PRAIRIE GROVE -- Prairie Grove Planning Commission recently approved a conditional use permit to allow an apartment in a downtown building, though the owners have not made any final decisions on what they'll do.
Larry Nelson and his wife, Carrie Kass, own the Southern Mercantile building and the building next door, at 107 and 109 Buchanan St.
The Planning Commission approved Nelson's request for a permit to have a residential apartment in the building that once housed the business called the Flower Shop.
Nelson said the Southern Mercantile building was constructed in 1883 and the building next door about the same time. Both appear as one structure but Nelson said they actually are separate buildings.
He and his wife purchased both buildings and about half of the back parking lot in March 2017. They completely remodeled the mercantile building and opened that business in June 2017.
The Flower Shop, which was already leasing the space at 107 Buchanan, closed at some point afterward.
For now, Nelson said the former Flower Shop building is being repaired structurally.
One idea he and his wife have is to make the back of the building a residential apartment and the front of the building along Buchanan retail space.
"We're exploring the possibilities of what can be done in here," he said.
Prairie Grove is fortunate to have a thriving downtown when many downtowns in small cities are dying, Nelson said, noting all storefronts along Prairie Grove's "main street" are occupied.
In other action Nov. 14, the Planning Commission approved conditional use permits for the following:
• an online business in an R-1.5 zone at 1441 Col. McNeil Drive, requested by John Armstrong.
• a four-plex in a B-2 zone at 201 W. Mock St., requested by Jobin Kirik.
• a home office in an A-1 zone for a lawn care business at 10918 Brady Road, requested by Joshua Jacobson.
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General News on 12/11/2019