Harrys' of Arlington to be expanded with atrium

Harrys' of Arlington, a restaurant in downtown Arlington Heights, will install an atrium over its outdoor dining area north of the building.

The 1,500-square-foot addition has been approved by the plan commission and the village board and will hopefully be completed by May, said Greg McCollum, an owner of the business at Vail Avenue and Campbell Street.

Jim Tinaglia of Tinaglia Architects in Inverness, told the plan commission that mixing a historic building with a modern addition is a technique often used in design.

The idea of the chalet-style building is to give diners the feel of being outdoors while providing the comfort of heat and air conditioning for year-round use, said Tinaglia.

The new area - which will open with accordion-style windows on two sides - can be split into two dining rooms and will have a bar with a brick pizza oven and a fireplace under beams and a glass ceiling.

There will still be outdoor seating along Vail Street, said McCollum, and in the future the owners will consider seating along Campbell to tie in with Harmony Park on the opposite side of the street.

The owners - Greg McCollum, his father, Harry McCollum Sr., and another son also named Harry - plan to remodel the existing restaurant by removing the stage and installing a new staircase to connect the new and old buildings.

The menu will be improved but not changed drastically, said Greg McCollum.

The family has owned the building for 16 years. It was built in 1893 as Reddeker General Store.

The south, or Campbell Street, side will have few changes, he said. The awnings will be removed and new signs and planters will be added.