With a little luck, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Chrissie Hynde will be celebrating her next birthday at her new restaurant at the Northside Lofts at the edge of downtown Akron.

Sept. 7 -- Hynde's birthday -- is the target opening date for her as-yet-unnamed eatery. And although the lease has not been signed, those involved are gushing with excitement over the plans.

It's been rumored for months that Hynde, leader of the band the Pretenders, was interested in opening a restaurant in her hometown.

Now, even her mother is saying that it's a go.

Dolores Hynde said Thursday that her daughter was in Akron last week and worked to finalize details of a lease agreement with Paul Testa to open a restaurant in the Northside Lofts, the swanky new condominiums on Furnace Street. Testa Companies owns the development.

Hynde could not be reached for comment. Her manager, Gail Colson, said in e-mails that it would be premature to discuss the restaurant now, because the lease is not signed.

Testa said Thursday that he met with Hynde, and the pair has ``agreed to agree'' on a lease. He said the lease is in the hands of their attorneys, so he couldn't say the deal was 100 percent done, but he called it 99 percent completed.

Testa said he has been working for three months with Hynde and Julian Chalmers -- who will manage the restaurant -- and he's very excited about their vision for the place.

``We love what she wants to do,'' Testa said. ``She loves it and we love her ideas.''

Hynde, a strict vegetarian and animal-rights activist, plans to open a vegetarian restaurant, but won't bill it as one.

``Chrissie is wired about the space,'' Chalmers said.

He said initial plans for a vegan menu, which would not have allowed any animal products, have been changed to more traditional vegetarian fare out of concern that the offerings would be too limited.

The restaurant will use organic foods as much as possible, including eggs and cheese.

``The menu will have a lot of pastas and salads,'' he said, adding that the offerings will be classic dishes from around the world. Chalmers said Hynde had first looked at a house on Crosby Street, but that location didn't work out.

Testa said the lease agreement is for 3,000 square feet inside, and 2,400 square feet of patio space on the east side of the building.

Chalmers said the restaurant will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, and will feature a coffeehouse-type lounge, cocktail bar with causal food, and dining room, in addition to the outdoor space.

He said Hynde will be involved in all phases of the restaurant, especially the menu.

``We want it to feel like a slice of Europe, not your typically American kind of deal,'' he said.

Working on the project is Highland Square architect Mark Smith and London-based designer Lucho Brieva, who is a Colombian-born artist and a former husband of Hynde's.

The patio will overlook the Little Cuyahoga Valley and a waterfall that is being built into the development, Testa said.

He said Hynde's vision is exactly what he was hoping to find for Northside Lofts, and he pointed out that he turned down several other restaurant concepts for the space because he didn't believe they were the right fit.

Testa already has leased 5,000 square feet on the west end of the building for a tapas restaurant that will be called Eclectic. There is room for one more restaurant in the building, he said.

Chalmers, of Rockyford, Alberta, Canada, previously worked at The Ritz Hotel in London. He and Hynde were introduced through mutual friends from PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. He is moving to Akron and hopes to be settled here in a month or two.

Chalmers said Hynde, who used to wait on tables as a student, is committed to treating the wait staff fairly and hopes to be able to offer good wages and benefits to her employees.

``She really wants to take care of the staff,'' Chalmers said.

Dolores Hynde said family members have been trying to help think up a name for the place. She preferred The Alternative, but said that name was rejected by her daughter, who felt it would make the restaurant sound too vegetarian.