Upscale Mexican restaurant tabbed for Vernon Hills office building makeover
The renovation of a prominently located office building in Vernon Hills could include a Mexican restaurant chain noted for its made-from-scratch menu items.
Vernon Hills officials agree with the concept for the makeover of the two-story, 55,000-square-foot Weiss building on the northwest corner of routes 60 and 21 on the perimeter of Westfield Hawthorn shopping center that includes an Uncle Julio's restaurant as an anchor.
The Texas-based chain has restaurants in several states, including on North Avenue in Chicago that has been operating since 1993, as well as in Lombard, Orland Park and Skokie. An Uncle Julio's also is scheduled to open soon in Naperville, according to Robert Lathem, director of new facilities.
A lease for 850/870 N. Milwaukee Ave. has not been finalized, but the chain remains "very interested" in the Vernon Hills location, he said.
"It's a little bit different in the design. We have 22 restaurants. The last two are a little bit more polished casual, a little more modern in design," Lathem said. He described the restaurant as being different from the typical Tex-Mex cuisine.
"Julio's is a from-scratch kitchen where everything is freshly made daily," he said. The restaurant is known for its fajitas, which include filet mignon, red snapper and shrimp varieties, as well as margaritas.
The floor plan and design is in progress, but the restaurant is expected to seat 225 to 250 inside and 75 to 100 outside, Latham said.
Uncle Julio's is the centerpiece of the most recent concept for the building by Centrum Partners LLC, the contract purchaser, which has spent more than a year trying to determine an acceptable use. Initially, Centrum wanted to demolish the office building and replace it with restaurants and retail uses in three separate buildings.
The village board last spring rejected that idea, saying it was not the best use on the high-visibility corner. The latest plan calls for facade improvements, resurfaced parking lot, outdoor dining, and a full liquor license. A portion of the floor slab on the south side of the building would be removed to create a grand entrance for Uncle Julio's, according to Centrum.
The restaurant would be on the south end of the building. Northwestern Medical would occupy a majority of the space on the north end, with 20,286 square feet on the first floor and a 1,418-square-foot North Shore Primary Care facility on the second floor. Three other retail spaces, including a T-Mobile, are proposed.
The village board approved a more detailed review before a required public hearing and requested the facade be more uniform in color and design.
Parking also is an issue. The uses as proposed would require 345 parking spaces, but there are only 144 on site. Overflow parking in the adjacent mall lot is considered unlikely, as the restaurant would be regarded as competition, according to the village. Valet parking is one possibility.
"We have several different options," Latham said. "It's still in discussion how we handle parking."