A Chipotle restaurant may soon be added to Forest Park's restaurant offerings, and the corner of Madison Street and Harlem Avenue may not sit vacant for much longer.

The village's Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) will hold a meeting Jan. 19 to discuss and potentially approve a drive-through for a proposed Chipotle restaurant at the intersection.

The restaurant is a project of Jay Javors of Midwest Property Group, Ltd., and is proposed to be a 2,400 square foot establishment with on-site parking for 23 cars.

The drive-through will provide pick-up for orders placed ahead of time; no ordering at the window will be allowed. This model works well especially during COVID times, but the restaurant will also have indoor dining in anticipation of eateries once more being allowed to serve customers inside. The restaurant may apply for a liquor license to serve beer and wine.

Extensive landscaping and a base for a "Welcome to Forest Park" sign are included in the initial plans.

The 21,000 square foot lot, which formerly housed a gas station and food mart, has been vacant since 2009.

According to previous reporting in the Review in 2013, the property was purchased by Forest Park Holdings LLC, which listed Javors as its manager, for $1.15 million from a real estate trust on Dec. 11, 2012.

In 2015, plans on the part of Midwest Property Group, Ltd., to develop a strip mall, including a drive-through Starbucks and an urgent care facility fell through.