Dirt work has begun to prepare the future location of a planned beer garden and sports complex on Bill Owens Parkway in Longview.
The city of Longview previously approved rezoning about 11.5 acres of land at 1022 Bill Owens Parkway from multi-family to general retail to make it possible for developer Kenneth Shore to locate the project there.
Shore, with ShoreCarter Resources, previously has said the overall development would include soccer fields and a pickleball court, retail and a restaurant and beer garden on Bill Owens Parkway south of H.G. Mosley Parkway.
The Paul Boorman Trail runs behind the property, and Shore has said he wants to tie the development into the trail. It would be similar, he said, to developments in larger cities, such as the Katy Trail Ice House. He also said it’s the kind of project that could help attract and keep young professionals in Longview.
Additional information was not immediately available.
New Tex-Mex restaurant
A new Tex-Mex restaurant could open Jan. 12 on Pine Tree Road in Longview.
El Corral is planning to locate at 809 Pine Tree Road, where Jocelyn’s Mexican Grill previously was before moving to Wal Street. The building also was once the longtime home of Lupe’s Mexican Restaurant.
Alondra Valencia and Jose Martinez own the restaurant, which also has had a location in Buffalo since 2013.
“We have a whole bunch of different varieties of fajitas, enchiladas, quesadillas and a variety of salsas,” Valencia said. El Corral’s standard fare includes beef and chicken fajitas served over grilled onions, but she said the restaurant also serves sabrosas, featuring beef and chicken fajitas, baby grilled shrimp and bacon, covered in Monterrey cheese; and the Rio Verde, with beef and chicken fajitas served with jumbo shrimp, bacon and grilled vegetables.
“We’re super popular for our salsas,” she said, and the restaurant has “really good,” “super strong” margaritas.
“I think we have a wide bar menu that we’ll be bringing,” she said. The restaurant is working to get all the necessary approvals to serve alcoholic beverages and might start by offering free drinks, she said.
She said they’re excited to be opening in that part of Longview, saying it’s a 15 minute drive to the closest Tex-Mex restaurant.
Hours will be 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Thursday-Saturday.
Gap store opens
A Gap clearance store recently opened at the company’s new e-commerce fulfillment center in Longview.
The store features all four Gap brands — Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic and Athleta. It’s open to the public noon-5 p.m. each Thursday.
A portion of the new fulfillment center opened earlier this year on Mickey Melton Boulevard in the North Longview Business Park, off Judson at George Richey roads.
Local government entities in 2021 agreed to award a package of incentives to Gap Inc. in exchange for building the new fulfillment center in Longview. It will ultimately be a total 850,000-square-foot, $140-million facility and employ 1,200 people.
The e-commerce facility initially will focus on Gap’s Old Navy brand, while the store sells all four brands.
— Business Beat appears Wednesday. If you have items for the column, email to newstip@newsjournal.com; mail to Business Section, Longview News-Journal, P.O. box 1792, Longview, TX 75606; or call (903) 237-7744.
