Akira Back TI in The Colony, TX

The Akira Back TI project, filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), involved the interior finish out of a restaurant shell within an existing building at 5765 Grandscape Blvd. in The Colony. This addition totaled 4,215 sq ft, with an estimated construction cost of $800,000. The work was classified as additions to an existing building in Denton County, situated on private land for private use.

Led by owner LMG Ventures LLC dba Grandscape, the project utilized Merriman Anderson Architects as the design firm of record. Bonita L Anderson served as the registered accessibility specialist. The filing indicated a construction start in January 2020, with a scheduled completion date of July 2020. TDLR closed the project file in July 2020, which marks the end of the accessibility review process for this construction.

Cost and Scope Context

At $190 per square foot, the project's cost per square foot is above the county median of $151 for similar additions. The total estimated cost of $800,000 is also above the Denton County median of $420,000 for comparable filings. The scheduled build window of 182 days was close to the county median of 153 days. This scale places it among the larger interior finish projects in the region during that period.

The site is located in ZIP code 75056, where U.S. Census estimates indicate a population of about 67,978 and a median household income of $116,806. The area is primarily owner-occupied, with a median home value of $414,600. This geographic detail confirms the site is not in a designated high-risk flood area.

Related Filings and Design

Merriman Anderson Architects has registered six other projects with TDLR, totaling $135,123,000. These include developments in Austin, Plano, Waco, Pflugerville, and Dallas. LMG Ventures LLC dba Grandscape has one other registered project in The Colony valued at $110,000, which is also marked as inspection complete. The consistency in design firm and ownership across these filings suggests a coordinated development approach in the area.

Third-party sources provide additional context about the business. A Texas Monthly article noted that chef Akira Back extended his global empire to The Colony, describing it as a departure from his usual style. Yelp listings for the address show a rating of 4.4 based on 107 reviews, though the listing is marked as closed. TripAdvisor reviews describe the restaurant as offering modern Japanese cuisine with five-star service. These external mentions reflect the business's operational presence, distinct from the construction record.

The TDLR record confirms the physical construction was completed and the file closed in July 2020. This status indicates the accessibility review process is finished. The project's specific scope, cost, and location are documented in the filing, providing a clear picture of the construction activity. The combination of private funding, specific design, and completed status offers a complete view of this addition to the Grandscape development.