Photo: Times Observer, by Josh Cotton. Tom Christeson spoke to the Warren City Council Monday about his Liberty Street projects, which may include two new restaurants and a hotel downtown.
A planned hotel on Liberty Street is to be expanded by six rooms.
But financing is not yet fully secured.
Tom Christeson presented an update on the project to the Warren City Council earlier this week.
He said the Wendleboe Hotel proposal had been changed from 14 to 20 rooms to secure the project’s cash flow.
“The original project simply didn’t work anymore,” he said.
Times Observer photo by Josh Cotton. Redevelopment plans for this former restaurant on Liberty Street in Warren include plans for a new restaurant.
Christeson said there is no timeline for the project at this time.
The use of part of the former Masonic building on Liberty Street will enable the expansion, which will also create two to three apartments.
“We are still in talks with the SBA (Small Business Administration) and Northwest Bank about the rest of the financing,” he said. “We currently have no commitment from either of them.”
Although he said he was confident that a letter would come, he admitted that the “Money is still a bit of a problem.”
Christeson’s company, Dewboi Properties, owns several buildings along the west side of Liberty Street and he gave the City Council positive news about the future of those properties.
The restoration work on the former brick house is “coming soon”, he said and informed the Council that he was in “final discussions with a tenant in this building.”
He said the lease should be completed by September.
“They will work with us as we complete the final build-out,” said Christeson.
Negotiations are currently underway over the former location of Jack’s Tap House “with the arrival of a restaurant at this location”, he added.
If these agreements are reached, Christeson said it would result in two new restaurants downtown.
“We are of course very interested in the progress you are making,” Mayor David Wortman called Liberty Street “a beautiful neighborhood returning to vibrant days.”
“We appreciate the time and effort you put in.”
