A new look for old McDonald's on Golf Road in Arlington Heights

An old McDonald's in Arlington Heights will get a new look this fall.

With the village board's approval Monday night, construction is scheduled to begin within weeks on renovations to the 23-year-old restaurant at 45 E. Golf Road on the village's south side.

When complete after an estimated two months of construction, the fast food spot will mirror many of the other Golden Arches eateries that have also been refreshed across the suburbs.

That includes new interior seating and LEDs, updating bathrooms for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and adding one more drive-through lane to handle extra car orders.

The second lane will mean a loss of seven spaces in the parking lot — from 37 to 30 — but a parking study found that only 27 spaces are needed at peak times. And, company officials say, about three-quarters of the burger chain's business today comes from the drive-through.

Construction will kick off in October on the drive-through, but ordering from vehicles will still be available during that time, said Edgar Herrera, the location's owner/operator.

Then, once the renovation project moves inside, the dining room will be closed for about four weeks, though service from the drive-through will remain available, he said.

The building itself will get a “total new look,” said Dan Olson of Watermark Engineering, which is the civil engineer on the project.

Construction crews will remove the existing copper mansard roof and replace it with a flat gray roof, extend parapet walls, and paint existing materials to match. New signs will also be installed on the building, along with changeable digital menu boards in the drive-through.

The village board Monday approved nine variations for various signs because the restaurant is located in what's considered the village's office-transitional zoning district, even though the restaurant is a commercial property. The board also authorized changes to the approved 1996 site plan to allow construction of the additional drive-through lane.

“The design of the building and the signage looks really nice,” said Trustee Robin LaBedz.

Per village officials' recommendation, McDonald's also plans to replace a 6-foot privacy fence that borders residential homes to the south.