By Kathleen Maris

Photo provided by BullStreet

Work has begun on renovations of the historic Ensor Building in the BullStreet neighborhood, located at 2180 Boyce St. between Spirit Communications Park and the First Base Building. The building was originally a research laboratory for the Ensor Research Foundation, founded in 1945, to make improvements in mental health patients. It was later a morgue until the late 1990s.

The new Ensor Building will include approximately 3,800 square feet of restaurant space on the first floor, which will connect with an outdoor patio adjacent to the baseball stadium’s entrance plaza, as well as a second floor dedicated to office space. The brick building was built in the neoclassical style, with Doric columns and a rounded arch over the front door. It will retain historic elements with added modern features.

Buchanan Construction Services and Studio 2LR Architecture + Interiors, and Hughes Development Corporation are working together to upfit the building. Its completion is estimated for summer of 2017.