OBSERVER Photo by Gregory Bacon Architect Chris Cooke shows a rendering of what St. Susan’s will look like after it relocates to the Jamestown Business College building.

The Chautauqua County Planning Board has no objections regarding plans to turn a Jamestown college building into a community service location for those in need.

At the county planning board meeting, officials signed off on plans to renovate 5,000 square feet of a one-story building that had been Jamestown Business College into a new location for St. Susan Center.

The project was determined to be of “local concern.” That designation means the planning board does not see any countywide concerns and leaves it up to the local municipality for further review.

Before the vote, Greg Lindquist and Cherie Rowland with St. Susan Center and architect Chris Cooke showed the county planning board their plans for the project.

The building at 11 Fairmount Ave. will be converted into a kitchen and dining room. The center currently operates on Water Street in Jamestown.

“The JBC facility was generously donated to us by the Conklin family so we’re in the process of going through site plan approval,” Lindquist said.

A subdivision will also take place, dividing the mansion and the building that is being prepared to be remodeled into separate parcels. Lindquist said they will appear before the Jamestown City Planning Commission April 15 for both the subdivision and site plan approval.

Cooke said the exterior changes will be minimal, with some new signage. They plan on labeling parking, entrance and exit more clearly.

Cooke noted there is a connection between the main building and the mansion. That will be demolished.

They plan to centralize their coolers in one area of the building and enhance their storage.

Lindquist said they have not had any objections to the project and have already met once with the city planning commission.

Once completed, the dining room will be able to hold 96 people. Their current facility can hold 86 people.

“We average about 170 people a day. It just works out, every hour and a half we have about 80 folks coming through,” Rowland said.

Lindquist said they would like to start construction this summer and be completed by the end of the year.

“That’s contingent upon receiving all the regulatory approvals that we’re going to need and then also our final funding,” he said.

Lindquist said they have an application before Empire State Development which will cover 40% of the costs.

“We are waiting anxiously with crossed fingers and prayers that it comes through quickly,” he said.

Public Facilities Director Tim Card said once the relocation is completed, the county may be able to include a CHQ Transit stop there, which Lindquist said he supports.