• Ziggie's Restaurant ended commercial operations in December after 19 years on campus.
• Ziggie's is working on moving out of the storefront space by mid-January.
• The owner, Nicholas Onassis, discussed with the university in early December that he wanted to retire, and the university made him an offer.
• The newly acquired space will be a part of the lounge of the university's new sophomore residence hall.

A longtime campus eatery closed its doors over break to make way for additional lobby space in a converted university sophomore residence hall.

Ziggie's Restaurant, 1626 W. Wisconsin Ave., shut down for good on Dec. 31, 2008 after 19 years on campus. The owner, Nicholas Onassis, is currently moving out of the storefront and basement space, and is expected to leave by mid-January.

Ziggie's had leased storefront space in the former Marquette Apartments, 1628 W. Wisconsin Ave., until 2014. In December 2007, the university completed its purchase of the former apartment building to make into its new suite style sophomore residence hall. Ziggie's was still expected to operate next to the dorm's lobby.

But when university officials showed Onassis design plans for the new residence hall, he "discussed wanting to retire," according to Mike Whittow, assistant to the vice president. The university then made Onassis an offer in early December 2008 "to not hold him responsible for his lease," Whittow said.

Onassis accepted the financial proposal, but the exact numbers are confidential, Whittow said.

Onassis has not commented as of press time about the closing of his restaurant. But in a Tribune editorial from Oct. 16, 2007, Onassis said Ziggie's had a 10-year lease and was there to stay.

"This dorm will be 'Ziggie's Residence Hall,' " he said.

Ziggie's was the last remaining commercial tenant of the building. The leases for Sweeney's College Books and Dany's Foods, which also occupied storefront space in the building, were not renewed in late 2007.

In a Feb. 7, 2008 Tribune article, Toby Peters, associate senior vice president said, "The way that Ziggie's sits there, it will not affect entry into the residence hall."

But now that Ziggie's is gone, the space will be used as part of the main lobby, according to Jim McMahon, dean of the Office of Residence Life. The first floor of the new dorm will have a study area, laundry facilities and a hall store.

Renovations of the former apartment building are ongoing. The new dorm is expected to open in August.