New London - The landmark that once housed a 1771 print shop and, more recently, two restaurants, is about to become a gathering place again.By the end of June, the Timothy Green building at 158 State St. will be home to State Street Grill, a restaurant serving up gourmet burgers, paninis, appetizers, specialty desserts and entertainment, said Tom Wilson, the owner of the incoming eatery.Also coming soon is Exchange Cafe on Bank Street, while two new restaurants have already opened: Two Wives, a pizzeria on Jay and Huntington streets and Red Lion Steakhouse on Golden Street.Wilson, who lives in Guilford, used to own Ceilis' Irish Pub in Guilford, now Auger's Irish Pub, which he sold in 2007.The atmosphere to be conjured will be a "good-time place with an old-time, traditional feel," said Wilson, who said he walked the streets of New London feeling out the city's needs and existing assets before he settled on the location.He hopes to serve the daily business crowd and casual diner at the bar on the first floor, now being refinished, and in the gallery on the second floor, where wormwood floorboards have been inlaid. A back room will be reserved for entertainment, he said.The restaurant known as Les Papillons closed about eight years ago, Wilson said. Before that, the building housed the Lorelei, he said.At the front of the building, set in the sidewalk, is a plaque commemorating the building's original function as a print shop that published "one of the colony's earliest newspapers.""It survived the city being burned during the Revolutionary War," the landlord, Jerry Beik, said. "It's really a one-of-a-kind property."Beik, who has owned the building for more than five years, said he was "picky" when searching for a tenant. He settled on Wilson, who was "the right fit" and has the experience to run a restaurant, he said. Together, they have sunk $200,000 into renovations and applications for building and other permits, he added.They've preserved the grand staircase that leads to the second-floor gallery, as well as the enormous bar inside the dark interior and tiny window panes overlooking State Street, Beik said."We worked with the historical society and town planners to make sure it was brought as close as possible to what it was," he said.p.daddona@theday.com