Image courtesy of Michael J. Keane Architects.

Developer Peter Floros may soon be on his way to being able to resurrect a Portsmouth street corner that’s laid barren since a devastating 2017 fire.

The city’s Historic District Commission on Feb. 5 unanimously approved Floros’ building planned for the corner of State and Pleasant streets after months of negotiations and a lawsuit.

The building, once housing the iconic State Street Saloon, caught fire in April 2017, destroying the eatery and the 14 apartments above, kicking off a torturous process. The city ordered the demolition of two of the three structures on the lot, but not the third, the 4-story “Times Building” at 277 State St., which Floros’ insurance company had declared a total loss. Floros had sued the city in 2018 for its refusal to allow demolition of the third building, according to the Portsmouth Herald, asking a judge to intervene if his negotiations with the city proved “fruitless.” However, the suit was put on hold as discussion with the city progressed.

The final design approved Feb. 5 maintains the separation between the Times Building and a new building on the site of what is currently an overgrown, vacant lot, as its extremely tall ceilings make it difficult to connect the spaces on all but the ground floor but a new building created to match the Times Building’s structure would have been so massive, it would have been difficult to secure Historic District Commission approval.

These challenges helped Floros secure approval from the Porstmouth Zoning Board of Adjustment in 2017, to add a penthouse unit and 10 more feet to the building’s height than are normally allowed.

The 5-story building will have commercial space on the ground floor, and residential units above, however the exact number of units was not specified in city planning documents.