Wayzata office building pitched in redeveloping area.

Byline: Matt M. Johnson

Developer Lowell Zitzloff plans to keep something old as part of a new office building he has proposed for a busy, redeveloping area of downtown Wayzata.

The 34,600-square-foot mixed-use building would rise at 305 and 309 Lake St. E., which is part of a rapidly changing two-block area along Lake Minnetonka.

One nod Zitzloff is making to the past is the replication of the faade of the 109-year-old former Wayzata State Bank. The old bank is one of two buildings at the northeast corner of Lake Street and Barry Avenue that will be razed to make room for the project.

Zitzloff plans to use the original columns from the bank in the new building, which seemed to win some favor with the Wayzata Planning Commission. Zitzloff told the commission at an Oct. 1 meeting that general contractor R.J. Ryan Construction will either be able to reuse the columns or faithfully replicate them.

"I appreciate all you're doing to save this faade," said Commissioner Chris Plantan.

The Wayzata Planning Commission approved the design of the three-story building and a plat that will unite three separate properties owned by a company Zitzloff controls.

Commissioners turned down an option for a rooftop patio. They rejected the plan because rooftop stairwells would cause the building to exceed height restrictions for that part of town.

The proposed project would be linked with a 12-year-old mixed-use retail and office building Zitzloff owns next door at 315 Lake St. E. The new building would share parking with offices across Barry Avenue that are owned by Zitzloff's LNR Properties.

Zitzloff and LNR were unavailable to comment Tuesday about when construction might begin.

The new building would also be across from a block where the 18-unit Wayzata Blu mixed-use condominium and retail building is under construction at 259 Lake St. E. Wayzata developer Brad Hoyt also plans to build a three-story condo building on the block at 253 Lake St. E. Other projects planned for the block are a parking structure and an office building redevelopment.

All that redevelopment gave the Planning Commission one of its biggest moments of pause. Commissioner Cathy Iverson said Zitzloff's plan to make up for a parking deficit at the new building with excess parking at...