By Thane Grauel

WESTPORT — A high-end British furniture store is the first to take advantage of a recently approved zoning regulation that allows the retailer to occupy more than 10,000 square feet on Main Street.

The Planning and Zoning Commission in February adopted a text amendment to permit downtown businesses to expand beyond 10,000 square feet, the previous size limit.

The P&Z last week approved a special permit and site plan for OKA’s store at 44 Main St., where Klein’s did business for decades, and after that, Banana Republic. 

OKA “previously had a permit for a store just under 10,000 square feet, this is 44 Main St., the old Klein’s building,” architect Rick Hoag said. 

“Anyone who can remember that knows that Klein’s had all three floors as their store.”

“The tenant, because this is their flagship store … decided they would like to use the entire downstairs. So that is what we’re proposing here.”

Without the text amendment and special permit/site plan approval, the retailer would not have been able to use what had formerly been Banana Republic.

The tenant space will encompass a total of 13,871 square feet, Hoag said.

The space on Main Street is now empty, and it appears the walls and ceilings have been removed. Construction lights and a step ladder are visible from the sidewalk.

Hoag said a staircase would connect the Main Street level to the second floor, which would also be accessible from Elm Street.

“It’s nice to have another furniture purveyor on Main Street and I like how the space is being utilized,” said member Amie Tesler. “It’s good to see that the text amendment and the special permit process is all working in tandem, and we can maintain and bring in a great new retailer and increase business.”

“More tenant occupying space means we’re closer to being full in Westport,” said commission member Michael Cammeyer. 

The P&Z unanimously approved the application.

OKA is about two decades old.

“Our furniture and homewares prioritize beauty, comfort and style, but we choose items for their integrity, not because they fit a prescribed look,” according to the retailer’s website. Its merchandise is “ever-changing, but unwaveringly British; elegant and easy-going; sophisticated but never stiff.”

The name OKA is “a phonetic take on ochre, a color that nods to the East, yet feels innately British. A blend of cultures and aesthetics working in perfect harmony, which is at the heart of everything we do.”

There are 20 OKA locations in the United Kingdom, and two in Texas.