The City of Asheville is moving forward with plans to replace Fire Station 9 in Oakley and is inviting the public to participate in the process. A community open house will be held on Monday, November 17, 2025, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Murphy-Oakley Community Center located at 749 Fairview Road.
During the event, residents can meet the project team, learn about the goals for the new fire station, and provide feedback on architectural design features. Parking will be available at the community center, and there will be activities for children as well as light refreshments.
For those unable to attend in person, updates and opportunities for online input are available through sign-up on the project page.
The design phase for the new fire station is expected to continue through 2026, with construction planned for completion in 2028.
According to city officials, “The new fire station is the first of two phases for the Oakley Public Safety Complex, a project that will bring our public safety facilities in Oakley to modern day standards.” The first phase includes designing and building a replacement facility for Fire Station 9 at 711 Fairview Road—the current site of Asheville Police Department’s Oakley Resource Center. In the second phase, renovations will transform the existing fire station at Murphy-Oakley Community Center into a new East Asheville Police Resource Center. This change means that police and fire departments will exchange locations to give both agencies improved facilities for serving residents.
A comprehensive facility study conducted in 2023 identified upgrading the Oakley complex as a top priority among city capital investments. Funding for this project comes from a general obligation bond approved in 2024, which aims to improve local emergency services and strengthen public safety infrastructure throughout Oakley and Asheville.
