Melting Pot Redevelopment Plans Approved

Redevelopment plans for site took a step forward Monday when Buffalo Grove officials approved the design of the building that will be constructed in place of the fondue restaurant at the southwest corner of Dundee and Arlington Heights Roads.

The building, which is part of the Plaza Verde development, will feature a brick and stone exterior with a tiered roofline, which will help provide distinction for the three eateries that will occupy the space.

One of those restaurants will be Noodles & Company, which is about to sign a lease, said Lawrence Freedman, lawyer for the property owner. The names of the two other restaurants have not yet been announced, as they are not as far into the agreement process, he said.

Each of the three restaurants will be distinguished by a decorative, arched awning as an exterior accent, and will be allotted patio seating.

The plans received unanimous approval by the Plan Commission, but did not please all members of the Village Board, which ultimately approved the design with a 4-2 vote.

“To me, it looks like a three-car garage, and I feel it does nothing to enhance the Village of Buffalo Grove,” Trustee Beverly Sussman said. She opposed the plans, as did Steve Trilling, who raised questions about how the equally divided exterior of the building would be reconciled with the three different square footages of the restaurants inside.

David Mangurten, the project’s architect, said the design had been improved upon since trustees last reviewed it. He said the building will “energize” that corner of the shopping center.

Freedman that The Melting Pot would leave Buffalo Grove regardless of whether the redevelopment plans were approved. The restaurant’s owners said months ago that they were “having difficulty at that location,” and have since signed an agreement terminating their tenancy, Freedman said.

Officials did not discuss Monday a timeline for The Melting Pot’s closure or demolition, but previously said that the process would be a swift one, with at least one of the new restaurants expected to open for business this fall.