A 1950s four-story building at 15 W. Cherry Street Downtown will be renovated under a plan approved by the city on Tuesday. The building, which for years served as a shoe warehouse, will be used as a restaurant and offices. The developer, RiverWest, will occupy one floor.

A former Downtown shoe warehouse will be renovated into a restaurant and offices under a plan approved by the city Tuesday.

The four-story 15,000-square-foot building at 15 W. Cherry St. was built in the 1950s to store shoes for the adjacent Julian shoe factory. The factory has long been closed, and has since been converted into apartments.

After serving several purposes including a yoga studio and a theater, the building has largely sat empty for two years.

The developer RiverWest plans to renovate the entire building, including new paint and siding. The first floor will be leased to a restaurant operator while the top three floors will serve as offices. A rooftop deck will be added.

RiverWest, which employs 15 workers, will lease one of the floors. Tenants have not been secured for the remaining space.

The building sits in the rapidly developing River South District. New apartment buildings have risen on three of the building's four sides.

jweiker@dispatch.com

@JimWeiker