By James S. Tyree Staff Writer
The Norman Transcript

NORMAN — The owner of O’Connell’s Irish Pub and Grille said the Lindsey Street location will close Dec. 31 of this year, but not before opening a new O’Connell’s this summer on Campus Corner.

Jeff Stewart plans to sign an agreement within the next few days that would put O’Connell’s on the Corner at 769 Asp Ave., occupied most recently by Al Eschbach’s Sports Bar and Grill.

“We haven’t finalized the lease, but we’re 95 percent of the way there,” Stewart said.

Once the lease is signed, Stewart figures it would take about two months to get the location remodeled and ready for business. He hopes that will happen in June, though a July opening is possible.

The original O’Connell’s will stay open until Dec. 31. Stewart said the University of Oklahoma sent letters about one month ago to him and other tenants in the Lindsey Street and Jenkins Avenue area saying they must vacate by that date.

The University of Oklahoma Foundation bought a 2.3-acre portion of that block last September, on behalf of OU, for $4.5 million.

“I don’t know what we’re going to do on New Year’s Eve,” he said, “but I’m sure it will have one big party.” O’Connell’s had such a party Saturday during its final St. Patrick’s Day bash at the original location, where an estimated 8,000 people came and went throughout the day and night. The parking lot and restaurant were continuously filled with patrons, and lines of people waiting to get in often stretched down to Jenkins Avenue.

St. Patrick’s Day celebrations are a well-known tradition at O’Connell’s, which opened in 1968. Stewart bought the business in 1979, one year after graduating from college.

The business also is a popular pre- and post-game destination for many fans attending OU football games. This fall, there will be two O’Connell’s to choose from — the original at 120 E Lindsey St., and O’Connell’s on the Corner.

Stewart said he plans to drop the “on the Corner” from the Campus Corner location’s name once the original pub closes.

The new O’Connell’s will have about 6,000 square feet, compared to the original’s 3,700 square feet, and Stewart said the business will become part of the Campus Corner scene. He foresees a “St. Patrick’s on the Corner” celebration, for instance, that can include other Campus Corner businesses.

But Stewart said the new location also will retain the same atmosphere as at Lindsey Street. Furnishings, decorations and memorabilia from Lindsey Street, some of which is in storage, will be on display at Campus Corner.

He also plans to solicit emails from customers who describe their experiences at O’Connell’s over the years, so they can be part of the transition. Stewart said, “we just want to have fun with the transition” while coming to grips with a tradition coming to an end.

“I think for people who have come here regularly, it’s going to be a real tough time walking out of here on that last day,” Stewart said,

“And to say goodbye to history.”
 

Copyright 2007, The Oklahoma Publishing Company