A prospective buyer is interested in purchasing the Riverfront Cafe, which closed in January of 2014.

Rebecca Gushwa, the real estate agent for the vacant Front Street restaurant, confirmed that someone is in the process of purchasing the property, but said she would not release the name of the potential buyer or the plans for the building until the deal is done.

She said the deal, if it goes through, would likely happen next month.

On Monday, the Niles City Council could make a decision that would help move the sale along.

The council is being asked to approve a discharge of a mortgage, or lien, on the 219 N. Front St. property, which is holding up the sale.

City Administrator Ric Huff said the city loaned $60,000 to Niles Riverfront Cafe, LLC, in September of 2003 to support the development of the restaurant. At the same time, the council approved the use of tax increment (property taxes) generated at the property to defray the loan. The Niles DDA had proposed the property tax arrangement as an incentive to the developers of the cafe.

Huff said $20,000 remains on the loan and that the DDA has agreed to pay it back to the city over a period of five years.

The money would go back into the city’s revolving loan fund.