After delays, work to turn San Antonio’s historic La Villita into culinary destination now underway

After years of planning, a rehabilitation of Maverick Plaza in La Villita is finally underway, marking the first physical steps in turning the downtown space into a culinary destination, according to the San Antonio Report.

The city began seeking bids in 2016 for upgrades to the historic site, among them improved utilities, a new fountain, landscaping and lighting. Physical work only began recently, however.

Financing was in place to start the project in March 2020, and the Historic and Design Review Commission approved proposed changes a few months later, according to the Report.

San Antonio restauranteur Johnny Hernandez, who’s partnering with the city’s World Heritage Office on the development, blamed the COVID-19 pandemic for the delays.

“Let’s wait a few months,” Hernandez told the Report. “A few months turned into a year.”

Improvements to the plaza and Alamo Street are expected to take roughly 12 months, according to the story. The completed project is intended to showcase San Antonio’s designation as a United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Creative City of Gastronomy.

So far, crews have removed fencing, a cedar arbor and the limestone walls that separated the plaza from other parts of La Villita, according to the Report. Buildings housing a restroom and concession area were also demolished to make room for new restaurant concepts, which will include Mexican, German and Spanish eateries, renderings show.

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This article appears in Sep 8-21, 2021.