Springfield building comes down where Panda Express will go up
Nov. 5—Crews demolished a building in front of the Kohl's department store in the Bechtle Crossing shopping center this week.
Panda Express plans to build a stand-alone restaurant on the property where the former Portrait Innovations building was demolished on North Bechtle Avenue.
It's been confirmed that the property will be a Panda Express, but it's unknown when construction will start on the project, according to Stephen Thompson, the community development deputy director for Springfield.
The address of the property is listed as 1602 N. Bechtle Ave. It was sold in February to a new owner, CFT NV DEVELOPMENTS LLC, for $900,000, according to the Clark County Auditor's website.
The building permit was initially issued in September after a revised building plan was sent in August. Additional plans also were sent in earlier this week, according to Springfield's Building Regulations. An electrical permit was issued in October. The building permit expires a year from when it was issued, so essentially construction can start any time within that time period.
The site plan for the project was previously approved by Springfield commission, and zoning was approved for the 0.39-acre plot along North Bechtle to allow for the construction of a new restaurant with a drive-through.
Thompson previously said the city has been in talks with Klover Architects, which was working on behalf of Panda Express, but they were not able to be reached for comment.
Residents in Clark County expressed their opinions about the city's upcoming addition to the food scene.
"I hope they make the dining area nice and welcoming. This is where a lot of local Chinese restaurants are weak. Not saying you have to have a full bar and candle light, but at least ditch the the fluorescent/LED lights and have some nice seating so it's not like eating at the Sam's Club café," said Wario Suarez via Facebook.
Some residents are excited about the new fast-food place, while others have concerns.
"Panda Express has always been a great place, so it's nice they chose to plant roots in Springfield. I can't wait to see how it turns out," Jessica Eikleberry said.
"I haven't been to a Panda Express since the pandemic because they were so limited on options. I'm excited to try the one here," said Megan Garrison.
Marti Yockey said she would rather have a Waffle House because there are too many Chinese, pizza and chicken places.
Panda Express is a family owned company that opened its first restaurant in 1983 and now has more than 2,000 locations. The casual, fast-food concept had been known for its locations in food courts inside shopping malls but now has stand-alone sites and is found inside universities, airports and other places.
The potential for a Panda Express restaurant follows the news of others coming to Springfield, including a Chick-fil-A that will open in late winter at 1740 N. Bechtle Ave. and a Skyline Chili being built on Goodwin Avenue.
