Developer Chris Shaheen says he is close to inking a deal with Sammy’s Grill owner Sammy Nagem to develop a “sports bistro and patio bar” as a part of The Oasis, an entertainment-recreational complex he plans to create on a 6-acre plot at Burbank Drive and South Kenilworth.
“We are currently in negotiations with Sammy’s,” Shaheen confirms, noting the restaurant and bar will be a new concept and will not carry the Sammy’s namesake brand. “We are hoping to have everything tied up within the next two weeks and are hoping to start construction sometime at the end of May.”
The 5,500-square-foot restaurant will open out onto a 10,000-square-foot, climate-controlled deck that will include “the largest outdoor TV screen ever,” Shaheen says, adding that The Oasis will be big enough to host movie nights, video game tournaments and other such events. Phase one of construction will include the restaurant and bar, as well as an entertainment deck and five volleyball courts—all of which Shaheen estimates will cost $3 million.
“After that, we have an adjacent 1.5-acre tract that we’re going to probably develop into a reception hall,” Shaheen says, adding that the indoor 8,000- to 10,000-square-foot reception venue is a major attraction for Nagem because it will offer his restaurant frequent onsite catering opportunities. “We’re looking to host family reunions, high school reunions, socials and corporate events,” as well as The Oasis’ own events—”possibly an annual luau in the spring and in the fall a black tie formal on the deck.”
The Oasis will also offer virtual golf, and there are 3 acres of outparcels along Burbank that Shaheen plans to sell or lease.
“It’s kind of endless what we can do with this facility,” says Shaheen, who in December told Daily Report he was
scrapping plans to build townhomes as part of the development, which he first announced plans for in July 2012.
