[media-credit name=’JEFF SCHORFHEIDE/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]

The Urban Design Commission unanimously
approved the first phase of renovation plans for the apartment
building at 430 W. Dayton St. Wednesday night.

The renovations will include the
conversion of the basement into another living unit and the
demolition of a carriage house in the backyard to make way for
construction of a new two-story house in its place.

Approval was granted under specific
conditions to the second phase of renovations. These contingencies
include revising the balcony and porches, the creation of four
parking garage stalls, more detailed landscape plans, color samples
and a footprint of the new two-story house on the rear of the lot.

The committee's acceptance of these
initiatives was crucial to the property's owner, 23-year-old
Brandon Cook, considering his plans to move into the basement
dwelling as soon as possible and become an owner-occupant.

"One of the reasons I and the
Neighborhood Association are so excited about this is that Brandon
will be an owner-occupant, and there are very few owner-occupants in
the area," City Council President Mike Verveer, District 4, said.

As of now, Cook's property, located
between Broom and Bassett streets, is exclusively student housing.
Upon completion, the front apartment complex will have four
three-bedroom living units and the new carriage house in the back of
the lot will have six to seven bedrooms. He hopes to have both
student and professional residents living in the renovated property.

A few members of the commission,
although expressing encouragement for Cook, revealed concern and
discomfort with the lack of detail in his overall plans with the
property.

"I have an extremely high comfort
level," said Verveer in response to other members' hesitation. "I
sincerely believe that the applicant is going to follow through with
phase two."

Cook has made ambitious plans for the
property, but receiving commission approval Wednesday night was just
the first step in order to move forward with them. Verveer said Cook
needs to attend the Plan Commission meeting Dec. 17, the City Council
meeting on Jan. 8 and return to an Urban Design Commission meeting
with the finalized designs.