The family behind Casa Mia Italian restaurants and Well 80 brewpub wants to build a mixed-use apartment complex around its downtown location.

Chris Knudson, director of operations and co-owner of Well 80, confirmed that the project, called Via Susina, would keep Casa Mia in place as a ground-floor commercial tenant. His parents, Rob and Sue Knudson, own the Casa Mia restaurants in Olympia and Lacey.

The proposal heading to the city's Site Plan Review Committee on Wednesday, July 1, describes walk-up apartments with a garden-style layout and a two-story parking structure. Two configurations are on the table: 56 apartments with three commercial spaces, or 52 apartments with seven commercial spaces. Casa Mia occupies one commercial unit in either version.

The project narrative filed with the city also features a pedestrian corridor called "Artisan Alley" connecting the parking structure to the commercial storefronts.

The July 1 meeting, scheduled for 9:00 a.m. according to city records, is a preliminary feedback session. The committee tells applicants what the city will expect if a project moves forward. It does not approve or deny proposals.

"This seems like a good time to do something," Knudson told The Olympian, citing nearby development activity.

The Squaxin Island Tribe is planning a hotel and restaurant in the area, and Thurston County expects to relocate county offices nearby, according to The Olympian. A 2024 Olympia Planning Commission discussion noted roughly 10 acres of surface parking on each side of Plum Street in the vicinity.

Architectural renderings included in the filing are credited to Thomas Architecture Studios, an Olympia firm. The Site Plan Review Committee's feedback on July 1 will shape what permits and design standards the Knudsons must meet before formal approval.