Hunington Residential will develop a 276-unit apartment community on the site of the iconic Vargo’s restaurant near the Memorial area of Houston. The new apartment community will be named Vargos on the Lake, a tribute to the famous eatery that operated on the site for decades.

The lush Vargo’s site, 2411 Fondren Road, near Woodway, covers nine acres. The restaurant closed in 2012 after serving as a memorable venue for weddings, proms and memorial gatherings. Vargo’s shady ground was covered with trees, azaleas and a lake that was often surrounded by peacocks that graced the grounds.

The restaurant was opened by Al Vargo in 1965 and sold in 1996 before going though a number of ownership changes.

The developer of the multifamily community, Hunington Residential, is led by Houston real estate veteran Sandy P. Aron, who has been in the business for 35 years.

Steinberg Design Collaborative designed the new multifamily project, which will break ground at the end of the month and be completed in the summer of 2014.

Lush site grounds will retain the beauty of the Lake Vargo view that helped make the restaurant there so popular. Extensive new landscaping planning will be provided by E.L.I Land Design.

“Vargos on the Lake is an exciting project for Hunington Residential, and for the city of Houston,” says Kate Good, director of residential for Hunington. “A development of this caliber will bring tremendous value to the area and offer our residents an active, upscale and unique living experience with unmatched on-site services for our residents, all situated on the beautiful grounds of the highly celebrated Vargo’s.”

The design includes a resort style pool with a custom "water tree" feature and a modern one-off cabana with gas terrace fire pit overlooking Lake Vargo. The development also calls for a courtyard centered around a series of reflection pools and an off-leash dog park. The apartment community will have electric vehicle charging stations and solar panels to power the pool area.