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Date: 3/1/2023
WESTFIELD — After years of work, the Lambson Square building in Westfield is hoping to have its first tenant later this year in the form of Tribeca-Gastro Bar and Grill.
Tony Long of the newly formed Connecticut Valley Restaurant Group said that he hopes to have his restaurant’s grand opening in the historic Lambson Building as soon as this September, though he said that is on the earlier end of the possible range.
Long described Tribeca Gastro Bar and Grill as “gourmet comfort food and casual fine dining.”
“We will elevate that concept a little bit, especially on the menu size. It will feature things like premium charcuterie boards, and mostly sharable type plates but also some entree options,” said Long. “Whenever possible we want to use locally sourced products.”
Long chose Westfield as a location because he believes in the city’s revitalization, and believes that the owners of the Lambson Building are genuinely caring for the history of the structure. The Lambson Building was constructed 155 years ago, and owner Eugene Borowski has sought public funds to be used on restoring the building for modern use while maintaining its historic character.
“The property owners, these guys are laser-focused on getting the building complete. It is really one of the reasons we chose that location,” said Long.
He said they had sought to open their restaurant in the nearby space formerly occupied by Clemenza’s, but a deal couldn’t be struck with the building’s owners. Long said they were ready to give up when an article about the Borowski and the building appeared in The Westfield News, and they decided to try to pursue it.
Borowski purchased the building in 2019 for $275,000 after Bentley Billiards had remained vacant for nearly a decade. In December, he received $585,000 from the Massachusetts Underutilized Property Program, with most of the funds being put towards the installation of an elevator to serve the upper floors. The apartments on those levels are nearing completion, Borowski said.