Girl Scouts get go-ahead for remodeling of Vista building

The Girl Scouts won approval Thursday to remodel a building in the Vista that will be decorated with brightly color stripes and feature a glassed-in entrance.

Columbia’s Design/Development Review Commission unanimously endorsed changes in the highly visible, two-story structure across Gervais Street from the State Museum. It will bear the name of the late business and civic leader Cathy Novinger.

But commissioners want the Girl Scouts Mountains to Midlands chapter to change a drop-off/pedestrian plaza so that it’s safer. The lead architect of the renovation, Karen Quinn, told commissioners the Girl Scouts will work to satisfy the safety concerns at the Senate and Williams streets entrance way.

The decision stood in contrast to another colorful request in 2013.

A commission made up of different members that year asked the developers of The Hub student high-rise on Main Street to change their plans for bold-colored exterior panels on one of downtown’s most recognizable buildings. The out-of-state developers accommodated the concerns.

But later, the commission was told by city planners there are no controls on color schemes in that part of the city. The commission was informed that it did not have the legal authority to direct such changes.

On Thursday, only commissioner James Daniel asked why the Girl Scouts’ color scheme was not an issue when the question of color was raised recently about the painting of a brick home in Melrose Heights. City planners said that house is in a historic district. There are no such controls in the design district where the Girl Scouts bought the long-vacant building, said urban planner Lucinda Statler, who works in the planning department.

The building will offer meeting rooms, a lounge for studying and watching movies, a climbing wall, lab and art rooms, training and development space as well as rooms for overnight stays, Girl Scout officials said.

Thursday’s approval clears the way to start the renovations by the end of April, with an intended completion date by year’s end, Ed Devore, the scouts chief financial officer, has said.

This story was originally published March 9, 2017 at 7:01 PM with the headline "Girl Scouts get go-ahead for remodeling of Vista building."