CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – The future of a proposed mixed-use residential building at 295 Calhoun Street remains up in the air.

Plans to construct a large eight-story building on the site have come before Charleston’s Board of Architectural Review multiple times over the last two years.

Despite being denied by the board more than once, the project returned to the BAR on Wednesday with seven stories.

“Previously the project has been evaluated as an eight-story building so, seven stories with an extra floor for architectural merit. Those efforts have not resulted in an approval so, the developer has come back with a seven-story project that meets the zoning requirements for height,” explained Robert Summerfield, the Director of Planning, Preservation and Sustainability for the City of Charleston.

The BAR voted to defer the decision and incorporate board and staff comments.

The 295 Calhoun project has received pushback from the community since first appearing on city agendas.

“It’s too tall, it’s too fat, it’s too wide, and it’s just too massive. Creative architects usually sort of erode the mass of a building to make it a little more compatible with its surroundings and unfortunately this proposal has not done that,” said Winslow Hastie, the President and CEO of the Historic Charleston Foundation.

While the Historic Charleston Foundation opposes the project, leaders at the neighboring Mason Preparatory School expressed their support in a letter submitted to the BAR.

Late last year, the developer SE Calhoun LLC filed a lawsuit against the City of Charleston over the denials, saying they spent $12 million on the property.

News 2 spoke with Jason Long, the Vice President of the development company, Southeastern. He said they have listened to comments from neighbors, city staff and the BAR and will continue to work with them moving forward.