New details about the renovation of Manuel's Tavern reveal that developer Green Street Properties plans to build a six-story structure in the parking area adjacent to the Poncey-Highland watering hole.
The new building will include parking, retail space and 71 multi-family rental units.
At a press conference Tuesday morning Green Street president Katharine Kelley reassured Manuel’s fans that “the tavern’s not going anywhere,” and said her company is actually looking to put the property on the list of historic places.
Green Street, which bought the 108-year-old building from the Maloof family — but not the business — should finish the construction in 2017.
The structure will include parking, retail and 95,000 square feet of residential space.
Manuel’s will also partition the north section of the building off. That area, called the North Avenue room and the Lower Level dining room, will become retail space for separate businesses.
Brian Maloof, owner of Manuel’s, said losing the North Avenue section would take about 2,000 square feet off the restaurant’s 9,600 square-foot footprint. He said the loss of seating in that area would be partly compensated by the addition of outdoor seating, and new seating in areas that will become usable as a result of the renovation.
Total seating would drop from 365 to 340. The renovation is to begin when the restaurant closes Dec. 27, annd should be complete in “three and a half to four months.”
Maloof, owner of the business and the youngest son of namesake Manuel Maloof, said the parking area on the east side of North Highland Avenue would continue to be used for Manuel’s parking and that there will be dedicated free parking slots for the tavern in the new deck below the mixed-use structure.
