New Plaza office building moves forward

victory-courtA city council committee on Wednesday advanced a measure related to a proposed 14-story office building on the Country Club Plaza.

It finds a 1.17 acre site on the west side of Pennsylvania near 47th Street to be obsolete, decadent, insanitary and blighted.

It goes to the full city council for final approval today, which would be a major step toward a property tax abatement there for up to 25 years.

Later hearings would determine the full extent of the property tax breaks.

The city council previously approved rezoning for the project proposed by Block Real Estate Services.

The company plans to demolish the 1940 Victory apartments, 37 two-story apartments renting for $610 a month that are deteriorating and one third vacant.

The new building would have 207,000 square feet that includes 6,500 square feet of restaurant space and a six-level, 675-space garage.

The project has the backing of opponents who opposed a previous plan at a nearby site to build a new office building for the Polsinelli law firm.

The law firm later became the main tenant at the Plaza Vista development farther to the west.

Steve Block, a partner, said they already have commitments for about 15 percent of the space in the planned new building.

They hope to get the permitting process completed in about six months and construction will take about two more years, he said.

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