Issuance of permit next step

MOSES LAKE — The construction plans for a remodeling of the Mighty Quinn building have been turned in and now work can start on bringing the restaurant back to life.

"I fully expect that we will get this done as fast as we can," Mighty Quinn co-owner Brian Rosborough said.

Gilbert Alvarado, the city's community development director, said the city is reviewing the construction plans for the restaurant. The next step is the possibility of issuing a permit, which will probably come in the next 10 days.

The permit would allow the owners of the Mighty Quinn to start the rebuilding of the restaurant's interior, gutted by a fire in 2001.

The construction plans came just a few days before the Jan. 31 deadline set by the city. If the construction plans were not in by that date, the city would have worked towards demolishing the building.

"We are glad the plans are in," Alvarado said. "Now the expectation is for Rosborough to follow through with it."

Rosborough said that the plans were turned in to the city as quickly as possible. Bids are out on the different areas of the restaurant that need to be remodeled, he said. These include a new heating and air conditioning systems. For now, they are just waiting on the permit.

Once the permit is issued, the owners have 180 days to start their work. Alvarado has already said the city will not wait that long. It took three years for the city to be handed construction plans, he added, and it is time to see some action.

Given that the structure of the building was not damaged greatly by the fire, the reconstruction should not be that difficult, Alvarado said.

After the fire, the building became a concern for the city as years went by and the building sat unused in the middle of downtown, all while the city itself was promoting downtown renovation and revitalization.

"After a year we started getting calls from people who are part of the downtown revitalization," Alvarado said. The calls were asking the city what kind of message it was sending to have a boarded up, empty building in the middle of downtown.

Now with construction plans in, the ghost of the wrecking ball has been vanquished, at least for now .

"It's been three years in the making," Alvarado said. "Time for the work to start."