Plans served to Avon Planning Commission for Panini’s Bar and Grill

Avon

By Rebecca Turman

The city of Avon may soon be able to add Panini’s Bar and Grill as a dining option for residents.

During the Oct. 19 Avon Planning Commission meeting, Ken Laurie of Orlean Company provided the first presentation of a site plan for a 5,200 square-foot Panini’s Bar and Grill. It would be built in the Marketplace at Avon retail development, located along the south side of Detroit Road and across the street from Avon Heritage North Elementary School.

The Orlean Company has been trying to reach agreement with the Westgates, who own the undeveloped property east of the retail establishment. On the site plans, city officials would like to see an access road built near the proposed Panini’s that would connect to Middleton Avenue through the Westgate property. In doing so, it would prevent another curb cut on Detroit Road should the Westgate property be developed in the future.

The previous developer of Marketplace at Avon, formerly called Heritage Square, had an option on the Westgate property, according to Avon Law Director John Gasior.

Laurie is supposed to meet with Westgate, but he said as of Oct. 19, “We just haven’t been able to finalize.”

In order to give them more time to reach a deal with the Westgates, Avon Mayor Jim Smith suggested waiting to vote on the site plans for a week or two, without making the developer pay the Planning Commission fees again.

“I would like to do this as much as anybody else,” Laurie said. “I want to do the right thing for the city and us.”

“(We’ll have) to look at the total plan once it’s completed,” Smith said. “Everybody I know likes Panini’s. It’s a good add to the community.”

The mayor added he doesn’t want to stall the project.

“It helps bring other things in,” he said. “(It’s) another one of those nice places we’d like to have.”

Commission members agreed to review the site plans again at a Nov. 2 meeting. If plans move forward, this would be the first Panini’s location to open in Lorain County, according to www.paninisgrill.com. The closest Panini’s to Avon is located at 23800 Detroit Ave. in Westlake.

After the meeting, Laurie told The Press the goal would be to open Panini’s in the late spring or early summer of 2012. He noted a deal with Panini’s, however, has not been etched in stone. A representative from Panini’s Franchise Group echoed Laurie’s statement in a recent interview, saying “At this time, there is nothing finalized.”

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