Restaurants, more businesses being proposed in Sewickley Village

A Sewickley business owner has partnered with a couple of residents to bring new businesses to the borough.

Former office buildings along Locust Place are being renovated into chef-owned restaurants, a listening lounge and an apartment, among other developments.

They are located in what is colloquially called Sewickley Village.

The development is the vision of Sam DiBattista, owner of Vivo Kitchen; former borough planning commissioner and parking authority member David Saint-Jacques; and a private investor from Sewickley.

“I think it’s a very unique project,” DiBattista said.

Restaurants proposed include a Central American-themed eatery, a burger shop, noodle shop and a coffee shop.

Vivo Kitchen has been in Sewickley for the past 11 years. DiBattista said the borough could benefit from a new commercial area.

“The demographics have changed,” he said. “Just noticing my business and watching who comes in, it’s gotten younger. (People are) definitely more in-tune with having different experiences. They seem to be spending more money on experiences than they are on stuff.”

Saint-Jacques has lived in the borough for at least 20 years. He is the designer of the project and has been friends with DiBattista for years.

“We like the scale of Sewickley Village. We like the look,” Saint-Jacques said. “We don’t have that feel of a strip mall, and that’s what we wanted to stay away from.”

The property was acquired in 2020, however, the pandemic shuttered a lot of the necessary prep work.

New utilities have since been installed and some of the properties have been gutted for renovation.

DiBattista estimates the development cost at around $3 million, including about $1.1 million to purchase the site.

A previous plan included townhouses on the estimated 10,500-square-foot lot, which is a permitted use in that area and would have saved a few extra steps in the development process.

Saint-Jacques said they decided a few months ago to nix that idea and focus on restaurants and other businesses.

He said that made it a mixed-used development, which requires a conditional use approval from council.

DiBattista hopes to clear a legal hurdle next month when they go before the planning commission seeking its recommendation of approval of its conditional use application.

The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. June 1 at the borough building, 601 Thorn St.

DiBattista believes commissioners and residents will see the project benefits and hopes to have at least one restaurant open by the fall.

“People have been real supportive here,” he said. “If you’re in Sewickley and you’re doing something well, and you care about it and make sure you’re doing something right, this town will support it.”

Saint-Jacques has plans to showcase several digital renderings of the site and their vision, as well as many other details.

“The presentation will be complete for them,” he said about the planning commission meeting. “Since we’ve been in communication with them for a while now, hopefully, they take a vote on it that night. That’s what I’m going to push for.”

One of the conditions Saint-Jacques expects to be levied involves parking.

They plan to offer valet parking for the restaurants and lease a few spots on the street, as well as in the Sewickley Hospital parking lot.

Saint-Jacques said they are willing to work with the borough in order to see their vision come to fruition.

“Hopefully they’re going to fall in our favor because we’re moving ahead,” he said. “We’ve got plans. One way or another, we’re going to make this work.”