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Planning commission approves exterior revisions, parking changes at 8000 Foresight
Summary
The commission approved an exterior revision to the building at 8000 Foresight that trims about 10,000 square feet from an upper parking deck, relocates a ramp and replaces an overhead door with a secured storefront; Commerce Bank currently occupies the building.
The Planning Commission approved exterior revisions at 8000 Foresight that include demolition of part of the upper parking deck, relocation of a ramp, new landscaping and material changes to exterior facades.
Ryan (Planning staff) summarized the proposal as a project that removes part of a rear parking structure, eliminates one curb cut, installs a new ramp and adds a planter bed. Staff recommended approval, saying the proposed materials and the revised layout are compatible with the existing building and surrounding area.
Mike Keller, project architect with Christian Architects, described architectural details, including granite panels on the east facade to match the existing building and a “dark gray dyed concrete” on the south facade. Keller said the upper deck area removed totals about 10,000 square feet and that a modest 24-foot extension will be built back along the south edge where a small addition is proposed. “The net is a subtraction of area, after the demolition,” Keller said.
Commissioners asked operational questions. A commissioner confirmed the bank drive-through has been eliminated; Keller replied the drive-through has been removed and not replaced. Keller also described a former overhead door on the street-facing alcove that will become a secured storefront with card access into the building. Denny Holzer, vice president of design and construction at Commerce Bank, told the commission Commerce currently occupies the building and said the bank has about 400 employees working there now after recent moves.
Commissioners expressed support for the design and for replacing a treacherous ramp with an improved configuration. One commissioner noted concerns about tall retaining walls along a downhill sidewalk but said under the circumstances the revision was an improvement over the previous condition. The project’s generator will be screened with granite panels to match the east elevation, and areas formerly under the upper deck will be planted with native prairie grass and trees.
A motion to approve the project as submitted passed by voice vote; individual roll-call votes were not recorded in the transcript. The motion is recorded in the minutes as approval of the architectural review and the associated site changes.
