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Former farmer's cooperative in New Braunfels to be redeveloped

A New Braunfels-area business group has unveiled plans for Co-Op Marketplace.

The 2.5 acre multi-use development will breathe new life into the former New Braunfels Producers Co-Op at 210 South Castell Ave.

The designated historical landmark will be turned into a complex of restaurants, bars, coffee shops, retail, open park space, a stage for live music and a splash pad.

Construction will start next year, and it should be open by fall 2024.

Co-Op Marketplace is the brainchild of the late Ron Snider and his partners, including attorney Mike Myers, and real estate developer Fred Heimer — now with local business owners Carol and Chris Snider. The Snider family also reopened the historic Krause Cafe + Biergarten.

“This is a very exciting project to be involved with, and it has evolved a lot along the way while still holding true to what my dad and his partners originally envisioned by bringing something unique to downtown New Braunfels that the community can enjoy,” Chris Snider said.

San Antonio-based Mogas + Gonzalez Associated Architects will help develop the project, including the transformation of a 65-foot-tall grain silo.

“Mogas + Gonzalez Associated Architects has worked closely with the owners’ vision to repurpose and recycle the existing and historically designated agrarian Co-Op structures to craft a campus of indoor and outdoor spaces that invite the city and its visitors to relax, dine, and celebrate right in the heart of Downtown New Braunfels,” said Richard Mogas, with Mogas + Gonzalez Architects.

The new destination will feature more than 25,000 square feet of indoor space that will be used to house retail and culinary tenants. Co-Op Marketplace intends to offer an alternative to big-box stores and mall shopping experiences and will instead feature a more social retail shopping and dining experience, according to a news release.

Described as a destination shopping concept, it also will provide opportunities for smaller, independent businesses to have a presence in downtown New Braunfels.

Interested businessowners can email the Co-Op Marketplace for more information.

Brian Kirkpatrick has been a journalist in Texas most of his life, covering San Antonio news since 1993, including the deadly October 1998 flooding, the arrival of the Toyota plant in 2003, and the base closure and realignments in 2005.