The mayor wasn’t taking a shot at a local business when he declared during the question portion of his State of the City address “the Blind Pig Pub needs to go.”
Mayor Nolan Crouse acknowledges that the average listener might have found that statement provocative, but in an interview after the address, he clarified his comments. He said there’s no issue with the pub itself.
“It’s really a piece of property that has such high value that needs to be redeveloped,” Crouse said. “We want really a quality building there to be a gateway to downtown.”
He’s been in discussions with the landowner for a few years on this topic, he said.
Bob Gylytiuk and his brothers own the land where the pub sits and was in attendance at Wednesday’s State of the City address when Crouse made the comment in response to a question about the downtown area redevelopment plan (DARP).
“I had no problem with it,” Gylytiuk said. “I actually got a chuckle about it.”
In a written statement provided by Gylytiuk, he said he and his brothers are excited about the downtown area redevelopment plan and have owned the land since 2001.
Their investment partners are working with him and there have been discussions with the city about what the options might be for the corner lot.
“There are no definite plans at this time,” Gylytiuk said in the statement, adding that anyone with questions can call him at 780-818-5400.
