Former Hodges Bend building is demolished after fire

The vintage brick two-story building that housed the popular Hodges Bend cafe and Lowood Restaurant, along with some upstairs apartments, was demolished last week, after a devastating fire gutted the structure last September.

We tried to contact Hodges Bend owner, Chip Gaberino, and did not hear back, but so far there are no indications that he plans to rebuild the the cafe or restaurant in that location.

We did hear back from one of the property owners, Lana Thomas, who told us they’re still early in the process of talking to developers, but they plan to build something “bigger and better” than the previous structure but something that she said would emulate the “vibe” of the original vintage building.

She didn’t elaborate on what kinds of businesses they would be seeking to be the new occupants, and so far there is no definite timeline.