Cohn Restaurant Group Plans Bayside Mexican Restaurant & Event Center

This morning, the Cohn Restaurant Group held a groundbreaking ceremony at 880 Harbor Island Drive to officially announce a new 24,000-square-foot dining and entertainment venue that will share a parking lot with the CRG's C Level and Island Prime.

Partnering with Sunroad Enterprises, the hospitality group is embarking on their 23rd restaurant, which co-founder David Cohn called it the "most exciting project" they've ever been involved in.

The still-unnamed restaurant (at one point it was dubbed Coral) has been eight years in the making at the site of the former Ruben E. Lee paddlewheeler; instead of a floating barge, there will now be a floating event center for everything from concerts to weddings, with capacity for 1,000 on an outdoor deck and 300 in an adjoining banquet room.

On land, a 322-seat restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating, multiple bars and views of the bay and downtown skyline will serve regional Mexican food. Parter/chef Deborah Scott says there will be recognizable dishes on the menu with modern, elevated preparations.

When the 10+ million dollar complex launches, likely by Spring/Summer 2015, there will be new public walkways that'll allow the public to finally access the east end of Harbor Island.