The City Plan Commission approved the construction of a five-story, multi-use building Monday night.

The new building will be located on the corner of the 500 block of South Park Street in place of Ideal Body Shop.

Craig Enzenroth, president of Gallina Construction Company, said the project consists of a 65,000 square foot building that will provide 57 rental units as well as 4,000 square feet of retail space.

Parking spots would be available to tenants in an underground garage within the building as well as on the corner of South Park and Drake streets with a permit, he added.

Scott Davis, architect working with Gallina Construction, said the building would step down from five-stories on Park Street to three stories on Drake Street, consisting of three walk-out town house units designed to blend with residential neighborhoods nearby.

Enzenroth said the construction of the building would not only bring a positive, residential feel to the Park Street area, but would also serve as a catalyst for further development on the street, benefiting local retail establishments.

Constantine Choles, owner of George’s Flowers on the 400 block of Park Street, said he was excited about the new development proposal, adding that it will revitalize Park Street by allowing businesses to flourish and encourage employees in the area to live closer to work, such as those who work at St. Mary’s or Meriter Hospitals.

Some area residents, particularly those in the Greenbush neighborhood, were opposed to the new construction and raised concern over the availability of parking space, as well as the height of the complex.

Caitlin Sieffert, president of the Greenbush Neighborhood Association, said members of the Greenbush neighborhood felt that a five-story complex near a residential neighborhood was too high, blocking residents’ view of the surrounding areas. Sieffert said the association would support the construction if it were four stories, however.

“It’s not representative of what our neighborhood wants in regard to development,” Sieffert said.

Kyle Lewis, a long-time resident of the Greenbush Neighborhood, said he was concerned with the allowance of the new buildings’ residents to have parking permits on the street. He said the permits would take away parking space from visitors to the city, as well as create unnecessary congestion on an already busy street.

Ald. Sue Ellingson, District 13, is responsible for the district in which the new building will be constructed. She said she was in favor of the proposal, despite disagreeing with many of the residents in her district.

“I think this will bring new life to Park Street,” Ellingson said. “Sixty-five thousand cars per day drive down the street. This is a place where we can put a five-story building and make this a place where people want to come to.”

Following the approval of the construction project, Ald. Michael Heifetz, District 9, said given the current condition of Park Street, this is the best time for new construction to happen.

“I understand the dilemma regarding the surrounding neighborhood,” Heifetz said. “But Park Street has to evolve if it’s going to achieve true stability,”

Neither the Plan Commission nor Gallina Construction spoke to specifically when the construction of the new building would start.