Thursday, Jul. 09, 2009

Belleville's Mascoutah Avenue cafe proposal may not be dead

BELLEVILLE -- An embattled cafe proposal may not be dead.

Michael Lieb and Angela Prosser, a couple who were rejected twice in their bid to turn the old tavern at 400 Mascoutah Avenue into a cafe, have separated.

But Lieb said that if he gets possession of the building -- something that's currently up in the air -- he'll go back to the city with the cafe proposal.

Prosser declined to comment Thursday.

Prosser and Lieb, who were purchasing the building through a bond for deed, needed permission from the city's Zoning Board of Appeals and City Council to open a business there because the land is zoned for residential use; the old tavern sat empty for more than a year, so the property reverted to that area's default residential zoning.

Prosser and Lieb originally had proposed a cyber cafe, but they said that residents then feared an Internet stop would become a late-night spot for rowdy teenagers or cyber perverts. So, Lieb and Prosser changed their proposal to just a cafe. They renovated a second-floor apartment, and until recently, Lieb said, Prosser and her daughter lived there.

Neighbors last year were split on what should be done with the building.

Opposed residents voice concerns including lack of parking, increased traffic and noise, and damage to property values. Some said No Where Saloon, which used to occupy that building, caused disruptions in the neighborhood, and they didn't want a new business to locate there.

Several of those in favor of the cafe said they worried that if it isn't allowed to locate there, the building will continue to sit vacant and deteriorate. Some worried about crime from a deteriorating building.