Owner of Mocha House Buys Former Georgetown Banquet Hall

BOARDMAN, Ohio — An entity incorporated by the owner of the Mocha House in Boardman has purchased the former Georgetown banquet and event center. The sale closed Monday, more than a year after the building at 5945 South Ave. was sold at public auction.

James Paxos of Warren incorporated South Ave. Properties LLC in April.

Reached by telephone late Wednesday at the Mocha House, Paxos confirmed the purchase but declined to elaborate on his plans for the building.

South Ave. Properties paid $181,500 for the property, according to public records.

On July 16, 2020, a live auction was conducted by Kiko Auctioneers, and closed with a high bid of $182,000. The morning of the auction, Russell Kiko, auctioneer and real estate agent, said the tax appraisal for The Georgetown was more than $700,000.

In February 2020, The Georgetown’s former owner, Mark Primavera, announced the banquet center was closing after 45 years in business. The announcement came following a foreclosure complaint involving the Mahoning County treasurer, the former Home Savings Bank (now Premier Bank) and the Ohio Department of Taxation.

As of the foreclosure filing, The Georgetown owed delinquent taxes of $65,577.75, along with its annual tax of $20,613.97. The last tax payment was made in May 2017.

Before the July 2020 auction, Kiko announced taxes will be prorated and would be brought up to date at closing.

Brothers Rich and Gene Primavera, who is Mark’s father, opened The Georgetown on New Year’s Eve 1975.

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