Next time you eat at Grendel's Den Restaurant, be sure to stop and take in the scenery, because it may not be the same for long.

Last Tuesday, the Cambridge Historical Commission approved plans for a major restructuring of the area surrounding the restaurant.

After months of wrangling, the owner of the property, Eliot Square Development Corporation (ESDC), finally presented a plan acceptable to the Commission.

The rebuilt area will include a new seven-story residential building to be built behind Grendel's, on the current site of the Holy Cross Armenian Catholic Church and the Shilla Korean and Japanese restaurant.

But the plan is not a sure thing just yet, cautions the commission's executive director, Charles M. Sullivan. It must first be approved by the City Planning Board in hearings to be held sometime in the future.

ESDC also provided a plan to save Tweeter Etc., a small electronics store, that would have moved the building a few yards up Mt. Auburn Street toward JFK Street.

But the commission decided not to push for full landmark status for Grendel's and Tweeter Etc. Instead, it agreed to have certain "preservation restrictions" placed on the property. These restrictions give the city about the same level of control over changes to the exterior of the building, and give the developer special tax breaks as an incentive for agreeing to the restrictions.

This method is not uncommon for ensuring preservation of historically significant buildings, according to Sullivan, who estimates that the commission holds about 30 such restriction agreements on various properties around the city.

The developers appear satisfied with the agreement. Still, Daniel Crane '72, attorney for Intercontinental Construction, the company in charge of replacing the buildings, emphasizes the cost of meeting the commission's demands.

"My client has taken a hit, an economic hit, in coming forward with this proposal," Crane says, but nevertheless "he has decided it's worth it."

Eliot Square Development Corporation and Intercontinental Construction are both owned by the Palandjian family.

Tweeter: Movin' On Up

Carol S. Chiles, who is with the architectural firm in charge of design, Tsoi-Kobus and Associates, presented detailed drawings and models showing the new arrangement of Grendel's and Tweeter Etc. at the meeting, which lasted more than five hours.

If the plan is approved by the City Planning Board, Tweeter Etc. will be rotated 180 degrees and moved up Mt. Auburn St. by a "house-moving specialist" to its new home facing Winthrop Park and JFK St., Chiles says.

This would create a small court-yard between Grendel's and Tweeter Etc. which will form the entrance to the new building behind the two existing properties.