'Cursed' Gilbert building up for auction

The building in downtown Gilbert that hosted five failed restaurants in its 12-year history is up for auction.

The building at 302 N. Gilbert Road, which housed Mahogany Run in 1997, Gonzo's All-American Grill in 2003, Hearthrob Cafe in 2004, Rock City Bar & Grill in 2005 and finally GrainBelt GrillHouse in 2006, will go to the highest bidder at 10 a.m. on Dec. 10. Two open houses are scheduled from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Dec. 3 and Dec. 9.

George Cunningham, designated broker for AuctionAz.com, which is auctioning the property, said it will sell for whatever the market will bear.

"I would assume that it's going to go for over a million bucks, but who knows," he said.

Cunningham said the facilities, which were foreclosed on, still contain a lot of equipment.

"The entire kitchen is still there," he said. "All the dining furniture is still there, all the flat-screen TVs, all the bar equipment - everything is still in place."

The building, which features a rather austere design with a cinder-block facade and outdoor torch lamps, has become a graveyard for the dreams of several aspiring restaurateurs hoping to join the growing eclectic business community in Gilbert's Heritage District.

Some locals have even gone so far as to call it cursed in the past.

"I think that's ludicrous," said Greg Tilque, Gilbert development services director.

Tilque said the site and building is suited well for a restaurant.

"I frankly think some of those - the last one was probably a victim of the economy," he said, adding the owner didn't have a chance to build a customer base.

"They just hadn't been open long enough," he added. "I think they were a victim of the economy because they had very good food, very good service."

He said the first restaurant - Mahogany Run, which opened in 1997 - was also a good restaurant, but it was too far ahead of its time.

"It was probably premature down there because the downtown hadn't developed yet."

He said it was a higher-priced product best suited for special occasions, like New Year's Eve or Valentine's Day.

"It wasn't an everyday restaurant," he added.

Tilque chalked up other failures to lack of quality and poor management.

He said he thinks the building needs a restaurant that serves its own niche.

"A couple that we're missing that would certainly work in there would be a Mexican restaurant," he said. "Chinese would work in there. Again, it's got to be the right restaurant, but they would work in there."

He also said a bar with music and a grill associated with it could also work.