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The Lexington Planning Commission last week unanimously approved a conditional use permit application from the VMI Alumni Agencies to use the upper floor of the Bank of the James building, located at the intersection of Nelson and Main streets, as swing space for the alumni offices during the planned construction of a new building for the agencies’ offices.
The Alumni Agencies offices are currently located in Neikirk and Moody halls, which are scheduled for demolition, along with Cabell Hall, as VMI plans to build a new center for advancement, which will include an alumni center.
The Alumni Agencies applied for the conditional use permit to use the space for 36 months. At the recommendation of city planner Arne Glaeser, the Commission approved the permit for a period of 48 months, with the option for administrative approval for up to 12 additional months if needed. The other condition recommended by Glaeser is that only the upper floor of the building can be utilized for office space.
In response to questions from Commissioner John Driscoll about the number of people who will be using the space and where they would park, Kevin Ryan, a representative of the VMI Alumni Agencies, said that there would be 10 people who would be using the space on a regular basis. For parking, he said that the staff utilizing the space would use the courthouse parking garage, which is located just a couple of blocks away.
Tori Bates made the motion to approve the application and Mary Stuart Harlow provided the second, with all seven members of the Commission voting in favor. The application will go to City Council for final approval at a future meeting.
