By Matt Murphy, mmurphy@lowellsun.com
LOWELL -- Get ready to wash down that quesadilla with a frothy pint of Guinness.
The newest restaurant set to come to Lowell will be an Irish-Mexican fusion venture from the owners of two North Shore Irish pubs.
Garcia Brogan's, as the restaurant will be called, has agreed to a long-term lease with the city, making it the first tenant at the Edward J. Early Parking Garage on Middlesex Street.
The restaurateurs involved in the new project also own O'Neill's pub in Salem and Hugh O'Neill's in Malden.
"From the beginning, the building was designed with a focus on attracting a quality anchor restaurant, so we're thrilled," said Adam Baacke, assistant city manager for planning and development.
No, the menu will likely not feature corned-beef tacos. Instead, Baacke said Garcia Brogan's will offer mostly Mexican cuisine with an Irish-pub atmosphere serving up more Guinness on tap than Corona.
"It's a model that has been very successful in other locations," Baacke said.
The city also has signed a letter of intent with a second restaurant to move into the bottom floor of the garage and will begin negotiating a lease. Officials would only say the plan is for a Brazilian steakhouse with possibly a Brazilian cultural gift shop adjacent to the eatery.
"Once one tenant moves into that garage, it will be a domino effect," Mayor Edward "Bud" Caulfield said.
The five-year lease negotiated for the city by the commercial real-estate firm EdgeGroup Inc. calls for Garcia Brogan's to occupy 5,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space at the western corner of the garage. The 900-space parking facility has 17,000 square feet of vacant retail space at the heart of the city's Hamilton Canal District redevelopment project.
The lease also will include a second five-year option clause.
"We're starting to see some fruits from our labor," said City Councilor James Milinazzo, chairman of the council's economic development subcommittee.
The lease must still be approved by the City Council and is scheduled to come up for a vote at the Aug. 26 meeting.
This story appeared in the Lowell Sun on Thursday, August 14, 2008