Changes Continue Downtown

A new restaurant, The City, has opened in the block-long building on East Front Street between Roosevelt and Westervelt avenues. The menu is an eclectic mix that matches the city's ever-broadening diversity of cultures.

Next door is a Papa John's pizzeria that opened recently. A bustle of construction at the east end of the building heralds more tenants for this site, which stands out for its distinctive new facade and unified signage.

Owner Steven Chung has also received preliminary site plan approval to erect a five-story building on a portion of the large parking lot at the rear. It will have stores at ground level and 80 age-restricted apartments on the top four stories. Chung was too busy to talk last week when reached by phone, but Plaintalker will try again to get an interview.

Meanwhile, Paramount Property Management, the company that acquired the Pittis Estate's 45 storefronts last year, has renovated many of them, but not all are leased. The company has changed its name to Paramount Assets. Some longtime business owners are still being forced to move as their old leases expire and Paramount triples the rent for renewal. New Paramount tenants include a carpet store on Park Avenue and a store selling electronics and music equipment on East Front Street.

The board of the Special Improvement District recognized numerous businesses and individuals on April 10 at the HeardOne Complex for their contributions to success of the downtown and South Avenue business districts. Unfortunately, the SID team has not yet received funding due from the special assessment for the fiscal year that ends June 30. The administration and City Council have promised a more timely process for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

--Bernice Paglia