The proposed International House of Pancakes and Sprint wireless store are scheduled to open in the spring and the new restaurant is expected to bring 70 to 90 new jobs to the area.

IHOP is expected to open in May and the Sprint store in April, said David Shanahan, development partner with The Trilogy Group. He said on Tuesday that the deal is still in the works and the company is now trying to close on the property before the end of the year.

"We still have one issue that we have to deal with but I would hope that we'll be able to close by our outside date. Hopefully, everything gets resolved here and we can start construction by the first of the year. I have more work to do, but it really hasn't changed the schedule," Shanahan said.

Craig Hoffman, an IHOP spokesman, said the proposed Covington restaurant will be owned and operated by franchisees Joe Scripture and Jose Rodriguez, whom Hoffman said currently own and operate 15 IHOP restaurants in the Atlanta area.

"The restaurant will be 4,500 square feet, a nice sized space and they expect to create between 70 and 90 new jobs in the market with hiring tentatively scheduled to begin sometime in April for the projected May opening," Hoffman said.

"Each of the other IHOP's these gentlemen are involved in are active members of their communities, supporting local schools, libraries and other causes and they expect to be equally involved and supportive of the Covington community."

The Covington City Council unanimously approved at their Dec. 3 meeting subdividing a portion of the Covington Walmart's parking lot for commercial use so that the two businesses could locate there, near the intersection of Industrial Boulevard and Ga. Highway 142.

The portion of Walmart's parking lot, located across from McDonald's, is being sold off by Walmart to The Trilogy Group for a proposed IHOP restaurant and Sprint store.

City Senior Planner Scott Gaither said the parcel of 1.47 acres of land would be subdivided for the proposed project.