Where’s that new Luxe Burger Bar that’s supposed to open at the old visitor’s center on West Columbus Avenue?
That’s the question Bill Dusty of the Springfield Intruder poses, yet again. Dusty’s been tracking the stalled opening of the restaurant from some time now. A company called Lustra LLC—headed by former City Councilor Raipher Pellegrino—was awarded preferred-developer status for the site by the city in late 2011 but apparently has done little to move the project along.
In May of 2012, Dusty notes, Pellegrino told the Republican that Lustra planned to begin construction that summer, with the restaurant due to open that fall. But as photos on the Intruder show, the place remains vacant. Given the visitors center’s proximity to the proposed casino sites, Dusty posits that “Pellegrino’s group is simply sitting on the property as the casino issue plays out in the city.”
In February, a representative of the company told the Republican’s Jack Flynn that construction at the site was to begin that month, with an opening in “early spring.”
In other news, a prayer vigil for the victims of yesterday’s bombings at the Boston Marathon will be held tonight at 6 p.m. at Foster Memorial Church, 1791 Wilbraham Rd. Mayor Domenic Sarno, who today released a statement a sympathy for those affected, will attend.
