HOUGHTON — A long-vacant building in downtown Houghton will be the site of apartments and Alaskan maki.

The Houghton Planning Commission approved the site plan for 109 Shelden Ave., commonly dubbed the Kirkish building, at its meeting Tuesday night.

In the plan submitted to the city, Houghton restaurant Sky Sushi will move three blocks west, where they will occupy the ground floor of the building. The second, third and fourth floors will be reconfigured into residential space — nine apartments totaling 20 bedrooms.

Work on the renovations is expected to begin next month.

“This is going to be a good addition to downtown,” Planning Commission Chair Tom Merz said at Tuesday’s meeting.

The 115-year-old building was previously used by Kirkish Furniture and Backroom Books, but has been vacant for more than a decade. It suffered a partial roof collapse in 2016. No cause was announced, but city officials said at the time it was believed to be the result of the weight of melting snow.

Owner L&Z Rentals purchased the building in 2023. Last year, the city council voted to establish a commercial rehabilitation district, a state incentive for developers that allows them to apply for an abatement that freezes property tax values at current levels for 10 years.

The building will provide four parking spots, while residents will also have parking permits for the adjacent decks, said Houghton Code Enforcement Officer Jeff Jepsen. The closest spots for restaurant patrons will be at the Ambassador deck and the westernmost row of parking spots in the lot directly adjacent to Veterans Park.