PANAMA CITY — A Marie Hotel development order will once again appear before a city board, first the Planning Board on Dec. 8.
Planning Director Mike Lane said the new order, at 490 Harrison Ave., is for a senior affordable housing complex made up of 31 units, four stories instead of five, on 1.04 acres of land using the abutting parcel directly across Luverne Avenue. The first floor of the building would be used as a commercial space. Lane said 31 units meets density requirements for the Downtown District and city staff is recommending approval.
“The City Commission told (Royal American) that if they come back they would approve it,” Lane said.
A demolition order for the property already was approved in early October. Royal American Owner Joey Chapman said the intention was always to tear the building down and start from scratch, although they wanted to apply for the demolition order after the development order was approved.
The commission has denied one development order from Royal American for the property, a zoning request for a different property, and strongly discouraged the developer from going forward with the original plan. The most recent order for a 44-unit senior affordable complex on the Marie Hotel site was denied because Lane determined it was inconsistent with city code to allow the use of a parcel across two right of ways, Fifth Street and Luverne Avenue, to count for the building’s density.
Royal American also wanted to use a property at 1615 Florida Ave. for an 86-unit senior affordable housing complex. A request for rezoning was denied in July with the property listed as general commercial and mixed use being required.
The original plan was to build an 80-unit complex at the Marie location, but a density bonus was needed to comply with the city’s comprehensive plan for affordable housing.
Residents and downtown property owners like Jane Lindsey and Dwight Hicks agree they would prefer a mid- to high-end residential complex in the location instead. Royal American Owner Joey Chapman has said a high-end apartment complex is not yet economically tenable downtown.
Royal American would require tax credits from the state to complete the project.
The Planning Board also is scheduled to consider a rezoning in Millville from general commercial to urban residential and rezoning a section of the city along Tupelo Drive from a zoning designation specific to mobile and manufactured homes into residential. Lane said the latter section always has contained single-family houses and the subdivision has rules that prohibit manufactured homes.