AUBURN — Panera Bread is coming.

The bakery chain will break ground on a 4,000-square-foot building outside the Auburn Mall, next to Town Fair Tire, in April or May, according to Craig Young, a broker and partner at CBRE The Boulos Company who brokered the deal.

It will open in either September or October, and it will have a neighbor. Construction also will start soon on a second, 7,000-square-foot building beside the new Panera that will house an Aspen Dental and yet-to-be-announced national retailer, Young said.

“I think you see an economy that’s starting to see signs of growth again,” he said.

Young was unsure how many jobs would be created at either location.

He said he’s talking to other retailers about two more buildings that can be built alongside the mall and Mount Auburn Avenue, ideally between 3,000 and 7,000 square feet with one tenant each.

“We have a number of different prospects looking at those,” Young said.

There’s space for yet another building, in front of JC Penney, along Center Street. The Auburn Mall and the parcels around it are owned by developer George Schott.

Panera Bread is one of two eateries Young said he’s heard people in the Twin Cities clamour for most. It has Maine locations in Augusta, South Portland, Westbrook and Biddeford. The Auburn cafe will have a drive-through.

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