New Apartments Planned for Banbury Place, U.S. Bank Building
Two large-scale downtown Eau Claire buildings may be transformed by the addition of apartments thanks to approval from the city’s Plan Commission. On Dec. 3 the Plan Commission approved a request to rezone Building 17 of Banbury Place to include multi-family residential use. Currently the building – a 182,000-square-foot, six-story brick building on the far east end of the massive former tire factory – is used for warehouse storage. According to the request, Banbury Place Inc. is considering converting Building 17 into a mixed-use structure with apartments, offices, and warehouse space. While there are no firm plans to create the new apartments yet, the request states that Banbury Place wants to be ready for that possibility. The zoning change requires the OK of the Eau Claire City Council as well, which was expected at the council’s Dec. 11 meeting.
The Plan Commission also approved a change in the site plan for the six-story building at 131 S. Barstow St., which currently houses U.S. Bank and several other offices. Pablo Management LCC sought approval to change the site plan to allow commercial and residential use in the building. Under Pablo Management’s plan, the bank will remain but would downsize to occupy 36,000 square feet of the building. The rest of the structure will be converted to 17 residential units, including six one-bedroom units, 10 two-bedroom units, and one penthouse. The plan also includes the potential for a rooftop green space and dining on the two-story portion of the building.
