Salsa Limón’s University Drive location is picking up and moving ¬– literally.
The Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission voted July 11 to approve moving the taco restaurant’s building from 929 University Drive to 5012 White Settlement Road, to be part of the River District development planned along the Trinity River. Fort Worth mover H.D. Snow & Son House Moving will physically pick up the building and move it to the new site. The move will cost between $30,000-$66,000.
Salsa Limón will move to the River District along with the building, according to Mary Nell Poole, lead administrative assistant for Fort Worth real estate developer TownSite Company, which is acting as a development consultant for the River District project’s developers.
The building is moving to make room for a development South Carolina-based real estate company Greystar is planning for University Drive. Plans for the development have not been finalized, but the project will have retail and residential space, said Phillip Poole, lead development executive at TownSite. TownSite is acting as a consultant to Greystar as well.
The project will cover the block surrounded by University Drive, Crockett Street, Norwood Street and Morton Street. Greystar is working on the development with Washington, D.C.-based financial services company The Carlyle Group. The Carlyle Group and Greystar own the lot.
Salsa Limón’s current location at University Drive was the former home of Topsy’s Café, as well as other restaurants like J&J’s Oyster Bar, Rush Street and Quizno’s Sub. The building was constructed around 1947 in Streamline Moderne style, characterized by curved corners and horizontal lines. Salsa Limón moved into the building in 2013.
Originally the plan was to demolish the building if a relocation site wasn’t found. The Landmarks Commission approved a demolition permit for the site back in April.
In addition to moving Salsa Limón, TownSite plans to demolish the stone structure at 901 University Drive and salvage the exterior stone, clay tile roof and cast iron columns, which will be used to build possibly a park pavilion in the River District, Mary Nell Poole said. The Landmarks Commission approved this plan as well.
The River District, led by Fort Worth development and investment firm Fort Capital LP, is a 276-acre residential and commercial development near the Trinity River, located primarily between Roberts Cut Off Road and Priddy Lane along White Settlement Road.