New Wine Bar Applies for Variances

Three partners plan to open a new wine bar with an outdoor patio area and a bocce court on Bainbridge Road.

The proposal, which requires some zoning variances, will be considered by the planning commission at its meeting tonight, which begins at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall.

Swirl Wine Bar, to be located on 33325 Bainbridge Road, would serve "mid- to upper-range" wines, according to a memo from the Solon planning department. The plan includes some modifications to the building's exterior, including new porch railings, doors and a vestibule on the west side.

The applicants are Richard Alaimo, Tom Steinbauer and Frank Bonsignore. They hope the bar on May 1.

Alaimo told the planning commission that the partners wanted to find a historic-looking building to achieve the atmosphere they are looking for.

“We want to keep it very period looking and very relaxed feeling,” Alaimo said. “It’s a nice little, quaint building and it’s going to have lots of charm and atmosphere.”