FAYETTEVILLE — The Planning Commission praised a pair of workforce housing projects proposed for two well-known buildings downtown that could only be built if the city’s requirements for residential parking were changed.
Local architect Alli Quinlan presented a pair of conceptual projects to the Planning Commission on Monday, seeking feedback prior to submitting anything for approval. One of the proposals was for the former Garden Room property on Dickson Street, while the other was for the former Star Shopper building on College Avenue.
For the Garden Room property, Quinlan proposed a three-story, mixed-use development that could have 37 multifamily units with 1,000 square feet of retail space facing Dickson Street. Of the 37 residential units, four would have market-rate rents while the other 33 would be studio apartments reserved for tenants earning 30-60% area median income for Washington County. The existing Garden Room building would be disassembled and reassembled near Mount Kessler, with the existing rock garden and native plantings maintained…