Florissant Planning and Zoning Talks Overhaul of Value City Building

Florissant Planning and Zoning had a lone item on its agenda Monday night, but it proved a big one with the prospect of spurring seven new businesses as well as 200 permanent jobs for the area.

Rich Obertino of TRI Architects re-presented the commissioners with a plan to renovate the vacant Value City Department store at 2393 N. Highway 67 into five retail stores and an outlot building that would house two more businesses and would be constructed in the parking lot. Last year, Obertino presented the commission with plans for two retail stores, but the plans fell through.

Obertino explained that the current building would be kept but divided into four individual stores, and the former garden center area would be turned into a fifth store.

A couple of issues surfaced and caused commissioners to question Obertino about the project.

He said that the rear of the building would include exterior insulation finishing system (EIFS) to add variety to the building, which was brought up originally by possible neighbor, Target.

However, Commissioners Jim Hessel and Jane Boyle agreed that brick should be left on the back of the building to comply with the masonry ordinance.

“If you want all brick back there, we’ll put all brick back there,” Obertino said.

In addition, Commissioner Daniel Call pointed out that Obertino would need to update his plans in order to present to council, which he amended with a motion toward the end.

The commission unanimously approved to recommend the presentation to council.

Obertino said that if all of the requests went well with the city that the renovation would begin in early 2012 with the hopes of opening Nov. 2012.