FOG BLOG SAINT JOHN NEWS LOG: PORTABLE BUILDINGS OUTSIDE OF FALLS CAFE AS WORK SLOW ON RESTORATION!

Owner of shuttered Saint John restaurant says city won’t do necessary repairs The owner of a restaurant in Saint John says the building housing his business needs repairs before it can reopen — but the city, which owns the building, has been dragging its feet on getting the work done.

It’s been more than two years since the last customer sat down inside 14 1/2 Café + Bar, an establishment with sweeping views of the Reversing Falls Rapids.

“It was very festive,” said Yan Del Valle, who co-owns the eatery with his wife, Yeny.

He said it’s a place for friends to gather first, and a restaurant and café second.

“I always think that we happen to sell coffee, food, drinks, but have a place that welcomes tourists and locals alike,” he said. Del Valle proudly shows off videos of the establishment in its heyday, featuring live music on the tiered patios and themed dance parties in the lower level.

Now, the patios are crumbling and overgrown, and the lower level is torn apart and smells of mould. He fears what’s stopping the spot from getting back to those glory days is a lack of vision.

“I want to look back five or ten years from now to see this as a pivotal point for this area,” Del Valle said.

“What’s the vision that we’re going to apply in this area to revive the reversing falls?”

He said setting up shop in the Fallsview Avenue building was actually the city’s idea.

The couple, who also own Connections Bistro in the Saint John Airport, set out to expand their restauranteur resumes back in 2017. They began to have discussions with the city about expanding to another location.

“They proposed this location, which, back then, was vacant,” said Del Valle.

He said the City of Saint John took over ownership of the location after its previous owner defaulted on payments.

Del Valle said the 2018 and 2019 seasons were incredibly successful, with more than 400 busloads of cruise ship passengers stopping by in the latter season alone.