A Panda Express restaurant is coming to Valparaiso, though it will be smaller and in a different location than originally planned.
The eatery initially was slated to be built by the summer of 2015 north of Noodles & Company at 61 Silhavy Road. Now, a smaller version will replace the empty bank building at 2904 John Howell Drive, west of the Red Robin.
It will connect to Indiana 2/LaPorte Avenue directly when the proposed 2019 roundabout at Silhavy and LaPorte is installed.
Architect Eric J. Abeln of Heights Architecture and Design of Houston said the 2,600-square-foot restaurant will be built in spring 2017 after the bank is torn down. Instead of the “bright and fresh” 3,000-square-foot concept the company developed in 2013 and he presented to the Site Review Committee in February 2014, it will be the more basic “warm and welcome concept” with lots of wood, Abeln said.
It still will have a drive-through, he said at a recent committee meeting.
Abeln said he has been talking to the Indiana Department of Transportation for permission and also will talk with the city. The access to Indiana 2 will ease traffic that tries to turn left from John Howell onto Silhavy, he said.
The restaurant received two variances from city code at a recent Board of Zoning Appeals meeting. One allows for the restaurant to be in the Indiana 49 corridor and the other allows the restaurant’s setback to be 61 feet from LaPorte instead of 90.
Also at the meeting, Michelle Prosser brought in plans for an unnamed wine bar at 23 Washington Street to open in spring 2017. Now manager of the wine selection at Kelsey’s Steak & Seafood, she said she plans for indoor and outdoor seating at the southwest corner of Washington and Jefferson Street. She also plans to offer cured meats and cheeses from Valparaiso’s Old World Market.
James D. Wolf Jr. is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.