Taking up most of the block bounded by Tyler and First avenues and Clement and Downey streets, adjacent to Radford University, it would be five stories of retail, office and rental housing space with a five-story parking garage and a two-story restaurant with outdoor dining.

“It’s a project we’ve been working on and visioning for about five years now,” developer Jeff Price told Radford City Council on Monday.

It began with Price’s company, Collegiate Development, buying dilapidated houses on that block and trying to “bring them up at least to a standard we could live with,” Price said.

As the property accumulated and proved to be difficult to maintain, the project evolved into a plan to raze the existing buildings and replace them with 34,000 square feet of retail space and three stories of apartments aimed at students. The first floor of the building would be devoted to retail. The second would be office space.

The project’s footprint is now occupied by an apartment building, several houses, a hair salon, a 7-Eleven, Joe’s Diner and other businesses. The scope of the project could shrink “with economic times as they are,” Price said.

Documents submitted to Zoning Administrator Zack Kyle say, “Please keep in mind that this plan is still fluid.”

The graphics presented at Monday’s council meeting show a landscaped, “double fronted” development with trees, shrubbery and attention to its appearance from the back as well as the front.

Price came before council asking for the rezoning of 2.59 acres and a special use permit that would allow the construction of a structure more than 65 feet high. Plans also ask that on-street parking be removed from one-way Clement Street so it can be opened to two-way traffic.

The rezoning, which would allow for more intense business development than is currently allowed, would remain with the property regardless of how Price’s plans play out.

Tom Whitehead, owner of the nearby BT’s restaurant, said he supported Price and his project — “It’s going to be a fantastic project if it gets built as he proposing.” But Whitehead worries about disruption of the area while the project is being built. He’s also worried about the loss of on-street parking.

“Parking is at a premium there,” Whitehead said. “We have to defend our parking.”

During a 2004 discussion of on free street parking, Whitehead called it “the lifeblood of my business and the other businesses” in Radford.

Monday’s session was a joint public hearing for council and the planning commission. Neither body took action. The planning commission plans to vote on the Tyler Place rezoning July 21. The commission’s recommendation would come to council on July 28.