[media-credit name=’JEFF SCHORFHEIDE/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]Members of the State Street neighborhood met Wednesday to discuss preliminary plans to build condominiums on the corner of North Bassett and West Johnson Streets.

Though the site currently houses two restaurants — Milio's and Casa Bianca — project architects said those establishments would be completely destroyed to make room for new space, including a retail space on the bottom floor, a heath club on the second floor and 197 condominium units.

The proposed project, Brink said, would be composed of mostly one- and two-bedroom units, not necessarily geared toward the student population. The building would also feature a rooftop terrace with common green space, he added.

"It's a student area, but we'll be marketing to young professionals," project manager Justin Harder said. "We want light retail services and maybe a smaller restaurant."

Brink said the architecture would fit well with the surrounding buildings and would feature wrap-around decks, stone, brick and arches. The building was designed in a classical style, he added.

Peter Osland of Capitol Neighborhoods commended the team for their design and said the effort to make the building appealing from street level is the highlight of the presentation.

"I think they are really trying to do something architecturally with this," he added.

Even though details of the interior architecture and potential price ranges for the units have yet to be worked out, Harder said he hopes to begin construction by early spring of 2007.

"This is kind of a first go-around, but we feel [the project] has a lot of promise," Brink said.

Several neighborhood residents at the meeting expressed concerns about the height of the building, designed with 12 floors equaling 136 feet, but Brink assured residents the building does fit with the area and falls under the city's height guidelines.

According to Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, 10-to-12 story buildings are allowed only in select areas of the city. The Downtown Design Zone, which was created in 2000, designated the block in question for the construction of several high rise complexes.

"It's undeniable — [high rises] create a canyon-like atmosphere," Verveer said. "But there are positives, too."

Resident Steve McClure, owner of the property across the street from the sight, said he remains against the proposed complex despite reassurance of height qualifications. The problem is the sheer magnitude of the building, not just the height, he added.

"I like the retail, because the area needs sprucing," McClure said. "But it's way too big … and I think bigness equals coldness."

Yet Efrain Elmzi, owner of Casa Bianca, said he has no qualms with the project even though it would mean destruction of his restaurant. Elmzi said he is considering relocating during construction and then moving back into the new space.

"I'm OK with it," he said. "It's a good building."

The neighborhood did not come to any formal decision at the meeting, but the design team said they expect to begin presenting their plans to the city by the end of the year.

Corrections: Gary Brink should have been listed as the architect for the project, and Peter Osland should have been spelled Peter Ostlind.