New Drawings for Bielenberg Sports Center Restaurant

New drawings for the restaurant at the Bielenberg Sports Center were unveiled Wednesday.

The restaurant is part of the $22 million sports center expansion project, which is expected to be complete next spring.

Gartner Restaurant Holdings will run the restaurant, slated for the second floor of the new lobby, along with a first-floor concession area.

It should be a “warm, comfortable” space with a  “lodge feel,” Greg Gartner told the Woodbury City Council at Wednesday’s workshop meeting. He’s also scouring the Twin Cities to find a “big-time chef” for the restaurant.

Gartner said he expects it will become a meeting place for the BSC, which will feature a splash pad, Madison’s Place playground and outdoor rink in addition to the existing ice arenas at the facility. (The upgrades for the arenas are nearly complete.)

There will be walls separating the restaurant space from viewing areas on the lobby’s second floor, along with a clear fireplace, casual seating, televisions, a coffee shop and juice bar, Gartner said.

There will also be second-floor space for apparel sales.

Councilman Paul Rebholz said he liked the designs, but added that the bar area—which Gartner was careful to call a “lunch counter”—was large, opening the door for him to question the wisdom of the city eventually allowing a liquor license for the establishment.

“I don’t want it to look like a bar,” he said. “It’s a bar/restaurant.”

Rebholz said some parents might have concerns bringing young children to a restaurant where booze is being served. Councilman Burns echoed the comments.

The council won’t likely decide on whether to issue a liquor license until next spring, and has previously discussed the matter at length.

Related: Bielenberg Restaurant: Lease Looks Likely, Liquor in Limbo

As for the first-floor concession area, it will also feature a window to the outdoor pleasure rink where people can get hotdogs or popcorn or ice cream or hot chocolate.

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