HUNTLEY — Hamra Enterprises, the petitioner in charge of franchising certain restaurants and other establishments, has officially submitted a conceptual site plan and building elevations for the construction of the long-awaited Panera Bread restaurant.
According to the May 12 Village Board agenda packet, the restaurant will be located on Outlot 5 of the Huntley Grove Commercial Subdivision—the southeast corner of Route 47 and Kreutzer Road.
Village staff also state that the petitioner had last appeared before the Village Board on June 22, 2017, and at the time, had asked the board for approval of a 7,500 square foot multi-tenant building that included a 4,200 square foot Panera Bread restaurant with a drive-through and 3,300 square feet of adjoining retail space.
Trustees had approved the Final Planned Unit Development (PUD) and special use permit to allow the construction of that original structure, but those final plans have since expired, requiring the petitioner to submit a development application for new plans.
Hamra Enterprises is now proposing to construct a 3,480 square foot Panera Bread restaurant that will take up 1.87 acres of Outlot 5 of the Huntley Grove Commercial Subdivision.
The new site plan also makes mention of including a 1,890 square foot standalone retail building to be constructed at a later date.
The petitioner told village staff that they intend to finish construction on the restaurant and have it fully opened for business by the end of this year.
Other notable details of the proposed plan include having enough parking spaces to fit 76 vehicles, as well as mentioning that Panera Bread’s main entrance will be located at the northwest corner of the building with doors facing both north (towards Kreutzer Road) and west (towards Route 47).
Additionally, the restaurant will have a shared driveway with the nearby AutoZone (11905 Kreutzer Road) and the drive-through window and menu are expected to be located behind the building at the southeast corner of the site.
As for what is expected to take place at the May 12 Village Board meeting, trustees will only be required to conceptually review the proposed new plans, as requested by the petitioner.
The concept review is expected to provide the petitioner with initial comments and concerns from trustees that the petitioner can then use to make any necessary changes to their plans if they wish to do so as they continue to move forward in the formal review process.
Trustees are not expected final actions at the May 12 meeting regarding the proposed plans for the Panera Bread restaurant.
Once final plans are submitted, trustees will be required to vote for approval of a special use permit for a restaurant with a drive-through, approve of a new PUD and any necessary relief, and approve of a separate PUD to allow the construction of that second 1,890 square foot proposed retail building on the lot.
