Washington Street restaurant wins OK for door, canopy

Published 11:15 am Wednesday, October 31, 2012

The owners of a restaurant planned for 1311 Washington St. have received the OK from the Vicksburg Board of Architectural Review to add a second door to the building.

The board Tuesday approved the application by 1311 Inc., owners of the 1311 Bar & Grill, to add the door on the building’s south wall to be used as a fire escape and bring it in compliance with city building codes. The company is owned by Alexander Vickers, who is from the Dallas area, according to Angela Lovins, who will manage the restaurant with Les Pearman.

Lovins and Pearman previously have operated eateries in Vicksburg.

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According to Warren County tax records, the building is owned by Vicksburg residents Marianne Floyd and Gina Pugh, who are leasing it to 1311.

Victor Gray-Lewis, Buildings and Inspection Department director, said the company has not applied for a building permit for the renovations. He said city officials stopped the renovations that were being done on the property.

The two-story building previously has been home to restaurants, with the two dining floors serving as the home of the Chocolate Derby, Purple Ladder and Sweet Beginnings. The 1311 Bar & Grill will occupy the bottom floor, restaurant owners have said.

Board chairman Dorwin Shields said the board’s approval is contingent on the city’s legal department approving the plans to install the door. The city owns part of the south wall, which at one time was shared with another building.

Architect Skippy Tuminello, who represented Vickers at the meeting, said he sees no problem with getting the city’s approval. He said two antique French doors will be installed in the building’s south wall to serve as the building’s fire exit, which will open onto an adjacent city parking lot.

“The doors will open out, and there will be a canopy extending 30 inches from the building,” he said. “We will install steel gates in front of the doors to protect them. The gates and the doors will be unlocked during business hours.”