When will the new Irish pub on Belleville’s Main Street open? Here’s the latest update

It’s been a hot minute since I last provided an update on The Harp Pub on Belleville’s West Main Street.

OK fine, so it’s been more like, what, six, seven months? Either way, here’s a small update on the big Irish pub project at 1112 W. Main St. after a recent visit with owners Glen McElligott and Greg Partelow, known together as G Level and Squared Inc.

First things first, because I’m sure folks want to know: When will The Harp Pub open?

McElligott said they’re pushing along and hoped to be open by March 1, which would’ve been great for St. Patrick’s Day. However, the winter weather in January set them back a bit, he said. So realistically they’re looking at an early April opening.

Fingers crossed.

Making progress

The last time I visited, I was met with the smell of fresh sawdust, which covered most surfaces in the place. This time around, I walked into the scent of fresh paint and lacquer. Maybe a touch of wallpaper glue.

Plenty of sawdust was still present, most of it on the floor. And on the front bar.

One of the most noticeable changes is the second bar at the center of the space.

Last summer, the base of the second bar was built. It included a couple of repurposed mahogany panels on the front. The bar rail – the thick, curved rail cut from a large beam to match that of the front bar – was in the early stages. The rail is now finished and the whole bar is a rich, dark brown.

The lights installed above the second bar are operational and have bright and dim settings.

The bathrooms are more complete, with the black-and-white decorative floor tiles and fancy, geometric-patterned wallpapers, a different one in each restroom. The bathroom doors are the building’s original storefront doors. McElligott previously said they wanted to repurpose as many materials as possible.

Some of the new things I saw this latest visit were the new jukebox system, flatscreen TVs, fancy wallpapers, art deco-style wall sconces and a new endcap to the front bar, which was added to keep visitors from coming in the door and (accidentally on purpose?) wandering behind the bar.

The endcap was built to match the rest of the front bar and is partly composed of mahogany that came from a source that also provided similar materials to Charlie’s Place, McElligott said. The baseboard was made with oak salvaged from a roughly 150-year-old barn.

It doesn’t perfectly match the original bar, but then how exactly does one recreate age and character? The endcap will develop its own personality over time.

The new section’s bar top houses the taps connected to a cooler located directly below it in the basement. The lines will be connected, and the beer will flow.

“As long as I get a proper Guinness, that’s all I care about,” said McElligott.

I heartily agree.

The three flatscreen TVs are mounted above the back bar. Placed on top of the back bar between the flatscreens are a small harp and an Irish harp chair, which are both fun and interesting to see.

The jukebox is one of those wall-mounted TouchTunes systems that folks can use with their smartphones. It’s not as fun as the old-school set-ups where you can watch the records move, but it’ll do. I’m told the sound system is pretty good. I was also assured that the sound won’t be too loud for patrons to have conversations.

Many parts of the construction are in its final stages. The wood frames around the storefront’s new doors are no longer visible, and Partelow said the cast iron posts need to be touched up. The railing is currently being installed around the patio.

‘Trust the process’

McElligott said a lot of people from the St. Mary’s crowd are looking forward to the pub’s opening and to coming back to the old neighborhood to check it out. They include the building’s previous owner, Kevin Kubitschek.

Kubitschek owned the building from Dec. 31, 1986, until it was sold in auction to McElligott and Partelow on March 17, 2021.

The building was Kubitschek’s baby for years, and he stops by on occasion to see the progress, said McElligott.

Partelow and McElligott said they have received a lot of support for their project from friends and neighbors. So they were rather surprised by criticism brought to their attention by another BND story from July 2024.

The article included comments from local historians, who are disappointed with what was done to a building considered an important historical structure in Town of West Belleville Historic District.

While it’s taken time and a lot of effort to achieve an old-fashioned look and feel to the place, McElligott said people have to “trust the process.”

“I would like the process if it was a lot shorter,” quipped Partelow.

Updates made to the mid-1800s building in the last three years included the removal of the storefronts doors, which were replaced with retractable garage doors, and the painting of the exterior in bright yellow and black, to give an Irish pub feel to the building.

Partelow said he hopes their critics come by to see and experience the atmosphere for themselves.

Both McElligott and Partelow maintain their hope that opening the pub will be the spark that helps bring new life to the neighborhood.

It was great to see the guys – and the pub – again. Much like my last visit, we sat and talked. I again enjoyed hearing a bit about what the neighborhood was like back in the day, when they were kids. I even got to see some photos from McElligott’s trip to Ireland.

McElligott said that in Ireland, pubs – along with churches – are traditionally a community’s meeting place. A second home. He hopes that people will come and find that at The Harp Pub.

“I want people to feel comfortable here,” said McElligott.