A three-story building may be built on the northwest corner of the intersection of 32nd Street and north Main Avenue and house an auto glass shop and four residences.
Jason Groen, owner of Techna Glass in Farmington, is proposing the project. He would own the building and his business would be the main tenant. The mixed-use building may also house a yoga studio and two massage studios.
Planning Manager Scott Shine lauded the mixed-use project when he presented it to the Design Review Board on Wednesday.
“I feel it meets the trajectory of the north Main corridor,” he said.
After extensive public meetings, the city is encouraging redevelopment along north Main Avenue that will make it more walkable and include more housing.
The board generally approved the idea of the new building replacing offices that have been vacant for many years. The old offices would be demolished if the project moves forward.
“This building, when you get done with it, will be a vast improvement,” board member Tom Berry said.
Board members did not vote on the project and suggested several changes to the design. They asked the designer, Russell Moffett, to email changes to city staff that board members would review separately. Board members could delegate the approval of the project to staff, if they choose, Shine said.
The board suggested changing the top corner of the building facing 32nd and north Main to be more prominent. “That corner is so easily seen and important; whatever you do there will be critical,” Berry said.
Board members also expressed concern about a blank west wall behind the building and encouraged the designers to break it up in some way. The building is less than 10,000 square feet, so the Design Review Board is the only public layer of review. It doesn’t need to be reviewed by the Durango Planning Commission.
Groen expects to break ground on the project in the next two months, he said.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
