Times Observer photo by Josh Cotton Redevelopment plans for this former restaurant on Liberty St. in Warren include plans for a new establishment. “(There are) several people interested in opening a restaurant there,” developer Tom Christeson said during Wednesday’s Redevelopment Authority meeting.

The redevelopment of several buildings along Liberty St. in Warren was the focus of Wednesday’s Redevelopment Authority meeting.

Tom Christeson and his firm, Dewboi Properties, own several buildings along the west side of the street, one of which is the location for a proposed downtown hotel.

First up was an update on the former Brick House.

“We’re still working on it,” Christeson said, noting that they are “about 95 percent done with the interior demo.”

He said part of the back roof was rebuilt but that a rainstorm about a month ago collapsed part of the main roof. He added that drawings are done and that crews are “rebuilding that roof as we speak.

“That’s coming along pretty good,” he said.

What’s the future of the former Brick House?

Christeson said they haven’t decided but noted that the goal is to “get it rent-ready and try to get somebody in there.”

The former Jack’s Tap House was awarded a city facade grant and he said that work is expected to start Aug. 5.

“(There are) several people interested in opening a restaurant there,” he said.

The former Masonic Hall adjacent to that building is a “little bit behind” due to some design conversations that are ongoing.

“We’re moving along,” he said. “We’ve been some work inside the Masonic (hall and) put together a plan of what we’re going to do with that for the long term.”

Authority member Douglas Hearn asked about the square footage that will eventually be available in the Brick House.

Christeson said the “street level retail space” is around 4,000 square feet with an additional 1,500 of usable space in the rear of the building.

He added that there’s another 4,000 upstairs “that will be apartments. We just haven’t got that drawn and haven’t started that process yet.”