A local architecture company presented improvements to plans for a new apartment building on West Main Street to a neighborhood association Wednesday evening.

The improvements included more units, landscape designs and a mix of color and materials.

Joe Alexander of the Alexander Company said the building, which will be marketed toward young professionals, is set to be an addition to the already existing Capitol West Development condominiums.

Alexander said the company will attend the Plan Commission for suggestions to the proposal, which has been in progress since 2004.

The Alexander Company is very interested in collaborating with the city, Architectural Director of Iconica John Seamon said.

“All [the city’s] feedback and commentary is really valuable,” Seamon said. “I truly believe that they are not just words. I would like to highlight the fact that big picture issues of this project have not changed.”

Seamon said one of the main concerns with the building was density. Though the unit number has moved up 26 units, the number of bedrooms in total has decreased, Seamon said. Seamon also noted there will be no commercial retail or office space in the building, which should keep density down.

Seamon explained the city’s Urban Design Commission and other Madison officials had questions about color and materiality that he addressed in his changes. He noted the use of terracotta paneling in two areas of the development to compliment adjacent buildings.

“When we really started to hear some of those concerns, we thought, ‘let’s go back and look at this,'” Seamon said. “We chose these two areas to take an opportunity to bring a color, a warm color that has a strong relationship to its relative right next door.”

The building also features two green roofs, outdoor patio access and a clear glass entryway, Seamon said.

Though there was some concern about parking from the neighborhood, Alexander and Seamon both indicated there would be ample space. Alexander said adding 56 spots to the existing 950 on the block will ensure that any traffic increase will not be noticeable.

Jonathon Cooper, a member of the neighborhood association steering committee who facilitated the meeting, said the Alexander Company still has many meetings with various committees and City Council before final approval will be granted. 

The project will go before Madison’s City Council on Oct. 30.