Plans for a new fire station on Eau Claire’s north side are moving forward. Tuesday, the city took the first step to acquire land at the corner of Birch St. and Malden Ave. for the new building which would replace Fire Station 10. The station was built back in 1949 and the city says its outdated and in need of replacement. “We are at a point in time where the building has reached the end of its useful life,” Fire Chief Chris Bell said. After identifying five potential sites, the city has narrowed its top picks down to three but they are now taking a closer look at one site in particular.