Nearly a year after a fire destroyed the Ocean View restaurant in Oak Bluffs, property owners are setting the stage for rebuilding.
This follows the August demolition of what remained after the blaze, along with promises made by property manager Charles Hajjar and restaurant owner Mike Santoro to rebuild the beloved restaurant.
The Ocean View will return to the 16 Chapman Ave. location, Hajjar confirmed in a call with The Times Tuesday.
Also in the plans are two additional stories slated exclusively for workforce housing. The building’s second and third floor will each consist of five one-bedroom apartments, which will be deed-restricted and available for rent at market rate upon completion, Hajjar said.
Because the building’s foundation escaped serious damage, the new building will have the same footprint and layout as before, but will feature a slightly lower capacity. The rebuilt eatery will have 148 seats.
Those plans are preliminary and subject to change, Hajjar said, and architects are “actively working on plans” with more detail.
The housing will be reserved for the Island’s general workforce, Hajjar said, emphasizing that the units will not be used for short-term rentals. “We’d much rather supply housing to [year-rounders] for years to come,” he said.
Late last month, architects for the proposed 16 Chapman Ave. building presented preliminary wastewater plans to the Oak Bluffs Wastewater Commission, the first of many hurdles to clear before construction and opening.
With no exact timeline yet, Hajjar said plans are to move the process along as expeditiously as possible.
