Vic Christopher and Heather LaVine, the couple who established the Lucas Confectionery wine bar and The Grocery, will reopen The Tavern, once a popular restaurant and downtown hangout for politicians for much of the 20th century, sometime before the end of the year.

It and The Grocery share the first floor of what is known as the Clark House, a four-story brick building that dates from 1876, on Broadway between Second and Third streets. Christopher and LaVine performed extensive structural work, shoring up brick walls and rebuilding floors, before opening The Grocery last year. The rear of the Clark House is connected to the back of the building at 12 Second St. that houses Lucas Confectionery by a year-round patio with a retractable glass roof.

LaVine and Christopher are preserving some of the original elements of the restaurant, including a section of the tile floor that spells out “The Tavern.” The restaurant operated for six decades, from 1933 to 1993.

As they did in the Lucas Confectionery, the couple have salvaged and preserved pieces of old Troy. The marble bar top, for example, was reclaimed from a former Troy soda fountain. They’re also asking the public to share their memories of The Tavern online at http://facebook.com/TheTavernRestaurant.