An Congress, Kwang C. An's highly anticipated downtown sports bar and restaurant, is officially off.
After months of dodging the question, the Tucson restaurateur confirmed Wednesday that he has pulled out of plans to open the 7,000-square-foot restaurant that many hoped would be a magnet to downtown.
An said he is instead exploring opening a restaurant in a Las Vegas hotel; the deal, which he is now negotiating, could be at least a year off, he said.
"In the casino business, already people are there. It's a lot easier," said An, who in December opened An del Sol at the Pascua Yaqui Tribe's Casino del Sol in the Tucson area, a 6,500-square-foot Chinese and Japanese restaurant and bar. "Downtown business, you have to be bringing people there. … You never know. Casino business, you already have people there. … I find that casino business is less pressure, and that's why I change my mind."
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An Congress was going to occupy space in Scott Stiteler's building at the southwest corner of Fifth Avenue and East Congress Street. Stiteler and An began the project in 2009 with hopes of opening in November 2010. But last October they pushed back the opening date because of the city's planned streetcar project. The pair said they didn't want to open until construction of the new rail lines on Congress Street was finished. The streetcar is scheduled for 2013.
Stiteler said the decision to end the project was mutual.
"(An del Sol) was a terrific opportunity for him. It's a good fit for him," he said.
While An explores casino opportunities, Stiteler said he has about a dozen people inquiring about the downtown site, including the owners of the fledgling Hub Restaurant & Creamery that opened in February in the 3,000-square-foot space next door. Hub owner Kade Mislinski would not say if he had any designs on the space, although he said he is "always interested in opportunities downtown."
"That's so exciting to have that much interest in downtown," added Stiteler, who hopes to have the new business operating by year's end.
Stiteler said the "heavy lifting" on more than $2 million in renovations to the building is finished, and all that he has left to do is targeted renovations to fit a new tenant.
Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozachik said he was optimistic that Stiteler will quickly fill the space.
"I'm going to make lemonade out of this. Mr. An is a good asset to the community, and if he felt as if he was being stretched a little thinly, I respect that," Kozachik said. "It's not as though we're going to stand here wringing our hands going 'Oh my God, what are we going to do now?' There are a lot of irons in the fire. There are a lot of options."
An also owns Mr. An's Teppan Steak & Sushi on North Oracle Road and Great Wall China on South Craycroft Road.
Contact reporter Cathalena E. Burch at cburch@azstarnet.com or 573-4642.