SAN BENITO — The city’s creating a cultural district as it works to become a tourist destination.
The cultural district will showcase the city’s rich history as a 1900s’ agricultural hub to become known as the birthplace of conjunto music.
City Manager Manuel De La Rosa is counting on the cultural district to draw more tourist dollars to town.
He said San Benito Plaza will become the home of the cultural district featuring the new San Benito Cultural Heritage Center, the Community Building and the old public library.
The $1.7 museum, expected to open by summer, will showcase the Freddy Fender Museum, the Texas Conjunto Hall of Fame and Museum and the San Benito History Museum.
The district will also include the iconic Aztec Building, which featured a restaurant complete with an atrium and aquarium while its roof-top patio hosted live music and dances during the city’s heyday about 75 years ago.
The city plans to renovate parts of the building off Robertson Street which was leased to Niños Head Start for many years.
De La Rosa said the city plans to turn the roof-top patio into a music venue overlooking the winding resaca.
