Restauranteur Lisa Wong has confirmed plans to demolish the former El Mirador restaurant building in Southtown, which is listed as a local landmark, and build a new restaurant space, where she will move her popular Rosario’s Mexican Café y Cantina a block away on South Alamo.
If approved, demolition of the old El Mirador building will begin in the first quarter of next year, and take 9 months to a year to complete, Wong said in an email.
On Friday, Wong released renderings by Douglas Architects that show a new restaurant building clad in brick and large storefront windows, and with a rooftop terrace, facing South St. Mary’s Street. She estimates the project will cost $5 million.
“Our goal has been to develop Rosarios’s permanent home,” Wong said in a press release. She continued, “My focus as a restaurateur is creating a restaurant that our guests feel comfortable in and one that works within the fabric of this distinctive neighborhood.”
Wong recently applied for a demolition permit for the former El Mirador, and the Historic and Design Review Commission is scheduled to consider the total project on Nov. 18. Parts of the structure date back to the 1860s, according to the city’s Office of Historic Preservation. The structure, 722 S. St. Mary’s St., gained landmark status in 1988, after the city designated more than 1,000 downtown properties during its Center City Cultural Resource Inventory.
However, 35% of the original structure remains, says Douglas Architects. The original stone and caliche house, “is no longer intact, with only a portion of wall and lean-to addition remaining.”
“Unfortunately, with all the conversions, renovations and additions over the years, there is no house remaining,” said Andrew Douglas of Douglas Architects. “Less than 35% of the original structure exists, indicating a loss of significance, which is recognized by City and the U.S. Department of the Interior in order to make the case for demolition. Our desire is to find appropriate ways to integrate the remaining materials and elements into the new design, to pay homage to the original house.”
There are two small homes on the property: the King William Garden House, which will serve as a private dining space, and the F.L. Dixon House, currently occupied by Pig Liquors. Both need to be restored, according to Wong.
Rosario’s began as one of the first restaurants in the King William and Lavaca area 28 years ago, Wong said; the move would be its third downtown since 1992.
The new Rosario’s had to be redesigned because of Covid-19, and will now provide “roomier dining experience that responds to society’s changing needs,” with larger dining rooms and outdoor spaces. Douglas Architect’s goal is to incorporate historic building materials from the remaining El Mirador into the new building.
“I understand and respect the importance of preserving historic structures and the preservation of history,” Wong said.
Wong purchased the property in 2018 from local developer Chris Hill.
Previously published
» Rosario’s owner seeks to demolish site of landmark San Antonio restaurant El Mirador
» Rosario’s appears destined for former El Mirador location, sign says
» Rosario’s owner Lisa Wong purchases El Mirador
Heron Editor Ben Olivo can be reached at 210-421-3932 | ben@saheron.com | @rbolivo on Twitter
Ehh. The old El Mirador space is nice but at only 35% of the original structure left there isn’t really anything to save. Knock it down.
Not much personality in these renderings. Looks like it could be a bank.
agree.
“I understand and respect the importance of preserving historic structures and the preservation of history,” Wong said. Well, actually, if this were the case the proposed plan would be keeping the listed landmark in place rather than raiding the materials for a possible garden wall. The Caliche Block is too unstable to be used as a garden element. It is not meant to be exposed on the exterior so it would need a proper lime plaster. It was not just the 35% that was listed with landmark status. It was the entire core of the former restaurant so that argument is disingenuous. Those walls are not a danger to patrons or an impediment to code. Caliche Block can be sealed. I know this because I live in an 1887 house with solid stone walls from the same quarry that built the Alamo and probably the two houses on this property in question. That argument is almost laughable but it’s too easy for designers to make these claims when so few actually understand the Caliche Block material.
If the owner respected historic structures, the plan would have shown a more sensitive site plan that doesn’t include moving the Dixon House whose porch was just recently replaced by the Conservation Society after a massive tree fell on it. Yes, the rest of the house needs work but it can be done in place and a more sensitive site plan can be developed.
Why build jam up against Maverick and block traffic from S. St. Mary’s? S. Presa is already difficult enough in that narrow block. Ruining the patio at Maverick is just not a good look.
There’s also an infrastructure load that will be added in extra power and extra garbage pick up.
The architecture proposed does not look like where it is. It’s more Loop 410 or Richardson Branch Bank. It’s not unattractive but it just doesn’t seem to speak to the surrounding historic districts. This hyper-aggressive plan will force patrons onto King William and Lavaca streets because patrons don’t like to pay exorbitant rates to park. I’d like to see statistics on how many patrons actually walk or do ride share. I feel the 400 seating capacity is out of line with demand and the 27 parking spaces will quickly fill causing more snarls in the surrounding streets. That’s been a difficult issue as we keep getting more amazing food options. We’ve got to have a more sympathetic approach to the people who live here.
I know there is a win-win that can be found by reworking this plan and scaling it back appropriately. But for now my comment is THIS AGGRESSION WILL NOT STAND… MAN!