The iconic Porter’s Place in Lehi is permanently closed.

Sewer problems and the building’s age sounded the final death knell for the beleaguered downtown restaurant.

The eatery, run by Robert Trepanier, has been closed since Christmas, due to a water line break in the building. Lehi city owns the building and the two lots near it on Main Street, and as landlords, was evaluating the costs to repair the line, and address other issues city workers found while inspecting the break. Lehi City Council took to a closed-door session Jan. 16 to hear the cost analysis and decide the building’s fate.

According to a statement from the council and mayor sent to the Daily Herald on Jan. 22, “the city has decided to forego making repairs to the building and will instead issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) that includes the sale of the property.”

The statement acknowledged the decision’s negative impact on Trepanier.

“Porter’s Place has been an important part of Lehi’s cultural history,” the statement says. “We would like to see the restaurant remain a part of our community and are willing to work with Mr. Trepanier to have that happen. However, as stewards of taxpayer dollars, the Mayor and City Council feel that the decision to sell the property was necessary.”

The council members are hoping to sell Porter’s Place and the two adjacent lots as a package. Councilman Johnny Revill explained in an interview with the Daily Herald earlier this month that the hope is by packaging the “three properties together, a developer is more likely to come in, refurbish it, make it seismically sound, and develop something that fits into our downtown plan.”

The recent city statement said the mayor and council invited Trepanier to submit a proposal for purchasing the property. Trepanier declined, saying he’s not in a position to fund that type of development at this time.

“Not with tearing down the building and that type of thing,” he said.

Trepanier said this week he is relocating Porter’s Place outside of Lehi, and is in negotiations for the new location. He hopes to re-open by March.