shop and sip

Pike Place-style market heading to popular Hill Country destination

A village market that borrows elements from Seattle’s Pike Place Market and Waco’s Magnolia Market is coming to the Hill Country hot spot of Fredericksburg.

Known as Grand Central at Milam, the market is being developed on the 1.6-acre former site of the Super S market. Austin-based St. Croix Capital Corp. is redeveloping the property, which is located at 206 N. Milam St.

“The idea is to offer patrons and members of the community a single spot for multiple dining and shopping options — coupled with unique areas to sit, relax, and soak up local energy,” St. Croix Capital says in a July 1 news release.

St. Croix Capital recently launched a remodeling and adaptive reuse of the Super S building, which has been vacant for more than a decade.

Once completed, Grand Central at Milam will feature nearly 16,000 square feet of retail space earmarked for eight concepts. A market, restaurant, and distillery already have been lined up as tenants.

“With a location that’s a mere three-minute walk from Main Street towards the most household-dense part of Fredericksburg, we know it’s imperative our concept appeal to residents and visitors alike,” says Ken Satterlee, founder and chairman of St. Croix Capital. “That’s why we’ve studied other successful indoor/outdoor concepts and are working to translate their best elements in a way that’s authentic to Fredericksburg.”

Satterlee expects the outdoor common spaces to be as much of a draw as the retailers. Plans call for a fenced yard with picnic tables, yard games, a fire pit, a small stage for performances, and food kiosks. The outdoor area will be available for community organizations to use.

Grand Central at Milam is hosting an art competition offering $8,500 in prizes, with the first-place winner scoring $5,000 and the chance to paint their mural on an outside wall of the project.

The new village market aims to become a community hub for shopping and dining.

Courtesy of Land Strategies Inc.

The new village market aims to become a community hub for shopping and dining.

hill-country

Airline News

San Antonio gets nonstop flights to this Washington, DC airport

Photo courtesy of American Airlines

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American Airlines will soon introduce long-awaited nonstop flights between San Antonio (SAT) and Washington, D.C. (DCA). One flight will be scheduled daily, starting in March.

Tickets for the new service will be available on sale starting December 23 through aa.com or American’s mobile app.

The route was tentatively announced in October, but the U.S. Department of Transportation has now formally approved the application by American Airlines.

“This new service will offer convenient nonstop access to our nation’s capital for San Antonians, while helping further connect customers to our comprehensive global network," said Brian Znotins, American’s Senior Vice President of Network and Schedule Planning, in a press release. "American thanks the many elected officials and citizens who supported our application, and we look forward to welcoming customers onboard this new service soon.”

Flight 1718, reflecting the year San Antonio was founded, will depart SAT at 6:35 am and arrive in DCA at 10:41 am. Flight 1947, reflecting the year the U.S. Air Force was established, will depart DCA at 7:45 pm and arrive in SAT at 10:43 pm.

“This long-awaited connection to our nation’s capital is a game changer for our community, opening doors to countless opportunities for travel and economic development,” said San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg. “I’m grateful to those who have championed this effort and for the bipartisan support of our representatives in the Senate and House, whose advocacy was instrumental in making these flights a reality. We look forward to the positive impact this nonstop service will have for years to come."

San Antonio City Manager Erik Walsh echoed the sentiments about economic development and pointed out some growth already happening in San Antonio. The release also notes that San Antonio is the largest city in Texas lacking nonstop service to DCA and the largest city in the U.S. with a majority Hispanic population without nonstop service to DCA.

“Serving the fastest-growing city in the country, SAT has achieved record-breaking passenger numbers throughout 2024. This nonstop service to and from DCA addresses a need for our military, business, educational and research communities, among others. It also promotes competition and offers more travel options for passengers flying to and from San Antonio, enhancing connectivity as we continue making progress on the airport Terminal Development Program.”

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