Restaurant, theater/cafe planned for East Liberty
-
The planned Odeon building in East Liberty
Share with others:
Kevin Sousa, chef and co-owner of Salt of the Earth in Garfield, will open a modern barbecue restaurant, Union Pig and Chicken, on North Highland Avenue in East Liberty.
His announcement, expected today, comes on the heels of another East Liberty development prize planned two blocks away, a state-of-the-art movie theater and cafe that will occupy the first two floors of a new building at the corner of Penn and Highland avenues.
The six-story Odeon Building, which will have office space on the upper floors, is a partnership between East Liberty Development Inc. and the commercial real estate brokerage Blasier Urban, which helped develop the Eastside retail center that includes Whole Foods.
"Our general approach to the core of East Liberty is as an entertainment district," said Nate Cunningham, ELDI director of real estate. He sees the Odeon Building, a ground-up construction that is scheduled for occupancy in the fall of 2013, as the anchor to this entertainment district.
"The first floor will house five [movie theater] screens and a cafe, and the second will offer a more elaborate restaurant, a full bar and luxury-style seating," said Molly Blasier, president of Blasier Urban. "The top four floors of the building will be office space."
The theater, designed by JKR Partners in Philadelphia and run by Spotlight Theaters, will feature all-digital projection. "Auditoriums can be programed for any sort of event from corporate meetings to internal office presentations to parties," she said.
The downstairs eatery will serve standard movie theater concession food, as well as pre-prepared take-out foods such as wraps. Upstairs, The Odeon Cafe, a more elaborate restaurant, will offer table service and a tapas-style menu, as well as a full-service bar. Andrew Moss of Moss Architects, located just a block away on Penn Avenue, is designing the restaurant, which will be open to the general public.
First Published October 6, 2011 12:00 am
