ALBANY — Two city natives who own bars in Brooklyn are developing a neighborhood spot downtown called Norma’s at 82 N. Pearl St., which was home to the bar and lounge Blue 82 for almost 17 years until its 2022 closure.
Paul Hamill and Brandon Lenihan, who graduated from Albany High School in the mid-1990s, are hoping to open Norma’s in August or early September, depending on construction and permitting, Hamill said Thursday. The space, on the corner of North Pearl and Columbia streets, has paper over the windows as the interior is transformed from what had been Healthy Soul, a juice bar open for about nine months in 2023, into Norma’s.
Hamill described the partners’ vision for it as a comfortable, welcoming spot, projected to be open from noon to midnight daily, that will cater to downtown residents, remote workers who want a place to set up a laptop during the day for coffee or an NA beverage, and people attending events at downtown venues seeking a pre- or post-show drink or bite. He said the low-key feel of Norma’s will be similar to the casual atmosphere at their Brooklyn places, The Adirondack (opened in 2014) and The Barlow (2019), and Lowlands, which Hamill opened in 2010 without Lenihan. All feature casual settings with dark wood, low lighting, signature cocktails, quality beer on draft and cheaper options in cans and bottles, and a small food menu…