Webb Theater restoration ramps up in downtown Gastonia

Initial projections of opening a new restaurant in the Webb Theater as early as October or this month proved unfeasible.

But when the eatery finally does serve its first meal in February or March, Nick LaVecchia believes it will be worth the wait.

“It’s going to be more dynamic than any project I’ve ever done,” said LaVecchia, who is redeveloping the historic theater in downtown Gastonia through a partnership with the city. “The bottom line is, even if it takes a little more time, it’s about getting it right.”

Gastonia leaders had wondered for years what to do with the city-owned Webb, which many people determined was too small to become financially viable again as a theater. But in May, City Council members approved a lease agreement to turn it into a quality restaurant along South Street.

Their comfort in arranging the deal with LaVecchia was bolstered by the fact that his family has been a part of successful restaurants that have opened in Charlotte and downtown Belmont. The latter connection has been critical in helping to guide Belmont’s Main Street resurgence, which Gastonia has looked at with envy.

Show-stopping restoration

Though the Webb Theater will be remodeled, many of its historic features will remain. Ensuring that led to delays before the first building permit was issued in November.

“There was at least a month’s worth of demolition to bring the building up to code,” said LaVecchia. “It’s a complicated project. There were just a whole lot of things we had to get prepped.”

A walk through the mostly empty shell now reveals the 5,000 square feet of space that LaVecchia has to play with.

Initial plans to call the restaurant Nick’s Prime Rib have been scrapped. It will instead be known as Nick’s Steak and Taphouse, in part because of a new emphasis on quality beverages.

“We’re still going to be specializing in prime rib, but we’ll also have an awful lot of steaks on the menu and an elaborate beer system in there,” said LaVecchia. “Especially craft beers and local beers that are real popular.”

The restaurant will be high-quality, but will offer a casual dining experience with reasonably priced lunch and dinner meals, he said.

LaVecchia said he plans to put seating on the balcony, and preserve the entire stage where children and adults relished watching movies years ago. He’s also considering having midnight movie showings on Friday and Saturday nights.

“We’re incorporating historical aspects of the Webb into the concept,” he said. “It’s going to be a neat and special place. Between you and I, it’s going to be way beyond any expectations I had initially.”

Responding to criticism

The city’s deal with LaVecchia will require him to make monthly payments that will end with him owning the building after 10 years, in exchange for the city providing a $700,000 start-up allowance.

The money will help get the restaurant off the ground and will come from three federal sources: a $492,800 U.S. Housing and Urban Development loan, $108,000 in stimulus money and a $99,200 grant. LaVecchia’s monthly payments will amount to $82,500 per year, and $825,000 by 2020.

LaVecchia has heard the criticism about the deal and his eventual ownership. But people forget he is also making a substantial investment, he said.

“The city is actually going to do well with this project,” he said. “They get paid everything back, plus some, and they also get the building off their hands and put to a good use.

“The longer it sits empty, the longer it’s a liability for the city.”

LaVecchia said he was attracted to make the commitment on his end because of Gastonia’s emphasis on revitalizing downtown. The city’s dedication to inject new life into the Main Avenue and South Street corridors is already showing progress. In the coming years, he expects more restaurants and retail businesses to come downtown, and for the Gastonia Conference Center to also aid those efforts.

“Urban infill” is a trend across the country for combating urban sprawl and drawing people back to historic shopping districts.

“I want to see Gastonia achieve what Belmont has,” he said. “It’s very challenging to revitalize a downtown and it might take five to six years. But it’s worth it.”

You can reach Michael Barrett at 704-869-1826.