LANSING - The former Standard Oil station in REO Town will be transformed into Pablo's Mexican Restaurant next year.

The historic white-brick and Spanish-tiled building at 1102 S. Washington Ave. has a new paint job, and its three garage bays have been replaced with large windows.

Pablo Maldonado, who owns Pablo's Panaderia in Old Town, bought the building in 2014 and intends to open his restaurant by April.

The 1,800-square-foot building is about three times the size of the Old Town restaurant and will seat 140 people, including 40 in a patio. Maldonado said the restaurant will also have a full bar.

"I see opportunity in REO Town," Maldonado said. "It's going through a revival."

And REO Town sees opportunity in his new venture.

“We are very excited at Good Truckin’ Diner for Pablo’s to open in REO Town,” said Nick Sinicropi, owner of Good Truckin’ Diner. “We need more restaurants. We want REO Town to be a destination.”

REO Town has seen an influx of recent redevelopment. Blue Owl Coffee opened down the block in April next to Saddleback BBQ and REO Town Pub. Sleepwalker Spirits & Ales will also open on the block along with Good Truckin' Diner. Over at 1210 S. Washington Ave., the former home of Oade's Hidden Camel is being turned into the Rusty Nail.

Maldonado will continue to operate his Old Town restaurant when the new one opens. The menu will remain the same.

Pablo's Panaderia opened in 2005. Maldonado started out making burritos and bread in his kitchen while working as a truck driver. When he went to buy a mixer at Capital Cheesecake, he ended up buying the business, located at 311 E. Grand River Ave.

"As soon as we opened, there was a line out the door," said Maldonado, who added he expects his new location to be busy as well. "It feels great (to expand). I used to live paycheck to paycheck."

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Alexander Alusheff is a reporter at the Lansing State Journal. Contact him at (517) 388-5973 or aalusheff@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexalusheff.