Planning commission grants conditional preliminary/final approval for Center Square redevelopment at 702 Hamilton St.

The Planning Commission voted to grant conditional preliminary/final land development approval for a redevelopment of the former Merchants Bank site at 702 Hamilton Street.

The project, proposed by City Center Group, would retain and adapt the historic stone‑clad bank façade while constructing a four‑story glass‑and‑metal addition to create roughly 87,000 square feet of Class A office space, about 13,000 square feet of ground‑floor retail (including a proposed 5,000‑square‑foot anchor restaurant with a street‑level patio), and a green roof. The applicant intends to reuse the building’s existing basement for mechanical systems and to expand the ground‑floor retail area; a roughly 6,000‑square‑foot mezzanine is shown for storage or nontraditional office use.

Planning staff summarized reviews…