Papa’s Corner was supposed to open last September – instead, it opened last Thursday, following a much-longer-than-expected remodeling process.

“It was going to be a simple remodel,” said Lynn Champlin Lloyd, owner of Papa’s Corner, 2430 Lincoln Way. “Nothing is ever simple.”

The first problems cropped up in June, when Lloyd started demolition inside the 100-year-old Champlin Building to make way for several remodeling projects, including a new stage and sound system that could make Papa’s Corner the center of Campustown entertainment.

“We’re doing demo and everything’s fine. Then we get to this end of the building and everything was totally rotten,” Lloyd said. “Seven layers of rotten floor down to rotten joists. Talk about a surprise.”

Lloyd had hoped to preserve the building’s original flooring – she has preserved many of the building’s original features – but the problems were too serious to ignore.

“Where you’re standing right now, you would’ve stepped through the floor,” said Tim Gleason, manager of Papa’s Corner.

The floor was just one of the many stumbling blocks that stretched a two-and-a-half-month project to more than eight months. It’s been a hectic time for Lloyd and Gleason, and the two were still scrambling Thursday afternoon, heading to Des Moines to buy more tables and bar stools for the Thursday night opening.

“We’re still putting up signs and artwork,” Lloyd said. “It’s a work in progress, but we’re ready to be open.”

Lloyd says the bar’s beer selection is also a work in progress, but Papa’s Corner already has 13 beers on tap – including Boulevard, Fat Tire, Sam Adams and Leinenkugel’s – and serves bottles of Guinness and Heineken.

Gleason and Lloyd organized a trial opening Wednesday night, serving friends and family to be sure everything was ready. Lloyd said everyone, including her, was pleased with the quality of the food.

“I wanted not-too-expensive, but really good, American bar and grill food,” Lloyd said. “Really good burger, really good salad, really good tenderloin .”

Burger prices range from $5.99 to $7.29, and wings are $4.99 for 10, $7.99 for 20 or $10.99 for 30.

Papa’s Corner will be open from 5 p.m. to about 2 a.m. and closed on Sundays. Before 9 p.m., it will be a non-smoking restaurant – after that, it will be a 21-and-over bar with smoking allowed.

The extensive remodeling done to Papa’s Corner – some planned, some necessitated by unexpected obstacles – has led to a décor unlike any other place in Campustown.

“What we ended up with was a brand new 100-year-old building,” Gleason said.

One can’t step into Papa’s Corner without noticing this combination of the old and the new. A brand new stage dominates the room, but the hardwood dance floor is made from the floor of the old ISU ballroom on the second floor of the building. A 1946 Wurlitzer jukebox, revamped with a touch-screen display and an Internet connection, lets diners pump any song they can think of over the bar’s new sound system.

Even the I-beams lining the center of the room, which could have been eyesores, have been repurposed as tables, which manage to look attractive while reminding patrons of a time when a steel beam in the center of the room was considered sleek and modern.

“It was state-of-the-art technology, so they didn’t cover it up,” Gleason said.

The remodeling process may have been long and stressful, but both Lloyd and Gleason are happy with the results.

“One of the city’s main goals was the revitalization of Campustown, and we’re glad we were the ones to take this first step,” Gleason said.

David Brown, Ames building official, agrees.

“I couldn’t be more pleased with the work they’ve done with that building,” Brown said. “They’ve set a new standard for Campustown.”

Papa’s Corner hours</>

Open 5 p.m. to about 2 a.m. Monday through Saturday.

Closed Sundays.

Nonsmoking before 9 p.m.

Smoking and 21-and-over bar after 9 p.m.