ZELIENOPLE — Borough council Monday night approved the conditional use application for the Lutheran Senior Life Passavant Retirement Community for the construction of an administration building, skilled nursing facility and duplex apartments.

This allows council to put special conditions on the development in addition to the land development requirements.

This approval paves the way for the final land development plans to be submitted to the borough.

Passavant officials did not indicate immediately when they will submit those final plans. However, construction is proposed to begin in late fall or early winter and continue throughout 2012.

The goal is to begin transferring current residents and accepting new residents in early 2013, according to Passavant officials.

The changes to the 100-year-old facility are expected to help it compete with other facilities, including three new facilities that have opened in the area in recent years.

“We are trying to create a better environment for our residents,” Laura Roy, Passavant’s executive director, said last month. “It supports our mission of an abundant life.”

The proposed new main building, which includes administration offices and the community’s Main Street area, will be built about 400 feet closer to the middle of the campus.

It also will include a skilled nursing center, two floors of assisted living and the community center. Duplex independent living units will be built along Culvert Street.

The new buildings would be next to the current buildings. Once the new buildings are completed, the older buildings will be razed and more park area and parking will be installed.

The main entrance will be redesigned to align directly with Clay Street.

A number of cottages and garages will be razed to make way for the main building.

Mike Hull, Passavant’s architect, said last month there are two main advantages for the project.

The first is that the main building moves closer to the heart of the Passavant community. The second is that the cottages will give Culvert Street a more residential neighborhood look and feel.

Much more green space will be added, including a tree or shrub buffer area along Culvert Street.

Thirty-three current residents will have to be relocated from the razed units.