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Though the corner of North Leroux Street and West Aspen Avenue has been vacant since Maloney’s Tavern departed the space in 2017, plans for a new concept have been in the works for quite some time.

The replacement for La Vetta Ristorante Italiano came to fruition in December 2021 as Atria opened its doors at 103 N. Leroux St. under the direction of chef Rochelle Daniel -- just as was teased on the posters in the windows of the building in early 2020. Atria has since earned local, statewide and national recognition, winning Best of Flag honors for Fine Dining, while Daniel was a 2022 James Beard semifinalist for Emerging Chef and earned Top Chef at the Arizona Restaurant Association’s 2023 Foodist Awards.

Though the restaurant space at 101 N. Leroux St. has remained vacant, it will soon be under the direction of the award-winning chef as well. While the two other originally planned concepts, a steakhouse and a pub, have not become a reality as Atria has, building owner Barry Levitan explained that may finally change this year.

“COVID put a damper on those plans. When we were able to proceed, it was more timely and expeditious to convert La Vetta into her signature restaurant,� Levitan said of Daniel’s three planned restaurants. “Not as much square footage, not as many tables and seats, but with the open kitchen, the flame, the wood-burning cooking that she is renowned for.�

As the price tag for the original plans surpassed expectations -- two to three times more, according to Levitan -- discussions have continued on alternative options that should begin to move forward in the near future. Levitan said plans include a bakery downstairs, assisting with Atria’s baking goods such as breads and desserts, while also contributing to a new restaurant that would serve as something of a grab-and-go for mornings.

From there, the concept would continue to serve lunch and dinner while potentially closing to customers for a brief period of the day. Should costs allow, a space for private dining and a bar may be included as well.

“I’m just hoping we can develop the basement without it being prohibitively costly,� Levitan said. “It’s a really cool basement. Those old buildings have a lot of character, or they do when you open up the walls and see what was originally built.�

Hoping to have plans back to the city within a few weeks, Levitan noted the initial plans are now many years old and new building codes may lead to some new expenses. Some of the work to restore the building has been conducted over the past few years, leading to the four addresses that share the space being added to Flagstaff Register of Historic Places.

In early January, the Flagstaff City Council unanimously adopted a resolution to add the building to the registry. Modifications made between 1963 and 1984 effectively disqualified it from being included within the Railroad Addition Historic District but were removed as Levitan restored the Spanish Colonial architectural style and allowed it to be eligible for listing on the historical registry.

Levitan Investment Properties and Services owns some of the longest-standing residences in Flagstaff, including the Brannen Home built in 1882 and the St. Anne Apartments building in 1892 in addition to the Kinlani Apartments above the former Maloney’s. As such, Levitan expressed a long-standing appreciation for older properties.

“I've always enjoyed old buildings. Growing up, I worked at my uncle's building in downtown Manhattan, a 32-story building, one of the first that were built there,� Levitan said. “There's just so much cool stuff in older buildings, it's vibrant, it's got character.�

Should everything go to plan, Levitan added that he hopes visitors and residents would be able to enjoy the Great Pinecone Drop through the building’s windows looking out to West Aspen Avenue on New Year’s Eve at the end of this year.