Seal Beach to seek bids to renovate First Street restaurant site

Seal Beach officials took the first step this week toward renovating the city-owned restaurant building that used to house River’s End Cafe. The council by a vote of 4-0 directed staff to seek bids to remodel the First Street restaurant space for a maximum of $180,000. District Two Councilman Thomas Moore had an excused absence Monday night.

The renovation project was a Consent Calendar item. It was or was not removed from the calendar. Consent Calendar items are voted on collectively, without discussion, unless they are removed from the calendar.

The lease with River’s End Cafe expired in April 2017. The restaurant was recently given a notice to leave the building and River’s End Cafe permanently closed its doors last week after about 22 years in business. The city officially took possession of the building on Feb. 27, the day after the City Council meeting.

The lease with River’s End Cafe expired in April 2017. The restaurant was recently given a notice to leave the building. The last day of business for River’s End Cafee was Feb. 20. The restaurant had been in business on First Street for 22 years. The city officially took possession of the building the day after the City Council meeting.

To pay for the proposed project, ghe council approved a budget amendment of $40,000 for the project, moved $14,200 from the General Fund and used $125,800 saved from the West End Pump Station improvement project.

“The First Street Beach Concessions Stand, originally built in 1976, was converted to a full-service restaurant in the 1990s,” said the city staff report.

“The original restaurant building along with the storage building was initially leased to a restaurant service provider (River’s End Cafe) in the 1980s,” the report said.