Sokol Bardhi, owner of West Napoli Caf鬠hopes to build six apartments at 1946-1950 Centre St. above the building that houses his restaurant, Michael Absi Jewelers and Crystal Cleaners.

Since he last met with the community, Bardhi has found additional parking spots and gained support from several residents who welcome the addition to the neighborhood.

However, most of those who opposed the project during the community meeting held Tuesday, Jan. 17, are abutters who said the building would be too large and block the view of existing businesses.

Bardhi told people that he was able to secure and additional 12 parking spaces and the lease would require his tenants to park in those spaces.

Attorney Anne Lynch of Lynch Associates Inc., said Bardhi secured three parking spaces at the Reliable Trading Post on Park Street and another nine parking spaces at 36 Spring St., where MHQ, a police supply store, is located.

"We just entered into an agreement to acquire nine more spaces down the street, giving us 12 parking spaces total," Lynch said. "We signed the lease yesterday. ... It?s a 10-year lease."

Bardhi said his plan is for his family to live in one apartment and for another family member to live in a second unit. He plans to market the remaining apartments to people who work in West Roxbury, preferably to people who don?t have cars, because he said there is a shortage of parking on Centre Street.

Ana Impellizeri, architect for the project and a former member of the Design Committee for West Roxbury Main Streets, said the six apartment units would be two- or three-bedroom units, fully equipped with a washer/dryer, a heating system and garbage disposal.

Impellizeri said the unit above Michael Absi Jewelers would be a smaller two-bedroom apartment. The other units would be slightly larger, following the footprint of the commercial spaces below.

The lower half of the building will be made of stone. The upper half would be brick. She said the front of the caf頷ould also be renovated.

"The design will follow in terms of the floor plan layout of the building," Impellizeri said. "He can do the building as-of-right and we had the variances we thought we had, which was parking. ... This has been pre-reviewed by the city and we?re just presenting it to the community right now."

Abutters addressed concern about the height of the building.

The Suzuki Institute of Boston, a school that teaches violin to children, has occupied the adjacent building since 1985. Don Becker, director of the institute, said he fears the proposed structure will block half of the school?s windows.

"The issue is, it?s going to ruin the use of the business next door by ruining 50 percent of its windows," Becker said. "If it was a benign thing that?s not going to hurt anybody, that?s one thing. ... It?s taking away from a pre-existing structure."

Joe Toffoloni, whose wife Maria owns the Kids R Kids toy store at 1952 Centre St., said the proposed building would obstruct his wife?s business as well.

"If you build cheek-to-cheek, that?s what?s going to happen," Toffoloni said. "The issue is this side and the front side, that?s going to be impacted when this goes up."

Residents were divided on the proposal.

"There?s one really great part to this ... that the owner of the pizzeria wants to live right there," said resident Keith Davison. "There?s a really terrible thing too - this building is too big. It comes up against the sidewalk too high."

Delane Anderson Jr. of West Roxbury commended the design as well as Bardhi, who has owned the West Napoli Cafe in West Roxbury for six years.

"It?s a beautiful design," he said. "Centre Street has really been coming along. This would tie in with the public library. ... This is a wonderful man and we want him to stay here."

Bardhi will meet with the Zoning Board of Appeals on Tuesday, Feb. 7. Mark Molloy of Lynch Associates Inc. said another community meeting will be scheduled before that hearing.