Officials are seeking additional protections for the old central fire station in downtown Des Moines.

The Des Moines Social Club plans to renovate the firehouse and set up a restaurant, bar and theater.

The Des Moines Register says the sales deal with the club requires a decade of preservation on the National Register of Historic Places. But after 10 years on the register, the firehouse could be demolished.

The City Council approved a development plan for the site and ordered city staffers to meet with the Social Club and press for the station's designation as a "local landmark," which would require oversight from a city board.

Jake Christensen heads the Social Club's renovation effort, and he says the club has taken steps to keep the firehouse in place forever.