Grace Baptist Church and developer submit rezoning petition for 6.8‑acre downtown site; council accepts petition for processing

Janet Garris, an attorney representing Grace Baptist Church, told the Mount Vernon City Council on June 25 that the church submitted a formal rezoning petition for three contiguous parcels totaling approximately 6.8 acres at 70 South Sixth Avenue, 47 Second Street West and 60 South Sixth Avenue.

The petition, presented by Garris of DelBello, Jamelle and Weingart (with land‑use counsel Jody Cross assisting), requests new zoning that would allow a mixed‑use redevelopment being advanced in a joint venture with Mount Coe Construction & Development (referred to in the presentation as Malco). The applicant asked the council to accept the petition for processing so city staff can complete the required reviews.

The petitioned project as described to the council would be reduced from the team’s earlier concept: a 15‑story building with 262 dwelling units (23 studios; 115 one‑bedrooms; 102 two‑bedrooms; 24 three‑bedrooms), roughly 11,188 square feet of…