More restaurants are coming to South Iowa Street.

Construction work has begun on an 8,800-square-foot retail building along 31st Street in front of the Best Buy store. Work is scheduled to begin in October on a 12,000-square-foot building farther east on 31st Street, in front of the Home Depot store.

Pam Peterson, a broker with Kansas City, Mo.-based Block & Co., said Wednesday no tenants had been found for the buildings, but that the company was seeking to land two restaurants for the area.

The new eateries would be in addition to On the Border Mexican restaurant and Longhorn Steakhouse, both of which recently were developed as part of the Home Depot and Best Buy project.

Restaurant Guide

Peterson said her company had no concern about the area becoming crowded with too many restaurants. In addition to the new entries, there are several others in the vicinity.

“If you get them all together it becomes a sort of destination spot in the community,” Peterson said. “People can drive out there and have a lot of options to pick and choose where they want to eat.”

Peterson said the company was looking for quick-casual type of restaurant chains.

“We’re looking for something that is different than what’s out there now,” Peterson said.

Work on an 8,800-square-foot retail building is under way in the parking lot of Home Depot and Best Buy at 31st and Iowa streets. The site, pictured on Wednesday, is located at the south end of the parking lot along 31st Street. Kansas City, Mo.-based Block & Co. is hoping the development will attract a couple of quick-casual restaurants.

Quick-casual restaurants are a cross between traditional casual restaurants, like Longhorn Steakhouse and On the Border, and traditional fast-food restaurants.

Peterson declined to mention names of possible tenants, but chains considered quick-casual restaurants run the gamut from Chipotle Mexican Grille to Panera Bread Co. Peterson said speculation Red Lobster was eyeing the site was false.

In addition to the restaurants, the two buildings will have room for other retail and service businesses, she said.

“It could be a lot of things,” Peterson said. “Maybe a service type of store that has UPS or FedEx services, a nail salon, maybe a few small shops.”

Work on the 8,800-square-foot building is expected to be completed in October or November, which is when work likely will begin on the larger building to the east.