SAN ANTONIO – If you don’t know about the Pearl, it’s a unique 22-acre complex just north of Downtown with green spaces, local restaurants, Hotel Emma and small businesses.
It is a popular destination here in the Alamo City, and there are more attractions on the way for 2021.
“It’s easy to kind of forget how vibrant the growth of our city and our region is,” said Elizabeth Fauerso, chief strategy and marketing officer of the Pearl. “San Antonio is projected to become moved from being the seventh-largest city in the nation to the sixth-largest city in the nation in 2021.”
In anticipation of an influx of people, the Pearl is making big moves, not only by bringing in more restaurants but also by making architectural changes, such as turning a parking lot into a green space.
“It will be a park which is actually larger than the park, the plaza and the park right now, which is in front of our food hall and in front of Southerleigh (Fine Food and Brewery),” she said. “It doesn’t feel that way because it’s just covered in cars. but when you actually look at an aerial, you’ll see it’s a pretty significant space.”
The park is set to open by next December, but don’t worry, a new complex called the Oxbow will bring 900 new parking spots.
“So that (parking lot) will be used mostly during the day and during the week by employees, but on the weekends and at night, when things get really busy with people visiting people, that will be parking,” Fauerso said.
And one of the reasons for the new parking is the addition of new restaurants.
Brasserie Mon Chou Chou, located in front of Hotel Emma, opened at the beginning of the month.
”... It’s just been so exciting to see everybody’s response. Also, Best Quality Daughter opened on Mueller, and that’s really been exciting as well,” Fauerso said.
And that’s not all.
“We’ll be opening four new restaurants next year,” Fauerso said.
If you don’t come here for the green space or the restaurants, one of the staples of the pearl is the farmers market – and soon there will be new merch to help out local vendors.
“For the first time this year, we’ve created in partnership with some of our farmer’s market vendors, Pearl products,” she said. “...It’s actually been really encouraging. People have loved these holiday gift boxes that we’ve done that have our Pearl cranberry chutney or tomato chutney and our jalapeno jelly.”
There’s room for more small business at the Pearl, Fauersos said, and that’s what the commitment is. The goal is to be a place where San Antonio shines, and when the city grows, so does small business.