A plan to rebuild the Ocean View Restaurant in Oak Bluffs with additional apartments for working Islanders was filed for review at the Martha’s Vineyard Commission and could come under scrutiny in the coming weeks.

Charles (Chuck) Hajjar and his son Charles Hajjar, owners of the Ocean View property that was destroyed by a fire in March 2022, submitted blueprints to the commission in early November for a three-story restaurant and residential building located at 16 Chapman avenue.

Designed in partnership with Sullivan and Associates Architects, the proposed building has a restaurant on the ground floor and 10 apartment units split between the second and third floors. The apartments will be reserved for people working year-round on the Island.

“It was unfortunate because obviously the fire was the last thing we wanted to see, but then we got to thinking about the rebuild and what made the most sense for the Island,” said the younger Charles Hajjar. “We thought it would be a win-win to create 10 units for year-round renters — the nurses of the world, the police officers, the firemen and small business people.”

The restaurant will be smaller than before, seating approximately 142 patrons instead of 180 to accommodate increased septic flow from the residential units.

Rendering of land swap for additional parking

Rendering of land swap for additional parking

Mike Santoro, owner of the restaurant, also plans to install a bakery in the building’s basement.

“I’ve always had the dream but have never had the room,” he said. “We’ll finally hopefully get to be baking our own breads and desserts. I already have a baker who was one of my former chefs.”

The property will additionally increase its parking availability by 10 slots following a land swap agreement in August between the Hajjars and the East Chop Association. 

“Working with Craig Dripps, president of the East Chop Association, we got together... and gave them the rights to a lot across the road from the Ocean View and then they gave Chuck the rights to expand our parking lot beside the restaurant,” Mr. Santoro said. 

The commission has not scheduled a formal review of the new plans yet, but Rich Saltzberg, the commission’s development of regional impact coordinator, said that he and other staff members plan to meet with the owners in the coming weeks to discuss the process.

“We’re hopeful that if they like the design and everything goes through, we’ll be breaking ground by this fall,” said Charles Hajjar Jr.

Mr. Santoro said that he hopes the Ocean View will welcome back diners by spring 2025.

“It’s all a little bittersweet, you know, because everybody loved the old Ocean View the way it was,” said Mr. Santoro, who bought the business in 2015 from longtime owners Ronald and Margaret Jackson. “I’ve had conversations with so many people who are concerned about what it’s going to be like . . . but I can tell you right now that we’re working with the same footprint and much will be the same.”