An older borough building in Zelienople that once housed a swimming pool business, is to be reborn as a restaurant with office space. Council gave preliminary approval for the development at its meeting Monday.

ZELIENOPLE — An older borough building will be reborn as a restaurant with office space after council voted to approve the plans at Monday’s meeting.

Council approved the “preliminary and final major land development” for Tom Rectenwald Construction to renovate the building at 215 W. New Castle St. and put in a restaurant as well as office space for the construction company.

The soon-to-be-renovated structure once housed Swimming Pool Discounters.

Tom Rectenwald presented the plan to council at its Monday meeting. Rectenwald owned the company until he sold it to his son, Aaron Rectenwald, the company’s current owner.

The current building has switched hands several times, said Shelly Kaltenbaugh, borough code enforcement officer. The plan calls for a complete renovation to improve the structure’s look, feel and function.

“As you can see there’ll be a total facelift of the building. It’ll be a combination of brick, glass, limestone, wood,” she said. “There’ll be a lot of improvements to this building.”

Kaltenbaugh recommended the board approve the plan with the condition that until Rectenwald gets its highway occupancy permit from PennDOT that access be restricted to North Jefferson Street rather than on New Castle Street.

She also recommended council ask PennDOT to grant the permit on the condition that it be “right in, right out” to prevent dangerous left turns on West New Castle Street.

Additionally, Rectenwald will be putting in a more pervious parking lot, which will reduce the amount of water runoff into the streets.

“He’s reducing the amount of non-pervious surface so there should in theory be less run-off with the surfaces he’s providing,” said Chad Garland, borough public works director.