that his specially designed can has been in place for 10 years, and a fellow resident has used the same trash container since 1957.

“It has worked well and is still there,” he said. “The wind doesn’t blow it over, and animals don’t knock it down. We’ve never had a problem with collectors getting garbage out of the can before.”

Though council members George Wangemann and Bob Hamrick proposed allowing exceptions to the new trash rules, council members Danny Dunagan and Myrtle Figueras asked to keep moving forward with already approved plans.

“We can’t make exceptions for everything, and we’re trying to streamline trash pick up,” Dunagan said. “It’s the best alternative to curbside, and we just need to stick with it. Sometimes times have to change.”