Taco Bell Hopes to Return to Richfield in Former Burger King Spot

Richfield may once again be home to a Taco Bell in the near future.

The Richfield City Council will hold a public hearing Tuesday regarding a conditional use permit and variances for the business to revamp the former Burger King building at 140 E. 78th St.

Burger King closed its doors last year after a fruitless attempt to be included late in the redevelopment of the adjacent Menards property. Taco Bell had a Richfield location on 66th Street near Penn Avenue that closed, and is now occupied by Mediterranean restaurant Aida.

Read: Burger King Shutters Doors

According to the council's agenda, city staff believes that Taco Bell's parent company, Border Foods, Inc., has met all code and zoning requirements in its proposal, and has applied for variances were requirements cannot be met.

However, the proposal is facing some opposition from next door. In two letters dated April 16 and May 1, and at the April 22 Richfield Planning Commission public hearing, Menards representative Theron Berg spoke against the proposed project. Much of Berg's concerns centered around the aesthetics of the building and site.

"We object to the proposed plans because they fall short of the upgrade in materials and site design that should guide the development of this property," Berg wrote in the April 16 letter. "If the city recommends approval of this property the site plan and elevations should be upgraded to a much higher level."

In Berg's May 1 letter, he stated the proposal is nothing more than a prototype:

"The proposed store is part of a corporate makeover Taco Bell is undergoing to update the look of the store and keep the costs of building down."

Berg included recent articles and photos of the company's redesign, which can be seen on pages 131-146 on the attached PDF.

The planning commission recommended the project in a 4-1 vote. Following Tuesday's public hearing, the council will render its decision on the conditional use permit and variance requests.

Richfield Patch will update readers as more information becomes available.

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Other related articles:

• Burger King Shutters Doors
• Burger King Sues City For Menards Decision
• Menards Triumphs In 'Battle' With Burger King
• Richfield City Officials Express Concerns About Menards Redevelopment Plans