Salsaria’s construction making progress

Construction continues at 146 E. Chicago Blvd., which will be the location of the new Salsaria’s restaurant, due to be completed late this year. Kirk Valentine, owner of Sphere Project Management, is leading the construction.This will be the second location for the restaurant. The original Salsaria’s is located at 1416 S. Main St. in Adrian. Brad Raymond, Tecumseh Building Services Director, says construction is proceeding smoothly. “They’re in the framing stages, basically,” Raymond stated. “I just did a rough frame inspection. They have a few small changes to make, and then they’re going to be installing insulation and drywall.” After the drywall and insulation is finished, Raymond states that the crew will begin installing the key furnishings and mechanical functions of the restaurant. “They will start putting in and installing all the equipment, including the kitchen equipment, the bathrooms, the duct work and the heating,” Raymond stated. Multiple renovations are part of the extensive project. Some of the upgrades include an outdoor seating area, an expanded kitchen, men’s and women’s barrier-free restrooms, a service station, and a mechanical room center. Salsaria’s was successfully approved for a liquor license in the spring of 2013, and alcoholic beverages will be served at the Tecumseh location to go along with the authentic Mexican food the restaurant is known for. As a result, the Tecumseh location will have a bar, with an exposed brick wall that was originally part of the old Ivy Gallery and Frame Shop. “They’re going to begin putting in the bar soon as well. They’re just going to move along,” Raymond said. Construction on Salsaria’s was originally halted in place when chemical contamination was found on-site by workers in the soil and groundwater during early spring. Paula Holtz, Economic Development Director for the City of Tecumseh successfully applied and obtained a $390,000 Brownfield Redevelopment Grant to clean up the site. The grant was given by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). Clean up was completed in March of this year, and construction resumed soon after. “I don’t foresee anymore barriers,” Raymond said. “It’s just a matter of doing the construction and getting it done.”