IN PROGRESS: La Villita's Maverick Plaza Master Plan
We are thrilled to share an exciting project that has been in the works for a long time: La Villita’s Maverick Plaza Master Plan. Back in February of 2016, local chef Johnny Hernandez, of Grupo La Gloria, was awarded the opportunity to advance a culinary concept plan for Maverick Plaza, within the La Villita Historic Arts Village, into the planning phase. Chef Johnny then brought us in to collaborate on a new Master Plan for the storied Maverick Plaza based on the principles laid out within his winning concept. Similar to the successful Pearl Development, one of the strategies with this plan is to infuse unique, local restaurants into the existing plaza and use them as activators for all of La Villita.
The Master Plan calls for three new restaurants within the existing plaza, one by Chef Johnny, one by Chef Elizabeth Johnson of Pharm Table and the other by Chef Steve McHugh of Cured. The restaurants will vary in style and menu, with influences on San Antonio’s historical cuisines and cultures – such as German, Mexican, and Native. These influences will also allow for unique educational opportunities in the plaza, which will further enhance La Villita's celebration of cultural diversity. The Master Plan also aims to make Maverick Plaza more visible, inviting, and connected from all directions by removing barriers and creating vision portals into the plaza. The plaza will still include a large open space for events along with additional vegetation for shade. Pockets for more intimate settings, exterior dining, and cultural discovery will be created in the voids between buildings new and old.
The final overall goal of this culinary concept is to re-activate Maverick Plaza, spurring more locals to engage with this cultural landmark, becoming a catalyst for future revitalization of La Villita.
