Rumour or Fact?

I caught the tail end of a conversation on Facebook that included a tidbit that I wasn't entirely enthusiastic about. The writer said that the Tomato Palace would be closing, to be transformed into a music venue. Have any of you out there heard this?

I must admit that my family prefers the Tomato Palace over Clyde's, possibly because it is more affordable. It's a more family-friendly venue, in my opinion. In addition, it has a more open feel to me. Even after the renovation, Clyde's still feels rather packed-in and scrunched up, somehow. That certainly hasn't affected its popularity, however.

But we don't really go down to the Lakefront all that often. It's a special occasion thing for us. It's where you celebrate a birthday or take folks from out of town. So I don't feel any kind of outrage or betrayal at the thought of change there. A bit disappointed, maybe.

It's true that Columbia doesn't have a music venue like The Hamilton or the Birchmere. Would that bring more people of differing ages to the Lakefront? How would it impact nearby restaurants? And what is going to take up residence upstairs, I wonder, now that the Columbia Association is long gone?

Lots of questions, no answers. But now I'm hungry for Italian food and I haven't even had breakfast yet.