Condominiums and restaurant could be
‘new kid on the block’ on N. Center
A new three-story building is being proposed at 156 N. Center to house a first-floor restaurant and seven condominium units, some of which would be built over the Tuscan Café next door at 150 N. Center. Preliminary site plans were presented to the Planning Commission at its June 2 online meeting by architect Robert Miller, representing the applicant R. Kuredjian, 156 N. Center LLC.
The architectural drawings show units ranging from 579 square feet to 1,341 square feet with balconies. The restaurant would have space for outdoor dining. The commission expressed concerns about the following items:
• parking (number of overnight spaces in public lot behind the building, parking counts at lunchtime and on
weekends)
• small size of two of the units (579 and 600 ft2) – which fail to meet the ordinance. (Miller said those units could
potentially be combined into one larger unit.)
• no main entry door directly facing N. Center. (The main door faces Dunlap.)
The applicant intends to pursue 10.8 parking credits and locate a loading space behind the building, noting the applicant would work with the DDA on improvements to the public lot entry drive and possible loading zone on Dunlap St.
The proposed building is in the Historic District; the addition on the back of the Tuscan Café building would need to be demolished. In keeping with the historical significance of the site, which formerly housed the City’s Opera House, the plans contain design elements that reflect the elegance of the former building. The project cost is estimated at $3.35 million.
The Planning Commission will hold a
public hearing at its July 7 meeting for the upper story residential units, which are a Special Land Use in the Central Business District.
Photo courtesy of Greg Presley.