Major demolition is underway at the former Hoods Up building in the Milk District.
The roof and structure have already been removed at 2400 E. Robinson Street [GMap], at the corner of Robinson Street and Bumby Avenue, along with the majority of the building. The former auto repair shop sat vacant for years before plans for a new restaurant began moving forward earlier this year. City records had shown approval for a roughly 3,519 SF restaurant project with reduced on-site parking requirements – you can see the renderings HERE in our June article.
Charlotte Ustler, one of the building’s owners, said the project remains an adaptive reuse but now involves more demolition and rebuilding than originally planned.
“We had to do partial demolition and are rebuilding more of the structure than originally planned after discovering that much of the existing building was failing and not suitable for occupancy,” Ustler said. “The remaining parts are expected to stay, and the rebuilt section will maintain a similar look, scale, and feel to the original building. We saved the signs.”
According to Bungalower, the team had to remove more exterior walls than anticipated and will need to build a new roof and structural support system. The portions of the building still standing are expected to remain, and the rebuilt structure will expand the interior restaurant space to include areas under the rebuilt canopies.
The project is now expected to be completed around mid-2027. Craig Ustler confirmed the finished restaurant will be operated by Good Salt Restaurant Group, the team behind Seito Sushi, The Osprey, Reyes Mezcaleria, The Monroe, Sparrow and Osteria Ester. The name Paper Kites has appeared in city paperwork as a possibility, though no official name, theme, menu, cuisine, or interior design has been finalized.
“We are all about neighborhoods and thoughtful urban infill development,” Ustler said, according to Bungalower, “and we are trying to keep elements of the original building and architecture, while being realistic about what it takes to have a viable restaurant space.” Unfortunately, that appears to mean it just won’t look like the building that was previously on the site.
