HUNTSVILLE, Alabama – Don't expect The Original Public House on South Parkway to be much like the "dark and dank" Finnegan's Pub that once operated there.

General Manager Missy Davis said they are taking a modern look at the Irish bar concept by offering high-quality Irish and southern food, a gastropub theme and large selection of craft beer, wine and cocktails.

Finnegan's, a 36-year-old Irish pub on 3310 Memorial Parkway S.W., closed last summer. The iconic Huntsville bar was owned by Canadian resident Nancy Moore, who inherited the property from her sister and Finnegan's founder, Ellen McAnelly.

The 3,500-square-foot Finnegan's building has been completely gutted and windows have been added to bring in more natural light. Davis said there were only 12 lights in the pub before Finnegan's closed – now there are 66.

"It's going to be significantly different from the old Finnegan's, which was dark and dank," she said. "The newer Irish pub concepts are much more contemporary and that's where we're going. It's going to be brighter."

Conversations about what to do with the former Finnegan's space began in November 2013 and got serious around Thanksgiving. The building, which will hold 99 people, needs insulation, sheet rock and new floors before officials can move in equipment and train employees.

An exact opening date has not been announced, but Davis feels confident The Original Public House will be ready to launch in the coming weeks. The eatery and pub will be open from 3 p.m. to midnight and employ at least 20 workers.

Head chef Sean Kane, who most recently worked at Commerce Kitchen, said the food will range from $6 to $20 in price. The restaurant will offer a variety of Irish favorites, as well as burgers, wings and typical pub fare at a lower price point, Kane said.

The Original Public House will also be gluten-free friendly and operate a special fryer to accommodate customers with gluten sensitivities.

"We're grinding our own meat, stuffing our own sausages," Kane said. "Everything we can possibly do by hand, we're going to do by hand."

Head bartender Sarah Luckie said The Original Public House will provide 12 craft beer taps, cocktails with homemade syrups and bitters, a small wine list and alcohol pairings with food.

There will be plugs and USB ports at the bar and throughout the restaurant so customers can do school or business work, charge their electronic devices, watch movies or catch up on social media. The eatery will also offer four TVs and two monitors that show where a customer's order is in line.

"This is the perfect storm of having the right people together and wanting to do something that's different," Davis said. "This is going to be a place where everybody's comfortable, from the people who normally go downtown and eat to the people who go down the street."

Send Lucy Berry an email at lberry@al.com.