McGuire Moorman Lambert Hospitality Is One Step Closer to Clarksville Domination

Earlier this year, McGuire Moorman Lambert Hospitality (MML), the group behind local restaurants such as Swedish Hill and Clark’s Oyster Bar, announced three new restaurants — Howard’s, Rosie’s, and Pecan Square Cafe. Now, a new proposed mixed-used development has passed a major round of approval needed to give a new look to the same Clarksville city blocks where the three establishments, and two other MML restaurants, are located.

Austin-based real estate investment firm Riverside Resources is behind the development impacting restaurants and businesses on the 1100 and 1200 blocks of West Sixth Street, which includes Swedish Hill and Clark’s, as well as Southwestern restaurant Z’Tejas, which is scheduled to close in March 2023. MML hasn’t issued a statement as to the group’s involvement in the proposed development, and Eater reached out for comment and did not receive a response at press time. Since the two blocks included in the project are sprinkled with MML restaurants, it seems likely that the hospitality group is a willing participant.

Riverside Resources and MML appear to own the properties involved with the proposal, based on Travis County Records. Seven of the properties involved with the project are owned by Clarks Village LP, associated with Jeremy L. Smitheal of Riverside Resources. The Z’Tejas building is owned by 1110 West 6th Partners LP, which Larry McGuire of MML is a part of.

Riverside Resources’ plan was approved by Austin’s Historic Land Commission on August 3, but there are still a few more hoops to jump through before the project is fully approved by City Council. While it is still unclear what will happen to these businesses if construction goes ahead, plans suggest that the restaurants will be incorporated into the development.

Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron, which has designed everything from Olympic stadiums to Prada headquarters, is designing the Austin project. The new development will seek to preserve some of the facades and aesthetic markers of the buildings on the intersection of West Sixth Street and Blanco Street, while redesigning the overall look of the area. It will include the erection of a five-floor multi-use building at the heart of the construction.

Herzog & de Meuron almost had a hand in designing University of Texas at Austin’s Blanton Museum of Art back in 1999, but the architecture firm withdrew their bid after its high modernist approach was met with hesitation.

Update, 3:49 p.m. - This article has been updated to reflect the new closing date of Z’Tejas.