St. Charles soon will say goodbye to a popular eating place.

The 5,720-square-foot structure of the Manor Restaurant, 1 W. Main St., is slated to be destroyed by early next week to pave the way for an office building.

Although the Manor moved to South Elgin in 2006, the St. Charles spot, overlooking the Fox River, was a popular eating place for many residents.

“It was popular because it was centrally located,” Downtown Partnership Director David Richards said. “It was a great place for business in the morning. It was a good central location for everybody.”

In its place, Marshall Architects will build a four-story, 30,000-square-foot structure, as the next step in the First Street re-development project. The old Blue Goose Grocery Store on Illinois Street closed earlier this year and moved to its new location on 300 S. Second Street.

“It will be a great new icon for the downtown district,” Richards said.

The Manor may not be the last riverside restaurant at the location. The top three levels of the new building will be designated for office space, but there will be an option for a restaurant on the first and basement floors.

“We’re just excited about having that site used again for an exciting new business and having a new building downtown,” Richards said.

The site was purchased by Maurice McNally, owner of McNally’s Irish Pub, and Hotel Baker chief executive officer Joe Salas in 2004. The Manor remained on Main Street until late 2006 and was scheduled to move to a location in the downtown district. However, a legal battle ensued and the restaurant moved to South Elgin.

“It was a landmark in the sense that it was a well-known establishment,” said Historic Preservation Commissioner Kim Malay. “We are definitely moving forward, and the new structure is really going to enhance that corner.”

The restaurant was previously known as the Log Cabin. The structure was built in 1940, and received several renovations including a new roof top in 1968. Malay said the structure housed a smaller, cabin-style building.

Records show a restaurant, known as the Bridge Lunch Room, at the site as early as 1918. It became the Woodshed Lunch Room in 1928.