Staff writer
Progress is steadily being made on a new restaurant and bar for downtown Marion.
Joe and EJ Pickett have been working since February to renovate the former Suffield’s Heating, Cooling & Plumbing building at the southeast corner of Main and Third streets into an upbeat place for dining and live entertainment.
The future MacGregor’s will house both a restaurant side and a bar side. The couple are spending many weekends and as many weekdays as possible on the project.
This week, they took a few moments from recovering bar stools to chat about the work being done by the Picketts, Christi Landwehr, and Chad Couey. Chad’s wife, Stacey Couey, also has put hours into the project.
The demolition of the interior is completed and rebuilding is underway.
Metal and wood studs stand where walls will be built and water lines run through channels in the floor. Supports for a dropped ceiling dangle from the original pressed-tin ceiling.
An antique couch stands waiting. It is destined to welcome customers in a homey area near the front door where they can sit and relax.
The Picketts have been scouting antique vendors and Internet sites for furnishings and décor items they will use in MacGregor’s.
A large pressed-tin ceiling tile, purchased from a local antique dealer, now is in a frame and will eventually grace the wall.
“Auctions are a hit and miss thing,” Joe Pickett said of the hunt for décor items.
As the work progresses, the couple find themselves spending more time on the project.
Joe Pickett said a mid-summer opening is anticipated. They hope MacGregor’s will bring more traffic downtown as well as boost local jobs.