New restaurant planned for Buffalo Grove

Fondue is out and noodles are in on the east side of Buffalo Grove's Plaza Verde shopping center.

Buffalo Grove trustees Monday amended their planning agreement with center developer Aetna Development allowing it to demolish the building currently occupied by The Melting Pot restaurant at the southwest corner of Dundee and Arlington Heights roads.

In its place will be a building occupied by three tenants. Lawrence Freedman, attorney for the developer, confirmed one of those tenants will be the pasta chain Noodles & Company.

The village board approved the amendment by a 4-2 vote. One of those voting against, Trustee Beverly Sussman, objected to the planned look of the new building, which will be rendered in brick and stone.

“There was nothing creative or different or original about it,” Sussman said of the plan. Of the design that was recommended by the village's plan commission, she said, “To me it looks like a three-car garage.”

But Freedman countered that the design had changed to reflect suggestions from both the plan commission and staff.

“This has been an evolving process,” he said.

The plan did undergo some changes during the plan commission's review. The plan recommended by the commission calls for a “stepped” design, with the center space slightly elevated. All four walls will have curved canopies to provide visual interest.

At the request of Trustee Jeffrey Berman, Freedman made it clear that The Melting Pot made the decision to leave because it was having difficulty at the location. He said The Melting Pot, which has not yet closed, will be leaving regardless of the board's decision.

Freedman said the new building will inject new life into the shopping center. “We think this will revitalize this center — this corner of it,” he said.