Discussions will continue between the Lower Mills Civic Association and developers proposing 57 condominiums and two ground floor retail spaces for a stretch of Washington Street now occupied by the former Molloy Funeral parlor.

At a full meeting, around 60 attendees pushed back on some new renderings for the pitched four-story building along 1120-1132 Washington St. The new design found inspiration in elements from the Baker Chocolate Factory facades and tried to incorporate suggestions from earlier meetings like a mansard roof and increased complexity along the front. But objections from civic members centered around preserving some element of the 18th-century funeral home.

John Rogers, who represents developer City Point Center, LLC, used a long baseball game as a metaphor for the process, saying it is important “to continue the process to get it right, to make sure your voice is heard.”

He identified several earlier objections to the project and the steps they have taken to address them. On the trash and recycling front, the bins will be in enclosed in the basement except during removal, which will happen simultaneously once or twice a week through coordination with onsite maintenance.

As to the ask that there be “a good faith effort to preserve the existing structure,” Rogers read from an engineer’s report on the Molloy building and the two other older buildings on the lot that are in similar condition.

“The entire building structure will need various levels of rehabilitation,” he read.

The report painted a bleak picture of long-term decay, insect damage, stress, and water damage to existing support structures within the building. Larger replacement beams might not be feasible due to “geometric constraints,” he said.

There is a “likelihood that necessary upgrades would significantly cost more than construction of a new replacement structure in compliance with code, and in many cases not even geometrically possible,” Rogers read.

Gary Tondorfdick, a resident and architect, suggested that the developers consult with a preservation-oriented engineer, who would prioritize ways to maintain the building rather than look for reasons to tear it down.

“You can’t build that house today,” he said. “To lose it is a significant detriment to this whole section of Lower Mills.” He said its absence would have the effect of “missing teeth,” and is likely not even necessary.

Though the building may be in rough shape, Tondorfdick said the virgin-wood construction is resilient.

“That house isn’t going anywhere,” he said. “These houses will be around much longer than anything we build today.”

Many simply did not care for the renderings shown at the meeting, asking for the developers to take cues from the Bolling Building in Roxbury and other construction that pulled from the facade of the existing structures.

“That design does not add anything to the urban streetscape,” said Lower Mills civic executive board member Linda Lewi. She described it as looking like “an abandoned office” and also objected to the renovation assessment.

“Don’t insult my intelligence with make-believe stuff about ‘one cannot renovate that building,’” she said. “In Greece if they said that there would be no Greek temples. It makes it hard to believe you’re acting in good faith.”

Anxiety about traffic continues to haunt this project. Rogers said they plan for 70 on-site parking spaces and are open to limiting the number of vehicles per condominium unit. Car sharing is a possibility, he said, and they plan to designate at least one commercial parking space for a ZipCar. They would restrict a turn off of Washington Street as neighbors suggested.

“Any redevelopment, I feel, should be contingent upon improving traffic operations that exist already,” Rogers said.

The Impact Advisory Group has not yet seen the engineering report, civic association President Michael Skillin said, noting that he heard civic members throughout the meeting clearly when they said “you need to work on the design.”

“At least they came out,” Skillin said at the meeting’s close, thanking the team for recently coming along with the Boston Transportation Department to assess the busy stretch of road. “At least they listened. But before the 57 units come in we need to fix what’s there now.”

There was the usual round of objection to the scale of the project. Some said that number of condos and the associated traffic is just unacceptable. But most of the clamor surrounded the look of the building itself.

If they tweak the design, and try to save or incorporate the Molloy property, one 25-year resident said, it would go a long way toward mollifying the residents.

“You lose a unit or two but gain community support,” she said. “Just come back with something that shows that you’ve heard us.”

There will be another abutters’ meeting, another Impact Advisory Group Meeting, and the civic group will meet in November just before Thanksgiving to discuss again.