MIDDLEBURY — Nedde Real Estate officials are working to hammer out a lease with a tenant who’s proposing a food-service business in what has for a long time been one of downtown Middlebury’s most conspicuous storefront vacancies: 51 Main St.

Grace Ciffo, Nedde Real Estate’s director of operations, said she’ll have more news on a prospective tenant if/when a lease is signed. That lease signing could come within the next few weeks, she indicated.

Nedde Real Estate owns the Battell Block building in which the 51 Main St. space is located. Nedde has done a good job attracting tenants to the Battell Block as COVID-19 conditions have improved, but 51 Main has thus far failed to attract a long-term occupant since the Rough Cut Restaurant closed late in 2018.

That could change this winter.

“We’re really quite excited about the intended tenant for the space,” Ciffo stated through an email exchange. “We think it will be great for the community and well received.”