New restaurant near mall revealed

Outback Steakhouse relocation planned

It appears that Outback Steakhouse is on the move.

Mentor Planning Commission on Dec. 21 will consider a preliminary site plan for the eatery to build a 6,550-square-foot restaurant on about an acre in Dillard’s parking lot at 7785 Plaza Blvd.

This would replace the restaurant at 8595 Market St., according to Ronald M. Traub, Mentor’s economic and community development director.

“The relocation of Outback to the Great Lakes Mall adds additional synergy to the mall’s evolution, and it creates an opportunity for repurposing the site on Market Street, sandwiched between two Penske dealerships,” he said, noting that it is well-suited for redevelopment by the automotive company.

A timeline for construction of the new Outback and closure of the existing one were unavailable. An attempt to reach project representative Jamie Butler was unsuccessful. A mall spokesman couldn’t be reached for comment.

Access to the site is proposed from the existing drives on Plaza Boulevard, Mentor Avenue and

Johnnycake Ridge Road. The city administration recommends that a sidewalk be installed along Plaza Boulevard.

The results of a trip generation study don’t indicate traffic impacts significant enough to warrant a traffic impact study, according to a staff report to the commission.

The report states that the BJ’s Brewhouse, Barnes & Noble and Max & Erma’s

buildings nearby are constructed principally of brick, and the administration is recommending that the east elevation of the Outback building be enhanced because it will be visible from the mall side.

A mural of Australia is proposed on the south elevation

of the building. City code prohibits wall signs painted directly on a building. The mural images on BJ’s Brewhouse were considered artwork because they were not intended to advertise a product associated with the restaurant, the report said.