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It looks like Xavier Cervera’s taste for owning a chunk of Capitol Hill is expanding beyond Barracks Row and Eastern Market.  It was announced yesterday the Hawk ‘n’ Dove will close this fall, undergo some substantial renovations, and reopen next spring under Cervera’s ownership.  Yes, one of the oldest drinking holes on the Hill will be gutted and renovated, close on the heels of losing our beloved Tune Inn.  The era of the Hill dive bar appears to be coming to an end, as will “Club Dove,” the term by which many young drinkers affectionately called the upstairs room that hosted a DJ and dancing on Saturday nights.

According to the Hill Rag, Cervera, “has not only purchased the name, but a good deal of the memorabilia (including the clock, some wall sconces and photographs) which will be returned to the walls. But he adds that it will be a “100% renovation.” He will open three heretofore hidden fireplaces, and plans to panel the walls and bar with the 30,000 pounds of dark mahogany he has already purchased. As for the exterior, he has consulted with Nancy Metzger of the Capitol Hill Restoration Society, and the Historic Preservation Office, for their advice prior to a September 6th CHRS hearing, and looks forward to “the façade being an asset to the Avenue.”

Cervera, who already owns several bars on 8th Street — Molly Malone’s, Lola’s, Chesapeake Room and Senart’s — is also in the process of opening two other restaurants in the area and is rumored to be working on deals on H Street and in the Boilermaker Shops near National’s Stadium.  The two restaurants that are already in the works are Pacifico, which will replace Capitol Hill Video on 8th Street, and Box Car, which will replace Petite Gourmet, across from Eastern Market.