The proposal needed a variance to move forward. The Zoning Board issued the approval after a hearing April 1, attorney Dean Marcolongo said. The office complex, at 1601 N. 2nd Street (Route 47), is in an area where hotels and motels are allowable uses. Apartments, if attached to a business, also are allowed. But this type of conversion was not specifically allowed in the zoning rules, sparking the variance request. According to the proposal, most construction work will be inside of its buildings. Property tax records indicate the office complex dates to 1970. The 2.62-acre lot is bordered by Espoma Road on one side and north of the Lilliston Ford dealership.