Construction has begun on the structure that will house a café at the renovated San Jacinto Plaza in Downtown El Paso. Crews have installed plumbing and electrical lines for the structure, and concrete forms have been laid for the café floor.
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| A rendering of the upcoming café building under construction at San Jacinto Plaza. (City of El Paso) |
The café structure will be located on the western side of the park, along Oregon Street across from the Mills Building. According to released renderings of what the structure will look like once completed, it will have an oval shape with service windows on the southern half. A shade structure will protrude southward where tables and seating may be located.
It will ultimately house a food vendor, though no indication has been made to what type of food will be served at the café.
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| The café at San Jacinto Plaza will be located on the western side of the renovated park. Construction on the entire plaza is set for completion in early 2015. (City of El Paso) |
According to the construction project’s blog (buildingsanjacintoplaza.wordpress.com), the San Jacinto Plaza project has moved into a phase where earthwork is near completion and site element installation can begin. Other elements include a sand game pit, an interactive water feature, chess tables, bike racks, pathways, and a stage.
The famed “Los Lagartos” sculpture, which is currently in Ohio undergoing rehabilitation, will return to its home at the center of the plaza, and will gain a shade canopy to protect it from the elements. And the tall Afghan Pine used as the official Christmas tree has been preserved on the eastern side of the park.
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| Another rendering of the future cafe at San Jacinto Plaza, this view at an angle from above. (City of El Paso) |
Construction is expected to be completed in early 2015. Work is being completed by Basic IDIQ, Inc., a construction firm with an office in El Paso.