This story includes the following corrections: Selig Enterprises is building a townhome development on land adjacent to Manuel’s Tavern. The company is also sole owner of the land.
Work on a new residential space next to Manuel’s Tavern is underway in the Poncey-Highland area.
Atlanta-based real estate developer Selig Enterprises began work last week on 16 townhomes. Further details on the development have not been released.
“Worked very closely with neighborhood associations so that it would be favorable by the neighborhood,” Selig marketing director Elizabeth Hagin told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Selig purchased the land, including the site of the existing Manuel's Tavern in 2015, when the popular bar needed a series of upgrades. The bar closed for six months as crews worked to complete renovations, which included wiring, HVAC and plumbing updates, in time for a July 2016 reopening. Developer Green Street Properties consulted with Selig on the tavern upgrades, but will not be involved with the townhome development.
Named after DeKalb County's longtime CEO Manuel Maloof, the tavern opened nearly 63 years ago and has long been a popular spot for nearby residents and politicians. The Maloof family still owns the tavern.
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“The price for doing all the necessary renovation work was into the millions and we did not have that kind of money,” the family said in a lengthy Facebook statement posted May 3 addressing the ongoing construction.
That’s when the family decided to sell the property to a developer that would make the necessary changes.
Recent construction plans have also forced the business to dramatically reduce its free parking for patrons. Losing the lot, located on Williams Mill Road, reduced parking by 30%, owners said in the Facebook post, however, a parking study found that 22% of the cars using the lot did not belong to Manuel’s Tavern customers.
“The studies confirmed what we knew all along. All these years, we have been a convenient place for folks going elsewhere in the neighborhood,” the post said. “And while we don’t regret that old practice, we simply cannot afford to continue it. “We have discussed all this with Selig which, given its experience in the parking business, discussed various means to maximize parking for Manuel’s customers,” the owners said.
Read the full Facebook post here:
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