GREENFIELD — Members of the Historical Commission expressed approval of Rural Development Inc.’s plan to build a 24-unit, four-story residential building at 170-186 Main St. at their meeting Thursday evening.

The building would consist of a community multi-function room on the first floor, with a combination of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments in the three stories above, said Alyssa Larose, RDI’s real estate project manager and housing development director. RDI is a Montague-based nonprofit affiliated with the Franklin County Regional Housing & Redevelopment Authority.

The one-story building at 176 Main St., where Moldavite Dreams is located, used to be three stories, but two of them were removed in the 1960s due to their poor condition.

In addition, Larose noted that RDI was selected to acquire the city-owned 188 Main St. parcel for incorporation into this project, following the demolition of the lot’s former building.

“We’re applying for a grant with the city to help support the cost to design this project, and it includes signage that would go on Main Street,” Larose said. “We’re hoping to turn the 188 Main St. parcel into a pollinator meadow.”

The Planning Board approved a site plan review for the development after Larose and architect Tom Chalmers of Austin Design presented the project in January. There, Larose said the nonprofit is interested in offering affordable housing for “folks who earn less than 30% of area median income, all the way up to 80% of area median income.”

At Thursday’s meeting, Historical Commission Chair Margo Jones noted that the proposed site falls outside of the city’s Main Street Historic District, and therefore, does not need approval from the Historical Commission. In response, Chalmers explained that since the future development would be within view of the Historic District, the Massachusetts Historical Commission still requested the local commission’s opinion.

Historical Commission member Jeremy Ebersole commented on the building’s plan for an exposed red brick exterior, noting that he believed the structure’s style combines modern and traditional design aspects in a way that blends in seamlessly with the rest of the architecture downtown.

Commission Vice Chair Tim Blagg echoed Ebersole’s appreciation of the brick exterior, but suggested that Chalmers experiment with different brick patterns to find one that best fits the area.

“It looks to me like a pretty good balance. There’s this traditional preservation practice — you don’t want to make something look historic, it needs to be differentiated,” Ebersole said. “At the same time, you want to give some kind of an homage and a nod to the history, but make it clearly definable as coming from this era.”

The project is expected to include 14 parking spaces, including handicapped spaces and electric vehicle chargers. RDI also intends to include bicycle racks and a common courtyard for tenants, Larose said.

Larose said the project’s timeline is largely driven by funding deadlines. RDI will apply for low-income housing grants and construction would likely not begin until 2027, at the earliest.

Wrapping up discussions, Jones said the commission will draft a letter to the Massachusetts Historical Commission voicing its approval for the project.

Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at acammalleri@recorder.com or 413-930-4429.