Developer Asks City To Ease Parking Rule

The renovation of the old warehouse district at Ruby and DeSmet hinges, in part, on the city easing its standards for off-street parking.

A developer who wants to turn the old Fuller Paint warehouse, 111 E. DeSmet, into apartments and commercial space is seeking approval to reduce required parking by about half of the current standard.

Developer Jim Delegans has applied for a variance to reduce parking from 51 slots to 26 off-street slots.

He will appear at a public hearing before the city hearing examiner on July 30 at 9 a.m. in the second-floor conference room at City Hall.

Delegans wants to convert the four-story Fuller Paint building into a commercial property with a dozen loft-type apartments on the upper floors and a restaurant and commercial space at street level.

He and other building owners along a two-block stretch of the north side of DeSmet are seeking approval of a national historic district.

Delegans and other building owners have hired a consultant to review the history of the area and draft a written nomination that would be used to achieve the historic designation.

The Fuller Paint building attracted Delegans after Gonzaga University completed its new Jundt Art Center nearby and other improvements on the southwest corner of the university campus, he said.

Delegans is known for redeveloping the Old City Hall, which houses the Olive Garden restaurant on the main floor.

Teresa Blum, city-county historic preservation officer, said the DeSmet Avenue designation would offer income tax breaks for the building owners based on their investments in preserving the properties. Other businesses in the district include Burgan’s Furniture, Market Equipment and Peerless Sunpuft.

, DataTimes