Officials with Hemisfair said Aug. 14 that Zachry Hospitality expects to break ground on its planned 200-room hotel in the fall as part of ongoing redevelopment efforts at the downtown mixed-use park space.

Hemisfair Park Area Redevelopment Corp. officials said more redevelopment of the former 1968 World’s Fair site will continue as they gear up to open the first phase of Civic Park at Hemisfair, which will further open up Hemisfair for public recreation.

“It is great news to share that our three development partners have completed the due diligence phase of the lease agreements and are ready to get started on the next phases,” Hemisfair CEO Andres Andujar said in a statement. “Our partners’ dedication to the Hemisfair transformation is critical as we are set to open one of the world’s great public places, Civic Park, in just a few weeks.”

Zachry Hospitality officials said as the construction of the Curio Collection by Hilton hotel begins, Post Lake Capital Partners will also develop a 10-story residential tower and a three-story retail building fronting the Riverwalk that is slated to break ground in the fourth quarter of 2024. In all, the residential tower will feature 450 units with workforce housing, while the retail structure will have 70,000 square feet of space.

AREA Real Estate, which developed The ‘68 Apartments alongside Yanaguana Garden at Hemisfair, is developing a residential and retail building that will break ground in summer 2025, according to a news release.

Construction phasing is being coordinated with surrounding events with particular attention given to the 2025 NCAA Final Four events slated to include the use of the Civic Park and the Hemisfair District, the release states.

These developments are located within the northwest zone of the Hemisfair District, which is located along South Alamo and Market streets on the Riverwalk, and next to the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.