Downtown Plaza Bethel Station Restaurant Lease

The City of Gainesville is seeking a restaurant tenant for the historic Bethel Station located at the Bo Diddley Community Plaza at the intersection of SE 1^st Street and SE 1^st Avenue.  The property includes an approximately 404 sq. ft. building and outdoor seating under the front canopy, the back patio and the western patio adjacent to the building.  The current tenant's (The Lunchbox Café) lease is ending in December and the property is expected to be available for lease in January 2015.

Originally constructed as an automotive service station it was used as an RTS ticket office the CRA completed a historic rehabilitation and renovated it for restaurant use in 2010.  This prime location provides an influx of foot traffic throughout the day, evenings and weekends, particularly during the breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night peak periods and becomes a social center during concerts and special events downtown. 

The building will be provided to the tenant as a general commercial shell with exhaust hood, grease trap and bathroom facilities.  The tenant will be responsible for other equipment needed to operate the business and interior build out that may be required for specific business needs.  Expansions to the building footprint would not be feasible and historic elements must be preserved.

Beer and wine are permitted to be sold for consumption within the restaurant seating area.

The selected tenant will enter into a lease with the City of Gainesville for an initial term of three years with the option to renew. 

The CRA plans to renovate the north side of the Bo Diddley Community Plaza starting in Spring 2015 and the Bethel Station site will remain open during construction.  Renovations will include creating a signature wall announcing the Plaza, creation of a greenroom to enhance, constructing a new café building on the Northeast side of the Plaza, adding  an information kiosk and improving the paving and landscaping to support more events and activities at the Plaza.   The tenant selected will play an important role in the future success of the renovated Plaza. 

We are very excited to share this opportunity for a restaurant to play a vital role in Downtown Gainesville's culture!