East African restaurant Baobab Fare, a Hatch Detroit winner, has signed on to take over the corner space in the redeveloped Woodward Grand building in Detroit's New Center.

Neighborhood cafe Wilda's signed a lease for the same spot, at Woodward Avenue and East Grand Boulevard, nearly two years ago but recently lost it due to lack of funding.

Baobab Fare signed a five-year lease Thursday with building owner Midtown Detroit Inc., Hamissi Mamba said. He co-founded the restaurant, juice bar and market concept with wife and chef Nadia Nijimbere.

Wilda's had finished designs and was ready to start build-out, said Lucy Peters, a Wilda's co-owner and one of the minds behind Rose's Fine Foods on Detroit's east side. But the cost and timeline became infeasible after the owners disagreed with an investor and ended their relationship in January.

The project is "sort of conveniently on hold" — conveniently because Peters is pregnant, but she said the main team members (Sopheana Duch, Peters and brothers and chefs Max and Eli Sussman) are still open to real estate opportunities.

"That space was great, and we're sad to lose it," Peters said.

A request for comment was left with Midtown Detroit Inc. Executive Director Sue Mosey.

Now the 120-year-old Woodward Grand building will be home to a different kind of cafe, this one started by two immigrants from Burundi.