The Lumberyard to bring new restaurant space to downtown McKinney

A new restaurant space called The Lumberyard is coming to Historic Downtown McKinney.

The project, located at the southeast corner of East Louisiana Street and South Chestnut Street, includes the demolition of the existing structure and the construction of a new two-story building, according to city documents.

The new building, called The Lumberyard, will be nearly 10,000 square feet across two floors, including a patio and a balcony each spanning over 1,000 square feet, according to city documents.

The property owner intends to fill the space with one restaurant tenant but noted the possibility of having two tenants or retail uses on the site, according to a presentation at an April 25 meeting of the McKinney Planning and Zoning Commission.

The original building was built in the late 1920s and was originally a lumberyard, according to a presentation by city staff at a November meeting of the McKinney Historic Preservation Advisory Board.

“I love seeing that side of the square starting to grow and develop, so I think this is great,” board member Mallori Hanes said of the project. “I’m excited that y’all are doing this, and I can’t wait to see it in the future.”

The board approved a request for a certificate or appropriateness to demolish the existing building due to foundation issues at the November meeting. The planning and zoning commission also approved requested design variances for the project.