Banquet facility proposed for Des Plaines Park District building at Lake Opeka

A banquet center is planned for the Des Plaines Park District building that’s already home to the Foxtail on the Lake restaurant.

A 3,647-square-foot facility is envisioned for ground-floor space inside the Lakeview Center, 1177 Howard Ave. Foxtail on the Lake opened on the main floor late last year.

The building houses park district offices, too.

Overlooking Lake Opeka from within Lake Park, the Lakeview Center formerly was the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. The park district bought the roughly 3-acre property in 2021.

The privately owned Foxtail on the Lake restaurant is a sister eatery to the Downers Grove restaurant the Foxtail. Both are owned by David Villegas and Tim Canning.

The creation of the banquet facility won’t require a building expansion or exterior alterations, city documents indicate.

Additional parking spaces will be created in an area that’s now landscaped, said Samantha Redman, a senior planner for the city.

The city council on Monday approved a conditional use permit for the proposed banquet facility and tentatively approved a liquor license for it. A final vote on the liquor license will be held at a future council meeting.