VCU buys hookah lounge property amid recent string of purchases
The building, which is located on 813 W. Grace St., first went on the market after closing in August. The university purchased the building and plans to demolish it using funding from a $15 million bond package approved last year, according to Richmond BizSense. Photo by Ana Garvin
The VCU Real Estate Foundation purchased the property that formerly housed the Sahara Restaurant and Hookah Lounge after it was on the market for more than five months.
The property was sold for $2.5 million on Jan. 21 according to Michael Porter, associate vice president for public affairs.
The building, which is located on 813 W. Grace St., first went on the market after closing in August. The university purchased the building and plans to demolish it using funding from a $15 million bond package approved last year, according to Richmond BizSense.
Sahara’s location on VCU’s Monroe Park Campus has posed issues for the business in the past.
Zuhir Idlbi, the owner of the restaurant, sued the university in 2012 for “damages caused by construction workers, lost profits from blocked off street parking and alleyways being blocked from trash collection and delivery trucks” due to surrounding construction projects, according to a report by VCU InSight. However, the case was voluntarily dismissed
According to Richmond BizSense, VCU first tried to buy the property in 2012 but were turned away by Idlbi.
Porter said the space will be used as a temporary outdoor gathering place for students following the building’s demolition. Porter said there is no permanent purpose decided for the space at this time.
The acquisition comes after a line of new buildings being bought up by VCU. Some have also been through the issued bond package, including the Fourth Street Media General building earlier this month and the Commonwealth Cancer Institute in 2013.
The university has also begun construction of the new Institute for Contemporary Art at the intersection of Broad and Belvidere.
Megan Corsano, Contributing Writer
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