Rochester City Council discusses potential sale of former Dooley's space

The Rochester City Council is holding a closed session Monday afternoon to discuss the potential sale of the former Dooley’s restaurant space.

Details regarding the prospective buyer remain scarce — though at least one prominent restaurateur is said to have been eyeing the space.

Reached earlier in the day, Deputy City Administrator Aaron Parrish said he did not have much to share on the topic “beyond the fact that we received an offer and are evaluating the sale price of the property.”

No other information is likely to be made public until a potential deal is drawn up for the council to vote on. Parrish said depending on the conversation, the item could come before the council on July 19.

(Sec. 13D.03, Subd. 3 of the Minnesota Statues allows the council to enter into private, or “executive,” sessions to discuss items like property transactions, labor negotiations, and potential litigation. Once a contract is drawn up, the council then must vote on the deal at a public meeting.)

The 7,589 square-foot space, located at 255 First Avenue SW, has set empty since Dooley’s Pub moved out earlier this year. The city, which owns the site, later put out a request for proposals to try to secure a lease with a new tenant. That process, however, failed to generate any bids.

In addition to the restaurant space, the city also owns the attached BioBusiness Center. City officials, though, confirmed that only the Dooley’s portion of the building is being discussed for a sale opportunity.

Sean Baker is a Rochester journalist and the founder of Med City Beat.