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The 6,600-square-foot Blackstone's Pub & Grill, one of a series of Uptown Reinvestment Corp. projects that are reshaping the downtown area, opens today in what used to be a men's clothing shop that bore the same name.

The pub and grill, with an Irish-American motif, maintains the building's authenticity with exposed walls and an original steel ceiling that soars 23 feet above a stained concrete floor.

"There's a lot of character in the existing walls," said Dave Lurvey, who co-owns the restaurant with partner Keith Green. Lurvey, vice president of Siwek Construction, and Green, an adviser for LPL Financial, managed the renovation of the building, which had been vacant since 1974.

Added to the interior are inlaid panels, cultured stone walls, historic photos of the auto industry and a 46-foot mahogany bar. The exterior features more cultured stone, inlaid panels and a restoration of the original Blackstone's sign.

"We chose to keep the sign as our way of honoring history," Lurvey said.

Renovation of the building began in January. Its completion marks the start of another wave of revitalization in the downtown area, where two more restaurants, several offices and more student housing are scheduled to open in the next six months.

Lurvey, whose construction company has been active in downtown redevelopment, said Flint is about to experience more business activity than it has seen in 25 years.

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