Update: City Plan Commission MIA, Buffalo Wild Wings Rescheduled
The iconic restaurant is looking at a space on Durand Avenue in front of Regency Mall, but the lack of a quorum at a scheduled Planning Commission meeting means company representatives have to come back on March 13.
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**Updated 7:30 a.m. Feb. 28
Sports and wing lovers, your rejoicing about Buffalo Wild Wings opening in Racine may have to wait a little longer.
The Journal Times is reporting that a lack of a quorum Wednesday for a required public hearing with the city Plan Commission pushes the restaurant's opening back a few weeks.
Only Attorney Elaine Ekes was in attendance while other members of the commission were out of town, rehabbing a house and didn't hear their phone ring, sick, plowing snow or driving a child somewhere. But, seven people from BW3 - as it's commonly known - were able to attend from various locations throughout the Midwest.
According to Jill Johannack, associate planner for the City of Racine, the company is looking at the location of the former Lone Star Steakhouse at 5880 Durand Avenue. That restaurant closed last November, and, according to a story that ran in The Journal Times, the company was retaining ownership of the land to potentially put up a new restaurant.
Reporter Michael Burke quotes Regency Mall Manager Curt Pruitt as saying Wednesday he was embarrassed that this was how Racine was introduced and that one executive muttered, "'Welcome to Racine, Wis: not open for business.'"
A new date of March 13 has been set for another try at a public hearing, which is required because of the condition use permit BW3 will need to operate their restaurant.
Johannack confirmed that BW3 will tear down the Lone Star building and put up a new structure, but wasn't sure if the restaurants are owned by the same parent company.
"They do plan to demo the current structure and put up something completely new," she said. "I know they hope to be open this fall in time for the fall sports season."
Tracy Micheau, a regional marketing manager for Buffalo Wild Wings, confirmed a restaurant is slated to open here by the fourth quarter.
Paperwork submitted to the Plan Commission indicates the new restaurant means 30 new, full-time jobs for the area.
USAF ret
11:05 am on Monday, February 25, 2013
That is very good news. They will do extremely well in that location.
Laurie P
12:21 pm on Monday, February 25, 2013
Yum yum....bring it Racine!!!!
Ed Holladay
2:36 pm on Monday, February 25, 2013
Thank God we are getting rid of the Lone Star eye-sore. That place was a disaster in the dining room even. I hope BW3 does well.
Heather Asiyanbi
2:40 pm on Monday, February 25, 2013
This makes me very happy, too! We enjoyed Wing Stop and were sad to see it go. BW3, of course, is beyond awesome.
Fred Fischer
10:17 pm on Monday, February 25, 2013
I love chicken wings!!!!
Eric
9:08 pm on Thursday, February 28, 2013
Should we laugh or cry over the failure of the City Plan Comission to assemble a quorom? I doubt BWW reps are laughing, and we'll be crying should this lead to the development being killed rather than just a delay. Is there someone responsible for insuring city reps attend meetings, a leader or manager? Embarassing and sad. I thought city employees were supposed to work on our behalf.
JW
7:44 pm on Sunday, March 31, 2013
BW3s will be good... we will use that regularly if it comes... just as we tend to do Texas Roadhouse nearly weekly. There is a reason why my family eats at some places regularly and others nearly never at all:... quality food and service for decent prices. Fail on any of those and we either will visit less, or stop visiting at all. We used to do Lone Star a few years ago, but the quality went really far down hill there to the point where we stopped going. We used to eat Applebees more often too, but the quality there has also trended the wrong direction and now we rarely do.