P.J. Whelihan's Wants to Raze Restaurant

P.J. Whelihan's wants to raze its restaurant on 4595 Broadway and replace it with a new 9,240-square-foot eatery.

The new restaurant would be about 2.5 times the size of the current one.

According to a public notice by the South Whitehall planners, P.J. Whelihan's wants to consolidate and redevelop the properties at 4595 Broadway and 4570 W. Tilghman St.

Owners Robert Platzer and Polaris Corner L.P. will go before the planners at their April 18 meeting.

Plans also call for a 114-space parking lot, up from the current 60-space parking lot. 

P.J. Whelihan’s is known for its wings and sauces, as well as its crinkle-cut fries. It is housed in a structure built in 1870, according to Lehigh County assessment records.

The restaurant was the second in a chain of restaurants in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The first, originally named Platz’s Inn, opened in Lehighton in 1983. 

The section of South Whitehall where P.J. Whelihan's is located is undergoing a lot of change. St. Luke's University Health Network has transformed the former Builder's Square into West End Medical Center. Across the street at Tilghman Square, Univest Bank is proposing to move its local headquarters into a new building. Other retail stores also are planned.