An 80-year-old diner made its way down Main Street in two pieces Tuesday night to its new resting place as part of the downtown entertainment development called Arts Alley.

The construction site at 24 South Main St. is the second phase of the entertainment complex that began with the renovation of the Bank of New Hampshire Stage by developer Steve Duprey.

“Over the next few months, we’ll do the electrical and the plumbing connections and and all the work that’s needed to get it back together,” Duprey said Tuesday night.

The move was another step in the long journey for the 1942 Silk City Diner, which was being stored by Duprey at his property at the former Lincoln Financial property off Rumford Street.

Duprey bought the diner at auction about years ago and hauled it from Kingston to Concord, where it was initially stored off Route 106 before it was moved again to his property near the Blossom Hill Cemetery.

The diner will serve as a meeting and special event space at Arts Alley, which will also feature dining and entertainment spaces, including a long-anticipated restaurant called the Friendly Toast that is supposed to open by July 1.

While the diner still has a full kitchen, seating is limited and it won’t be competing with the Friendly Toast. Its history and iconic charm are what make it an integral part of the project, Duprey said.

“It’s going to be cool,” Duprey said. “It’s going to be a great little spot.”

Known at one point as Betsy & Mike’s Diner, it was built at the Paterson Vehicle Company of Paterson, New Jersey, in the 1940s. It’s believed to have first opened in Delaware, before moving to Pittsgrove, New Jersey where it became known as the Pole Tavern Diner. It went through different owners before it permanently closed to customers and moved in 1989. From 1994 to 2003 the diner was restored in Ohio and then purchased by renowned New Hampshire businessman and philanthropist Michael Dingman, according to the Sotheby’s auction listing.

“It’s got the original tile floor. It’s got a ceramic ceiling, which is rare to see these days,” Duprey said.

The diner was transported by Geddes Building Movers in two pieces – the front of the house that includes the serving counter and booths and the back of the house that includes the kitchen and workspaces.

It traveled down North Main Street to South Main Street, where the road was shut down to allow trucks to back up to set the diner situated onto its foundation.

“It’s fun to watch them move buildings because they are so good at it,” Duprey said.

The Arts Alley project initially hit a snag because of financing but should still be open by summer, Duprey said.

The third-floor rooftop is planned to be an outdoor space with firepits and a bocce ball court around an Airstream camper turned full-service bar that will be delivered from Canada. It will be open to the public and available to book privately.

The main artery and namesake of the project is the alleyway along the Bank of New Hampshire Stage building, which will pull pedestrian traffic into a courtyard with art installations. The diner, which won’t be visible from Main Street once the rest of the building is complete, will be a main feature of the courtyard joining the spaces.

“When we bought it, we bought it not only with all that kitchen equipment, but even the dishware, the forks and knives that’s all been in storage. So we’re going to bring that back,” Duprey said. “It seats about 24 so if you were doing an inside event, that would be your limit, but on a good night, you could use the front courtyard.”