At its 2 p.m. meeting Monday, Danville’s planning commission will consider a code amendment and special use permit that together would allow for the redevelopment of a vacant former textile mill in the River District into an apartment building.
The Morotock Manufacturing Company building, located at 18 Floyd St., was originally built in 1907 as a textile mill, when the textile industry was one of the city’s main economic drivers.
The over 32,000-square-foot building currently stands vacant, just a block off of Main Street. 
The project includes 41 apartment units and requires a code amendment to waive the maximum density limit for this property, according to the meeting agenda packet.
It would also need a special use permit granted, since the current zoning designation of central business district does not otherwise allow for multifamily dwellings.
The staff report for the code amendment item says that this project “promotes the comprehensive plan’s goals of encouraging adaptive reuse, urban residential development, and revitalizing underutilized properties within the River District.”
The applicant, 18F Danville LLC, envisions 36 one-bedroom and 6 two-bedroom units, all market-rate, with related amenities and two small leasable offices at this site.
The proposed project “encompasses site improvements, removal of relic building systems, demolition, and a complete renovation of the 32,535 square-foot building,” the staff report for the special use permit item says.
Rehabilitation will include brick repair and re-pointing, new historic replica windows, new roof membrane, new and renovated exit stairs, new finishes, replacement gutters and repainting of the existing ghost sign, the report says.
If the planning commission recommends approval for both items, they will go forward to the city council for a final vote.
The commission will also consider several rezoning requests at the meeting, involving a proposed townhome project and a proposed cell tower.
Also meeting this week is the Danville-Pittsylvania County Regional Industrial Facility Authority at noon Monday, the Danville Industrial Development Authority at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, the building code board of appeals at 1 p.m. Wednesday, and the board of zoning appeals at 10 a.m. Thursday.
The Airport Commission regular meeting scheduled for 3 p.m. Tuesday has been canceled. Instead, the Airport Commission will hold a special meeting at noon.
In Pittsylvania County, the board of zoning appeals will meet at 6 p.m. Monday.
