CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Country trio Rascal Flatts plans to open a 10,000-square-foot restaurant and bar at the Flats East Bank project this year, making Cleveland the first city in the nation to gain a concept eatery discussed since at least 2012.

On Thursday, a Cleveland design-review committee approved exterior plans for the restaurant, which will be located on the ground floor of an apartment building at the riverfront development. Documents submitted to the city describe an eclectic space that will mix country themes with rustic and industrial stylings.

"A restaurant supported by a national name like Rascal Flatts is the perfect addition to the Flats East Bank," developer Scott Wolstein said in a news release distributed after the public meeting. "From the beginning, we set out to build an urban waterfront destination, and we're excited to be able to offer this type of concept in conjunction with our existing restaurants and entertainment venues. It's also a testament to Cleveland's resurgence for us to be able to attract these types of businesses."

Wolstein and his mother, Iris, have partnered with Fairmount Properties to develop a mixed-use district on the east bank of the Flats. The 23-acre project's second phase, which includes apartments, restaurants and entertainment venues, opened last year.

Rascal Flatts will occupy a space facing the river, wedged between the Beerhead Bar & Eatery and a suite of spin-off restaurants tied to Crop Bistro. Site plans show a 3,200-square-foot patio and indoor performance areas.

Band representatives were not available to discuss the restaurant Thursday. An architect working on the project declined to comment.

Adam Fishman of Fairmount said that Rascal Flatts in the Flats could open in late summer or early fall. But there's not a firm debut date.

"To land what we think is the quintessential country music band to be the host of a rotating series of live country music acts is going to bring a whole different crowd to downtown Cleveland," Fishman said of Rascal Flatts, which has roots in Columbus.

"Music is very important to the live, work, play mantra that the Wolstein family has established for this district, so we've been chasing music deals all over the country," he added. "When we happened upon these guys, it was a perfect match for what we were trying to accomplish."

Cleveland-based Fairmount and the Wolsteins carved out a space for country music at the Flats years ago. But their first pick, a freestanding venue bearing Toby Keith's name, fell through last year. The Arizona company behind the Toby Keith's Bar and Grill chain was mired in legal problems and under scrutiny amid accusations of shady business practices.

Toby Keith's never moved into its building - finished on the outside but incomplete inside - at the Flats project.

Fishman wouldn't discuss the future of that space, designed to house an 18,000 to 20,000-square-foot entertainment venue. "We will make an announcement in the very near term," he said.

Aside from the Toby Keith's building, retail space at the Flats East Bank is fully occupied or leased. Other tenants include FWD, a seasonal waterfront nightclub; Alley Cat Oyster Bar; Punch Bowl Social; the Big Bang dueling-piano bar; and Coastal Taco, set to open in May.