The city agency that oversees the Northland Workforce Training Center received 10 proposals last week from restaurateurs interested in taking over the space briefly occupied by soul-food eatery Gigi's.
The revived Gigi's – relaunched by Darryl Harvin, son of longtime owner Blondine Harvin – opened to great fanfare but closed in mid-March after just a couple of weeks in business because Harvin and his staff were overwhelmed by the crowds and customer demand.
BUDC issued a new request-for-proposals in early April to nearly 100 individuals, with a deadline of May 1. Over 70 people expressed interest initially, and more than 30 people attended an informational meeting.
All 10 proposals are from local operators, but BUDC Vice President David Stebbins said it was "too soon" to say more, since officials "have just started to review and evaluate" the submissions. He said he hopes to make a recommendation to the board by late June, and to have a new operator in place by the end of August.