NORMAN — The owner of O'Connell's Irish Pub & Grill plans to open a restaurant on Campus Corner at the former site of Al Eschbach's Hall of Fame Sports Bar & Grill.
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But Jeff Stewart said whether the establishment would become the new O'Connell's remains to be seen.
"I have two plans for the property, one with O'Connell's moving in and one with another (restaurant)," Stewart said Monday of the property at 769 Asp Ave.
Stewart entered an agreement two weeks ago to lease that property and to buy its contents. Al Eschbach's closed earlier this month and is scheduled to reopen next week in Oklahoma City's Bricktown area.
He said what will become of the property will hinge, in large part, on what the University of Oklahoma decides to do with O'Connell's current site near the southeast corner of Lindsey Street and Jenkins Avenue, and when it plans to do it.
The OU Foundation purchased much of that block in September on behalf of the university. Stewart said OU will become the landlord at the start of 2007, and he expects tenants to hear from the university at some point in January.
Stewart's lease on the Lindsey Street location runs through October 2007, but a move at some point for O'Connell's and other businesses on that block appears likely.
Depending on what happens with OU and up to seven other relocation possibilities in Norman, Stewart could reopen O'Connell's on Asp Avenue in late spring or start a new restaurant there as early as the end of January.
Stewart said he favors another freestanding building for O'Connell's, which would mean moving to a place other than Campus Corner. On the other hand, he appreciates the community business vibe on Campus Corner.
"I enjoy the corner and working with the merchants up there," he said. "There is a sense there of people working together."
At least one Campus Corner merchant likes the possibility of O'Connell's joining the neighborhood. Chris Cojean of Tina's Guitars said, "The party is going to get more centralized with O'Connell's moving in."
And what happens if the original O'Connell's is allowed to stay on Lindsey Street a while longer?
"Well, there could be two," Stewart said, "but there is a uniqueness with having just one."
Since opening in 1968, O'Connell's has become a popular campus-area restaurant and pub, particularly on St. Patrick's Day and OU football game days.
Wherever O'Connell's goes, Stewart said he's thinking of asking patrons to e-mail ideas for the new place, along with favorite memories from the present location. Those memories and photos will be placed on a wall at the new location or put in a coffee table-style book.
