Things are looking up for one downtown building. A new restaurant called Pie Hops is slated to open at 80 Broadway, where the former Cafe Otis was located.

Developer Sofia LeWitt says a new tenant has signed a lease for the property, just a couple of weeks after the renovation of the building earned distinction from state preservation officials.

Cafe Otis, so-named because the historic structure was the original home of the Otis Library, permanently closed earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It opened in March 2019 with a Mediterranean-influenced menu and decor, and quickly became a popular gathering spot to dine and chat.

Unfortunately, it became one of many economic victims of the spread of the virus and had to close.

Now, a new restaurant is scheduled to take its place. Plans are to make few changes to the building’s interior. Menu options are still being put together, but it will include pizza, flatbread sandwiches, and 16 taps offering different craft brews.

The news comes after the building’s renovation received a 2020 Connecticut Preservation Award. Officials at Preservation Connecticut noted that “turning a former municipal building into a vibrant cafe took determination and imagination. Paying homage to the building’s history made it a gathering spot like no other in the community.”

The LeWitt Group purchased the property in February 2018 from the city for $131,300. It had been the home of the city’s Human Services department, but cost cutting prompted the city to consolidate the offices to City Hall. Initial plans to have different food vendors share a common kitchen were abandoned in favor of a more traditional cafe due to the building’s configuration.

The city’s application to have Cafe Otis considered for a state preservation honor noted that the property owners “faced several challenges which made the historic restoration and reuse more difficult and costlier than expected,” including making the building compliant with handicapped-accessibility regulations. It also noted special attention was made to reflect the building’s characteristics when it was a library.

“It was a lot of hard work, but it came out really well,” LeWitt said.

News that the building will once again house a restaurant was welcomed by local officials. “Cafe Otis was a really vibrant addition to the downtown, and it’s nice to hear another vibrant business will take its place,” said City Planner Deanna Rhodes.

The new tenant, who did not yet want to be identified, hopes to open Pie Hops by Halloween.

Kevin Gorden lives in Norwich.