Construction is finally about to begin on the long-anticipated restaurant space within the Lowry Building in downtown St. Paul.

Madison Restaurant Group, the group that owns Public Kitchen and Bar and Handsome Hog and are part owners of Ox Cart Ale House, Fitzgerald’s and others, have filed permits for $1.25 million in renovations to the main-floor space, and company president Carol March says construction will begin as soon as the permits are granted.

The team has hired Donald Gonzalez, formerly chef at Forepaugh’s in St. Paul, to help develop a concept and run the kitchen. The team has also hired Aaron Johnson, co-owner of Strip Club Meat and Fish and formerly of Tria restaurant in North Oaks, to be the general manager.

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Documentary on women in the restaurant business now streaming March said the concept is under development, and that the company is still considering names for the restaurant, which will seat 122 guests. Once construction begins, the first-floor space could be open as soon as late spring or early summer. A 28-seat sidewalk patio will open along with the restaurant. A large rooftoop patio will eventually be built, but March wasn’t ready to offer a timeline for its completion.

Built in 1928, the 12-story hotel and apartment building has housed bars and restaurants throughout its history, but the main-floor space has been vacant since Horatio Hornblower’s, a popular watering hole, closed after a fire in 1982.

A lawsuit involving the space between Madison owner Jim Crockarell and restaurateur John Rupp recently was decided in Crockarell’s favor in the Minnesota Court of Appeals. Rupp’s various plans for remodeling the space and opening night clubs and/or restaurants have been floating around since 1996, according to the Pioneer Press archives.