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Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close Image 2 of 8 Image 3 of 8 Image 4 of 8 Image 5 of 8 Image 6 of 8 Image 7 of 8 Image 8 of 8 Plans are for Taco Land to become an outdoor bar 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

I always wondered how the profanity-spewing, aviator shades-wearing nonconformist that was the late Ramiro “Ram” Ayala would have adapted — or not adapted — to the River Walk expansion. His storied Taco Land, one of the long-standing live music venues in the Alamo City, always rested next to the San Antonio River. But of course that was before the Museum Reach took shape. Then, the river was more like a feeble creek, a dumping ground. And on the street at night, Taco Land could be its misfit self, alone among the silent warehouses. I just wonder how Ayala’s raw and rambunctious establishment would have fit in with the trendiness that’s starting to overtake the area.

As the story goes, Ayala, along with doorman Douglas “Gypsy Doug” Morgan, were shot and killed in a robbery at Taco Land in 2005.

The Ayala family has since sold the place to a partnership called Tacoland Studios LLC, made up of “Desperate Housewives” actor Ricardo Chavira and developer David Adelman, who lead the 1221 Broadway apartment project.

Rather than wait to sign a tenant now, Adelman said they are going forth with renovating the property on the corner of Grayson and Elmira streets.

“I figured it’s a little bit like ‘Field of Dreams’,” Adelman said. “If you built it, they will come.”

The plans are the highlight of the Historic and Design Review Commission meeting this Wednesday. Click here to view them.

In short, the plan is to modify the Taco Land building to become an outdoor bar or ice house with picnic tables and probably a food truck component. So, identity-wise, somewhere between The Friendly Spot and Alamo Street Eat Bar, but on the Pearl side of downtown’s fringe areas. It’s completely unclear if the venue will keep the Taco Land name or live music bent because, again, there is no actual tenant.

But, according to the submitted plans, the portrait of Ayala, which was drawn after his death, will remain along with the other art on the northwest brick facade.

The plans do call for the demolition of the wood-framed portion of the building — roughly the middle portion around the tree. Apparently this was constructed to connect the two original masonry structures. As you can tell from drawings, it looks like the space to be demolished includes the former stage and I’m not too upset about it. It’s not like they’re tearing up Gruene Hall, or anything. Taco Land was one of those places whose character was defined by its proprietor, and not the building itself. That’s why it never got back off the ground.

Adelman said construction should take 90 days after the permitting process is completed. Urbanist Design pllc of San Antonio is the architect.

— Benjamin Olivo

Have any downtown news, event info, hearsay, tips, celebrations, complaints, boastings, updates, breaking news, memories, old photos, etc.? Want to write a guest blog? E-mail me.

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