Even the best laid plans sometimes fail to materialize and, after seven months of custom construction work on a historic building at Nelson Corners, the expected reopening of the popular restaurant Circa last week was announced to be not moving forward.
“This is both unexpected and an unfortunate turn of events with Circa,” said Nancy Demyttenaere, owner of the building at 3258 Route 20 East, who was going to lease the space to Circa owner Alicyn Hart. “We were down to the final finishes and looking to have it open by early May. Unfortunately, since this is a mixed use building, i.e. commercial and residential, there were some lease terms governing the general work/living environment which Circa wouldn’t support and they stepped away. We negotiated hard for a month to find adequate language and balance their demands with our needs, but in the end, they chose to find new opportunities elsewhere,” Demyttenaere said.
“We just in the end had different visions,” said Hart, whose original restaurant at 76 Albany St. closed in 2014 due to rising rent costs. “It was clear it just felt like it would not be a good, compatible relationship. I have nothing bad to say of the experience and I am remorseful that I won’t be a part of what’s building in Nelson. It just did not seem compatible in the end for the long term.”
Hart and Demyttenaere announced last October their collaboration to bring Circa to the ground floor of the 150-year-old Federal style building on the corner of Route 20 and Erieville Road. Its 1,100 square feet of space was planned to retain the original Circa feel and look, with an open kitchen, counter seating, lots of natural light and about 10 tables/40 seats.
Starting last August, contractors completely gutted the interior of the historic building and stripped it down to the bare bones. They re-laid the floor, heightened the ceiling and create the basic infrastructure needed for a commercial building. Both Hart and Demyttenaere agreed they want to retain the original Circa feel while also honoring the historic character of the building.
The restaurant was set to be the fourth business planning to locate at Nelson Corners, where Demyttenaere owns a second building that currently houses Peaks Coffee Co., Humble Harvest Brewing Company nanobrewery and, in 2017, Naughty Nancy’s Cigar Shop.
Hart said the collaboration between her and Demyttenaere came apart recently right before the restaurant kitchen was installed when “all parties involved” took a hard look at the plan and decided it was not best to move forward.
“The Nelson Corners project is great … it’s a great opportunity for someone down there, but in the end, I just couldn’t agree to all the terms,” Hart said. She said she will continue looking for a new home for her restaurant. “I look forward to the next opportunity. I intend to move forward in the direction of my dreams.”
Demyttenaere agreed that while this setback is disappointing, it is not the end of her own project.
“The efforts to advance new collaborative businesses at Nelson Corners continues and we have a number of people who are ready to take the space over as soon as it’s finished,” Demyttenaere said. “So, stay tuned and watch the horizon for more good things to come. I think everyone will be very pleased once they get over this initial shock.”
More information about Circa-New American Bistro and Nelson Corners can be found on Facebook by searching for their respective names.
