Reader Ideas, Comments Sought for Rome Restaurant

A restaurant with a capacity for 275 people sits vacant at 30 Pompton Ave.

The property, vacant since 2010, is where the the Italian restaurant Rome used to serve food. Before that, Giambotta occupied the 8,400-square-foot space with two bars and liquor license. 

But now that space, next to the Pilgrim Diner at 82 Pompton Ave. and across fro Pilgrim Plaza, is for sale.

No progress appears to have been made to open a new eatery, as the sign for Rome is still up. Property owner Loopnet Realtors were unavailable for comment.

So this is where you come in, Verona and Cedar Grove community. The concept behind this column is we’ll present a vacant building and ask you to tell us what you think would be the best use of the vacant space.

Here's the fun part: Forget what zone it’s in. Ignore setback regulations, as well as dump lot coverage rules and all the other zoning jargon that puts most people to sleep.

Our bottom line: If you had your way, what would you like to see there? What would be the best use of the space for the community?

To make this work, this can’t be a one-sided conversation. We want to hear from you in our comments section. And, please, let us know if there’s a vacant space/building you know of as well we can feature in a future column. 

Send emails about vacant buildings or stores to Essex County Associate Regional Editor Jack Durschlag at jack.durschlag@patch.com.

About this column: Patch wants your help deciding what to do with vacant buildings around town. What's your ideal business to take over a vacant building. Let us know.