Plans are moving forward to rebuild the Boardwalk Apartments after a 2005 fire destroyed 76 units and claimed three lives.

Commissioners gave preliminary approval to vacating a portion of Fireside Drive between Frontier Road and Trail Road to accommodate redevelopment plans.

Local architect Paul Werner said vacating the street – which would continue to exist as a private street – would allow the project to be built farther away from the existing homes in the area, and would allow for a more creative design of buildings.

Werner said current plans called for 72 one-bedroom apartments. He said he hoped construction could start by the end of the year. Once work is done on that part of the complex, Werner said, plans call for the remaining apartment units that were not involved in the fire to be taken down and rebuilt.

Commissioners urged developers to move ahead, but also said they were concerned about the condition of the property. Some neighbors showed commissioners photos of abandoned cars and trash that had been allowed to remain on the property for extended periods of time. Commissioners asked staff to send an inspector to the property.

An attorney for the developers said the rebuilding process had been delayed by an insurance dispute.