DeKalb city leaders again have given the developer behind plans to refurbish the long-vacant former St. Mary’s Hospital building into apartments more time.

At a recent public meeting, the City Council decided in a pair of 8-0 votes to postpone a measure to repeal a zoning map amendment previously extended to Jon Sauser, the owner of the vacant property at 145 Fisk Ave.

The council’s action is meant to provide additional time for Sauser to fulfill his obligation to the city.

Plans to convert the 103-year-old building into apartments have been met by repeated delays over the years.

But in September, the city found that the owner had resolved several matters, including the payment of all outstanding property maintenance fines, the replacement of missing or delaminating plywood panels that covered the exterior windows and doors to secure the building, and submittals of lighting and landscape plans, city documents show.

At the council’s meeting in September, Sauser requested additional time to present a final engineering plan to the city. At that time, the owner was given until the end of October.

City Manager Bill Nicklas noted that there’s been a change in the engineering consulting firm that Sauser is using.

“They’re trying to get up to speed, and at this time of the year, they’re finishing up a lot of plans for a lot of people at the end of the construction season,” Nicklas said.

Nicklas said he is familiar with the work of the property owner’s engineering consultant, and he believes Sauser needs more time.

“He’s [spent] a long time in serving this area in various consulting firms,” Nicklas said.

With the city’s recent action, the matter of repealing a zoning map amendment for the former St. Mary’s Hospital property was tabled until the council’s Dec. 8 meeting.