Construction of a Chandler building began 10 years ago. Then the recession hit and it sat unfinished and vacant, except for a pair of owls.

The Alamo Drafthouse and a charter school eventually sprang up nearby at Arizona Avenue and Chandler Heights Road, but the half-finished structure remained empty. Until recently.

Blue 32 opened there, at 4845 S. Arizona Ave., last month.

Blue 32, a sports bar and grill, has three other locations: one in north Scottsdale and two in Gilbert.

“The East Valley has been really good to us,” said Phoenix resident Steve Conrad, who co-owns the business with Ken Rea of Queen Creek.

Conrad said they hope to expand to other areas of the Valley in the near future.

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From caved-in roof to sports bar

In 2007, the 4,000-square-foot building was intended to be one of the first buildings to go up on an 18-acre parcel in south Chandler.

Glimcher Realty Trust, an Ohio-based real-estate investor, built it with some expectation it might become a bank or a restaurant, said Senior Chandler Planner Erik Swanson. But, like many projects in Arizona and beyond, it fell victim to the Great Recession.

The shell of a building sat empty until Tucson-based Town West Design Developer purchased it in 2015 and leased to Blue 32 in 2016. Conrad and Rea expected to open by the end of the year, but the building’s deterioration meant more extensive repairs than anticipated.

The building lacked windows and doors for about seven years, said Sigma Contracting President Dan Hinkson, whose construction company worked with DPA Architects, both based in Scottsdale, to finish the project.

The roof had partially caved in and had to be completely redone.

Workers found a pair of owls had made the building their home. “The owls had even laid eggs,” Hinkson said.

The group brought in experts to ensure the owls’ safety and once their eggs hatched, the pair departed, he said.

Eventually construction was completed and Blue 32 held a soft opening in mid-February.

What you’ll find at Blue 32

Conrad and Rea launched the Blue 32 concept in Gilbert in 2008 and aimed to make a sports bar experience that would stand out from the crowd.

Instead of the typical basket-style bar food that comes pre-made and fried, just about everything, including salad dressings, are made in-house.

“We try to do everything from scratch,” Conrad said.

Patrons will find bar food, along with hand-cut seafood and steak and specialties such as a Monte Cristo sandwich, which is a deep-fried combination of turkey, ham, Swiss and American cheese dusted with powdered sugar and served with raspberry preserves.

One of Conrad’s favorites is the Texas Hot Burger.

“I’m originally from Texas so I like the spicy Texan attitude,” Conrad said of the burger loaded with jalapenos, bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayo and seasoned with Tabasco hot sauce.

Blue 32 also offers a chocolate martini made with Godiva Chocolate liqueur.

“We survive on doing our best to take care of our guests,” Conrad said.