We may soon see yet another business open up in downtown Troy. This one, a gourmet food court opening it's doors to five local and New York City food vendors. Troy Kitchen hopes to be home to a coffee, wine and beer bar and four different food stations by the end of this summer. Karen Tararache reports.
TROY, N.Y. -- This is the former Union National Bank built in 1936 based in Downtown Troy based at 50 4th Street.
However, if Cory Nelson has it his way when you first walk in we're going to have a coffee bar.
"Then we're going to repurpose this tele station and use as much of it as possible to create the beer and wine bar," said Nelson.
But serve a whole new purpose.
Brooklyn native, Cory Nelson wants the 6,600 square foot space to be a gourmet kitchen, complete with a coffee, beer and wine bar and four food vendors.
"The reason why we put them in the back is so that when you walk in you have that line of sight from the ceiling straight down to the vendors, kind of to give it an indoor street type of feeling," said Nelson.
He said he got his inspiration to pursue his dream from another local restaurateur
"Cory Nelson is my brother, I love him. His concept is a good one, it's a winner," said Vic Christopher, Troy business owner.
Christopher, owner of Lucas Confectionery, The Grocery and Peck's Arcade, also plans to have a new wine boutique open at 22 2nd Avenue by the end of summer.
"There's nothing that can stop anyone from doing what they want to do and making a living any way they wish, that's what this country is founded on," said Christopher.
Nelson, together with architect Kyle Engstrom, plan on investing more than half a million in making "Troy Kitchen" a start for aspiring restaurant owners.
"They get a following, they move on and get their own location, something like a food incubator, just to get it started, and it spreads out to different parts of Troy," said Nelson.
"They don't see these historic buildings as obstacles, they see them for the potential that they have so it's really exciting when we get a project like this the gourmet Food Court and others that really just keep our downtown opening up and expanding," said Erin Pihlaja, Downtown Troy Business Improvement District Executive Director.
With the building currently under contract and awaiting city approval, Nelson has already received over a dozen applications from interested vendors.
"I wasn't expecting it but the response has been great from the community," said Nelson.