SAUGUS — The Sears Automotive building in front of the Square One Mall will be transformed into a four-unit commercial development with a nearly 200-seat Longhorn Steakhouse.
The $3 million construction project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2019 and the restaurant expects to open at the end of 2019 or the beginning of 2020.
Crews can work from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays beginning in March, as approved by the Planning Board with a site plan review earlier this month.
The proposal is for a 192-seat restaurant with TVs. It would be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and would stay open until 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
A conceptual drawing, created by Bohler Engineering and submitted in a package sent to the Board of Selectmen on Aug. 2, shows four units in the building, including the 6,400-square-foot restaurant and three other spaces just over 4,000-square-feet each.
Developers will reuse the existing footprint and replace maintenance bays with van doors for deliveries and other back-of-house operations.
The restaurant secured a liquor license held by New Ki-Ku-Ya, Inc., which was doing business as Sake Japanese Restaurant.
LongHorn Steakhouse’s parent organization, Darden Restaurants, Inc., is a publicly traded company based in Florida and affiliated with more than 1,500 restaurants across the United States. The group owns several restaurant chains including The Capital Grille, Olive Garden, and Yard House.
The Planning Board requested a drainage report that conforms to the Department of Environmental Protection standards that shows that the project doesn’t increase water runoff.
“A lot of the newer construction in the mixed-use area — the town is looking for less of the flat-roofed buildings,” said member Dorothy Poppe.
She added that while it’s not required by zoning, most other developments in the area have opted against them. She also questioned the materials that will be used in the curbing and why they couldn’t install a fence dividing a neighborhood from the parking lot.
The Planning Board unanimously approved the site plan review with about 30 conditions, including compliance with the Fire Department and Department of Public Works.
