A drawing of the proposed Eldridge expansion.

The plan to fill in the vacant lot south of the Eldridge Hotel is welcome news for downtown.

The hotel’s owners have unveiled a creative plan that would add a restaurant, bar and banquet space for the hotel along with 16 new hotel rooms. Parts of the building’s roof would be retractable, and glass storefronts would swing open to create an outdoor cafe setting on the ground floor.

Officials reviewing the plans will need to consider parking, the plan’s compatibility with nearby historical structures and other nuts-and-bolts issues, but the expansion could open up new options for events in downtown Lawrence — not to mention getting rid of a vacant lot that is one of downtown’s biggest eyesores.