Aurora is looking at rezoning for a new restaurant at a large West Side intersection.
Aldermen on the Building, Zoning and Economic Development Committee on Wednesday recommended rezoning and final plat approval of a subdivision at the southwest corner of Lake Street and Indian Trail.
Under the plan, the 1.5-acre site would be home to Mariscos El Vallartizo, a seafood restaurant and the fourth to be opened by Martha Delgadillo. She told members of the committee she also owns restaurants in West Chicago and Joliet, as well as one in North Carolina.
The property, a former commercial property that has been closed for a while, is made up of four parcels. Three of them are zoned B-3 for business and one is R-1 residential, because it has an old house on it. The owner is in the process of getting permits to demolish the house.
At one time, the property held a liquor store, and a member of the family lived behind the store in the house.
The developer is looking to get B-3 zoning for the whole parcel.
Tracey Vacek, Aurora senior planner, said B-3 zoning was chosen because most of the property already has that zoning. It also matches the B-3 zoning running west along Indian Trail.
Delgadillo would use about 8,000 square feet of the building for the restaurant, and the rest of the building would be restaurant storage. There would be 77 parking spaces on the property.
The owners also are asking for several setback variances from both Indian Trail and Lake Street for the development.
Delgadillo said the seafood restaurant could be open in four to five months.
That intersection – considered a key one along a main entrance to Aurora – has been problematic for Ald. Michael Saville, 6th Ward, who has seen several other developers look into doing something there.
He said the renderings of the restaurant look “beautiful.”
“I look forward to having this business in my ward,” he said.
The entire City Council will get a look at the proposal at the Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday night.
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