Brewer’s plan includes a 880 square-foot retail space on the first floor. The rest of the floors, and the basement, would be residential, with a total of 29 bedrooms. A new elevator also is part of the plan.

Architect Mary Swanson highly spoke of the project to the planning commission, explaining the apartments as “spacious and as deep as you could get.”

“I’ve done apartments for (DTN Management Co.) and other apartments around town, and these are decent apartments,” Swanson said.

Wild Goose Inn owner Al Bay opposed Swanson’s project, stating the project would “dramatically impact” his business, and that “smashed windows, weeds three-feet high and trash in the back” at the current property is a concern that it’s not being taken care of properly.

“No one talked to me about my plans, and I do plan on expanding,” Bay said. “That concerns me.”

According to the City of East Lansing Department of Planning, Building & Development, the apartment building at 500 Albert Ave. is one of the last single-family designed structures in the downtown area.

The Albert Avenue structure is an all-brick, two-and-half stories tall rental property licensed for four unrelated persons. Six apartments within the building accommodate 19 bedrooms.

The Department of Planning, Building & Development said Brewer’s proposal meets all ordinance requirements for the B-3 District — the zoning district the buildings are located — only if 500 Albert Ave. and 122 Division St. would be combined as a construction project. The structures would not qualify separately because there are no qualifying features provided for the site to cover the vacant area between the buildings.

“The B-3 District is intended to provide for a wide range of dense commercial and residential land uses to serve residents and shoppers from the city and the university and to act as the city’s downtown core area,” East Lansing Community Development Analyst Timothy Schmitt said.