Board approves revised plan for 27.19‑acre REM/Orium site; shared parking and design modifications cleared

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen unanimously approved rezoning and a revised development plan for the 27.19‑acre site commonly referred to as Orium/REM, allowing a mixed‑use plan that staff said is vested under the July 2018 zoning ordinance. The board approved both the rezoning ordinance and the development plan resolutions with the requested modification of standards.

Staff explained the development plan calls for approximately 900 multifamily dwelling units, 245,460 square feet of nonresidential space and 300 hotel rooms on the 27.19‑acre site. A shared parking study submitted by the applicant found peak‑period surpluses under the shared‑parking model, which staff supported based on national parking guidance. The applicant and staff told the board the traffic impact analysis has been reviewed and that staff agrees with the proposed off‑site improvements; the parkland agreement appeared as a related agenda item.

Chelsea, the city planner, summarized four requested modifications of standard: allowing pitched/gabled roofs for certain nonresidential structures (staff recommended approval, FMPC supported it), permitting a limited number of interactive digital wayfinding panels (staff recommended disapproval; FMPC recommended approval), permitting neon/LED internal illumination for some signs (staff recommended disapproval; FMPC recommended approval) and allowing string lights in pedestrian amenity areas (staff recommended approval; FMPC recommended approval). The board voted item‑by‑item on MOS requests and ultimately approved the development plan with the MOSs as amended; votes on the individual MOSs passed unanimously.

Developer representative Glenn McGee thanked staff and said the team is in active marketing with tenants and is poised to begin phase 1 construction imminently. Greg Gamble, the applicant, and Glenn described phases that include structured and podium parking, a central park and off‑site turn‑lane improvements. Gamble provided numbers for traffic reductions compared with previous approvals — he said the revised plan reduces daily vehicle trips by roughly 4,000 and lowers peak‑hour trips compared with the earlier entitlement.

Board members asked about phasing, the potential to convert rental product to for‑sale units depending on market conditions and architectural details for parking structures. The applicant said phases will likely occur over multiple years and that some future for‑sale or senior living options remained possible depending on market demand. The board approved the rezoning and the development plan, and later the city approved a parkland impact‑fee amendment related to the project.

Formal actions: The board approved Ordinance 20 25‑22 (rezoning) and the corresponding development plan resolution with the requested design modifications; related parkland and impact‑fee agreements were later approved on the consent agenda.