Rendering of proposed development at 27th and Iowa streets.

With apologies to the pilgrims, forget about turkey for a moment. Think chicken, a pile of mayonnaise the size of the Mayflower, and a few pickles just for the heck of it. Yes, renew the cholesterol medicine, do the Chicken Dance, do whatever you need to do to prepare, but indeed Chick-fil-A has filed plans to open a restaurant in Lawrence.

I reported back in December that Chick-fil-A had expressed some interest in locating next to the Dick’s Sporting Goods at 27th and Iowa streets. Well, it took awhile, but the company has now filed plans to build a 4,800-square-foot store in the parking lot of the Dick’s Sporting Goods development. No word on when the location will open, but I would guess within the next 12 months, assuming that the project wins the fairly routine planning approvals it needs from Lawrence City Hall.

If you are not familiar with Chick-fil-A, they are “Home to the Original Chicken Sandwich.” (I always tell them not to serve me that one because I think it would be mighty stale.) The restaurant has about 10 different chicken items on the menu, ranging from crispy and grilled sandwiches to nuggets and strips, and even chicken salad sandwiches. But the menu also includes wraps, salads, breakfast items and desserts. The company has operated a food court version of its restaurant in the Wescoe dining area on the KU campus, but this will mark its first full-scale restaurant in Lawrence.

Rendering of proposed development at 27th and Iowa streets.

As for the shopping center Chick-fil-A is going into, the corner of 27th and Iowa streets continues to gain momentum. Dick’s Sporting Goods is already open. Construction work is underway to build a new PetSmart next to the Dick’s store. The Wichita-based development group that is redeveloping the former Sears site still has space for at least one, and maybe two more retailers, according to the plans I have seen. The development has about 9,000 square feet on the northern end of the building that could accommodate a retailer, and when an update on the development’s plans were filed in June, it showed room for about a 5,000 square foot retailer on the south end of the development. See the plans below. If you are keeping track at home, that one location that used to house an underutilized Sears store is set to house four new retailers and a restaurant.

I’ll keep my ears open about what else may be going into the development, and, of course, will keep my eyes peeled for the cargo planes full of mayonnaise landing at Lawrence Municipal Airport, which will be a sign that Chick-fil-A will soon open.

In other news and notes from around town:

• I’m beginning my stretching routine. No, I’m not talking about picking out the elastic pants I will wear for the opening day of Chick-fil-A. I’ve had those ever since my wife discarded her maternity clothes. I’m talking about stretching for the opening of the city’s new downtown ice rink.

photo by: Richard Gwin

Lawrence Parks and Recreation worker Matthew Cosgrove readies decorations at the Library Plaza Skate Rink, at Lawrence Public Library, Seventh and Vermont streets, on Monday, Nov. 24, 2014. The grand opening of the new downtown rink will be held at 3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 28. The rink will be open Monday-Friday until Jan. 5. For more information, go to ljworld.com/icerink.

City officials have finalized the details of the grand opening event. The rink, of course, is in the plaza area between the Lawrence Public Library and the new city parking garage along Vermont Street. The city will hold a brief grand opening celebration at 3 p.m. Friday, and then the rink will be open to skaters. (I can only assume the official grand opening ceremony will involve Vice Mayor Jeremy Farmer tossing Mayor Mike Amyx, who will do a perfect triple axel over the library’s copy of War and Peace, but the city press release didn’t provide those details.)

The rink’s normal hours will be 4 to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays, and 1 to 6 p.m. Sundays. But the rink will have special hours in the days right before and after Christmas. From Dec. 20 to Jan. 5, the rink will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It will be open from 1 to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays; and 1 to 6 p.m. Sundays.

The city will charge $3 per person to skate on the rink, and that includes skate rentals. The city is not allowing anyone to bring personal skates to use at the rink. The rink is made synthetic ice, which city officials said need very sharp skates for the best experience. The city will require people to rent skates to ensure that all skates have a sufficient sharpness. Children 10 years old and younger must be accompanied by an adult at the rink.