Changes Coming to Former Paradigm Building

The site of a former Main Street boutique that closed early this year could soon be home to two new businesses.

According to a sign in the window of the former Paradigm building at 179 Main St., Lou Lou Accessories is coming to the property.

The popular jewelry boutique has locations throughout the area including , , Alexandria and DC.

The first store opened in Middleburg, VA, in 2004, according to the website. There are also Lou Lou Clothing Boutiques in Middleburg and , VA.

Calls and emails to the business for comment were not immediately returned. However, according to its website, the Annapolis location is opening in April 2012.

"We're excited to have them in Annapolis," said Lara Fritts, President & CEO of the Annapolis Economic Development Corporation (AEDC).

In addition, next month the city’s Board of Appeals will review a special exception request for a restaurant in the basement of the property.

According to Jacquelyn Rouse, city planning administrator, all restaurants downtown—except coffee shops—require special exception approval.

Rouse said via email that the planning commission recommended approval of the request at its Oct. 20 meeting. The Board of Appeals will now consider the request when it meets on Dec. 6.

“It is going to be in the basement so there will be another tenant on the first floor,” Rouse said via email of the proposed restaurant.

According to documents on the city’s website, the applicants in the request are Fox Boys, LLC, (Business Owner) and SPS Main, LLC, (property owner).

The proposal is for a restaurant in the basement of the building and “accessed [through] a new entrance at the northwest corner of the building facing Main Street.” According to the document, the restaurant would be called Fox Hole Tavern. The proposed business owners currently own Sly Fox Pub on Church Circle.

As noted in the Board of Appeal’s agenda, the request is to “establish a standard restaurant with alcoholic beverage services until 2 a.m. and live entertainment, property located at 179 Main [St.]” The documents also note that it would serve "brick-oven prepared shared plates."

“The basement has never been used for commercial purposes and will be renovated to meet building, fire and health code requirements. The rear of the building is adjacent to an alleyway off of Conduit Street,” city planning officials noted in the online documents.

"They're converting an area that's never been used ... into usable space," said Sean O'Neill, president of the Annapolis Business Association, noting that before the area had been used primarily for storage.

Fritts said the AEDC will soon have announcements about two other new downtown businesses.

Editor's Note: This article has been updated to clarify Jacquelyn Rouse's title city planning administrator.