Developers present four-phase plan for 417—425 River Street; board accepts application as complete and schedules hearing

Architect Jack Beyer and the project team on Oct. 21 presented a four-phase redevelopment of 417—425 River Street that covers exterior deck replacement, a three-story glass entrance tower with elevator, interior renovations including a new commercial kitchen, and eventual conversion of upper floors to 11 residential units.

Beyer said the first phase, planned for next spring, would remove and replace deteriorated decks and expand outdoor dining areas for Browns Brewing and Rev Hall. Future phases include the entrance tower with elevator to provide accessible access to upper floors, interior kitchen work, and development of unoccupied upper floors into residential apartments (11 units planned).

Board members and staff raised questions about easements, utilities, and signage. The applicant said there are existing easements for the rear parcels and that utility checks are underway; staff requested deed and page references for easements and asked the applicant to clarify signage square footage calculations. Heritage/ HRC comments included requests to adjust guardrail proportions, mullion patterns for glass additions and pergola design; the applicant reported responsive design revisions and said light fixtures are still being finalized with a manufacturer.

The board declared the proposal unlisted under "Seeker," accepted the application as complete and scheduled a public hearing for Dec. 16. The applicant was asked to provide additional documentation, including deed references, final lighting and sign calculations, and to coordinate with HRC for final design feedback.

The applicant said the project team hopes to begin phase 1 construction in spring if approvals and HRC review proceed on schedule.