After a public hearing Wednesday about the proposed redevelopment of the Fry Street area, the company behind the proposal is preparing to draw up new plans for a mixed-use development.

The new plans for a combined retail and residential development took shape at Wednesday night’s meeting at Denton City Hall as community members expressed concerns over a preliminary plan presented to city officials last month.

Those plans, filed by The Dinerstein Cos. and Dallas-based Winkelman & Associates Inc., included 210 student apartments with 586 beds in a four-story complex with a multistory parking garage on a mostly vacant block bordering the University of North Texas.

People seem interested in a combination of retail and residential space, said Josh Vasbinder, a partner at Dinerstein, a Houston-based real estate and development firm.

“We’ve gotten some feedback on a mixed-use development, and people have been receptive to the idea,” Vasbinder said. “There seems to be a demand for it.”

The mixed-use plans would be formally presented at the next public hearing on Feb. 17, Vasbinder said, and they could include retail stores on the ground floor with three floors of apartments above the stores.

The retail stores would likely be located on Fry and Hickory streets, with residential apartments facing Welch and Oak streets, he said.

Those plans, however, call for structures 60 feet tall, while buildings in the Fry Street area are limited to 45 feet, according to city officials.

Along with traffic and parking concerns, some residents expressed concern that the height of the new structure could dwarf historic homes on Oak and Hickory streets.

The public hearing was a welcome opportunity for those in the community vested in the Fry Street area to vent concerns, said Patrice Lyke, who leads the Denton Neighborhood Alliance, a consortium of neighborhood groups.

“People are concerned and wary, but it’s good to get it all out there,” Lyke said. “It was a chance to express their weariness.The developer certainly didn’t answer every question to the fullest extent, but I’m in the cautiously optimistic camp.”

Resident Bob Clifton was outspoken against “the ticky-tacky crap,” including chain restaurants he said he sees everywhere, and would like the development to keep local retailers that previously set up shop on Fry Street in mind.

“I’ve heard nothing about open space or ambiance. If you don’t understand that, you don’t understand Fry Street,” Clifton said.

In the meeting, Vasbinder said the development could bring about $600,000 in paid taxes to the city.

While Vasbinder said he’s spoken with Joe Normile and Gene Hartman — two business owners who have kept their property in the Fry Street area long after other buildings were bought by United Equities — there’s been no deal struck for those pieces of property, he said.

Neither owner attended the public meeting.

Mark Cunningham, the city’s planning and development director, said the meeting was important for the developer and community to build a relationship “so the developer is not shoving the plans down the community’s throat.”

Whether the developer listens to concerns of students and residents is yet to be seen, said Darlene Mullenweg, a resident of the nearby historic district.

“This is such a refreshing opportunity compared to what we had with United Equities. They are willing to listen, but it remains to be seen if they can do it,” she said.

CANDACE CARLISLE can be reached at 940-566-6889. Her e-mail address is ccarlisle@dentonrc.com .