Urban Union in downtown Arlington announced May 7 that three news business are opening in the fall.
Arlington-native pitmaster Brandon Hurtado is opening his first brick and mortar Hurtado Barbecue Restaurant on East Front Street, adding a downtown favorite to the district. Second, founder of Sugar Bee Sweets Heidi Allison is bringing a new element to her popular downtown bake shop with the addition of a specialty sandwich, soup and salad café, The Hive. Finally, Wild West Comics, the city’s oldest and biggest comic book and game store, will relocate from its Cooper Street location into a newly renovated building at 400 E. Division St.
Urban Union recently announced its Phase II development featuring boutique shop space, experiential dining, loft apartments, creative office and more.
“We are super excited about these three additions to Urban Union. All three bring their own distinct character, which, when added to the growing charm and character of the district, is sure to be a win-win,” Ryan Dodson, president of Dodson Companies, said in the release.
“From the start it’s been a priority for us to source the very best local operators and work with them to create a truly unique downtown experience,” Dodson said.
Hurtado Barbecue will offer Austin-style barbecue infused with Tex-Mex flavor in a 2,000 square-foot building featuring a farmhouse-style interior and dog-friendly patio.
“I chose Urban Union as the location for Hurtado Barbecue’s first brick-and-mortar because it’s quickly becoming the prime spot for Arlington locals and tourists alike to experience great food and entertainment,”
Hurtado said. Hurtado’s food truck is currently operating outside Division Brewing every Saturday at 11 a.m. until sell out.
Hurtado will begin construction this summer and hopes to be open in November 2019 at 205 E. Front Street.
Allison will open The Hive in fall 2019 at a 1,000 square-foot space adjacent to her current business with a new specialty soup, salad and sandwich shop.
When asked about The Hive, Allison said,
“Urban Union has been a great home for Sugar Bee for the past two-and-a-half years so it only seems natural to use our extra space to add a fun and eclectic lunch spot to the Urban Union menu,” Allison said.
The mother-son team behind Arlington’s oldest comic book and game store, Wild West Comics, plans to move into a 2,500 square-foot space at 400 E. Division St.
Wild West Comics follows in the footsteps of its previous life as Lone Star Comics – an Arlington staple for more than 30 years. Operating team Elaine Powell and son Matt Powell are both Arlington natives and alumni from Arlington High School.
Elaine Powell’s other son, Chris, is a founder of 4 Kahunas Tiki Bar, which opened last year at Urban Union.
“When it was time to consider relocating the Arlington store, we didn’t look at any other place in town,” said Elaine Powell. “Every experience we’ve had as visitors to Urban Union has been fantastic, and after working in downtown for 30 years, it’s great to see this revitalization take off.”
Urban Union is an adaptive reuse of 16 buildings, including the former Luke Honda campus, along with several blocks of surrounding properties along Division Street, Front Street and East Street in Downtown Arlington.
At full build-out the project will feature more than 145,000 square feet of new and renovated retail, restaurant, office and living space on approximately 8 acres encompassing nearly four full city blocks, the news release said.
– FWBP Staff