The Historic Landmarks Commission on Thursday approved exterior changes to a row of buildings on West Washington Street being renovated into apartments and retail spaces.

“We’re looking forward to returning this city block back to its historic fabric,” said Wayne Slusser, superintendent for Monument Construction.

The company already has renovated two buildings at the end of the block near Main Street in a similar fashion, as well as others around downtown.

Five retail spaces will be located on the ground floor of the buildings, with 67 apartments filling out the rest of the space.

During the renovation, the company will preserve and renovate windows and doors, paint buildings that are already painted with historically appropriate colors while leaving the others unpainted, inspect masonry and renovate deteriorated masonry and more.

Behind the buildings, there will be private courtyards, an enclosure for a trash receptacle on a landscaping island, lighting fixtures for additional security and more.

The project already has been approved by Planning Commission and City Council, but the Historic Landmarks Commission is responsible for approving exterior changes to buildings in the historic district.

The only discussion on the project focused on parking, with Commissioner Stewart Tyler saying he did not believe there was enough for all the residents. He said spots should be leased from the city for the residents in the public Cherry Street parking lot immediately behind the buildings.

However, as parking is not under the purview of the Historic Landmarks Commission, even he joined in the 9-0 vote to approve the project.