Although the parking lot is blocked, the Greenway Trail will remain open to the public, said Tom Niemann, whose North Carolina-based firm bought the property from the state in 2007.

The small business attracts the attention of top clients even though it shares space in a converted farmhouse with a home art studio.

Councilors expressed support Thursday for the revised ordinance proposal, which was drafted after the city met with key stakeholders.

Officials seeking to list most of downtown on the National Register of Historic Places hope the move will provide an incentive to property owners to improve the buildings there.

The city’s housing director lauded recent downtown apartment projects but said much more need to be done to ease the local housing shortage.