Update: The picture above shows the spaces that are available at King's Plaza. Ideal candidates to fill those spaces would be business owners of Asian cuisine/ Pho restaurants, bar and grill, office space, fitness, boutique, small arcade/ entertainment shops. King's Plaza will not accept vape or CBD shops.
Those interested can email giavannamaddalone@gmail.com for full information on pricing and square feet available. You can also text or call 361-694-3917.
What many knew as the old Flato Elementary School and what others only knew as an abandoned building sitting on a quiet road is now being repurposed into King's Plaza.
"What does that look like? We're going to have a play, work, eat kind of atmosphere. We'll have restaurants here, coffee, sitting, and relaxation mode. We've got pickleball, sports, courts, beach volleyball, basketball and a very large turf field for football and soccer, a stage..." Developer James Maddalone said.
Maddalone and his wife Megan are the developers of the London Square Plaza. They received positive feedback from that project, and they were asked to look into the City of Kingsville for their next one.
"With that mindset, we're wanting to do really well, but it's based on what the community is telling us. So we find out what they want and we go out and find that business and launch them in. We first spoke with the Center of Economic Development, then the Mayor, then Texas A&M University-Kingsville. When we looked at this particular site we knew it would be perfect for the vision that we had," Maddalone said.
The idea for King's Plaza is to bring the community a central place to spend time together while keeping history. Maddalone wanted to keep the beautiful architecture of Flato and keep memories of the building alive in the hallways inside once opened.
"I’m a dad of five, they’re all grown but we love a place where we can go and just enjoy the family atmosphere. That's what I want for the people here," Maddalone said.
The news of the new development broke a little over a week ago and Kingsville locals are already feeling the excitement for more reasons than one.
"I heard about it at the gas station and from my mom who's excited about pickleball. I mean, the location is going to be great. It’s right by the college, that should help quite a bit. There’s not much on this side of town. It’s the big talk of the town right now. This place is already looking better, they’ve done quite a bit of work because it was an eyesore," Kingsville local Tex Neal said.
When Neal's daughter Viola heard about the new development being worked on right down the street from her house, one thing caught her attention.
"Beach volleyball? There’s a place called Whitecap Beach over there somewhere. I am excited for that because it's new things, we get to experience new things," second grader Viola Neal said.
The plaza is already halfway occupied. Some businesses that gave the for sure are Coffee Waves and an urgent care facility. But Maddalone is looking for more locals with more ideas to bring a bigger, more collective vision to life.
"Come on. Who else wants to get in the game in Kingsville? It’s a healthy level of competition but it creates a level of standard. Bring something here that’s not here that we know will do well," Maddalone said.
And with the university, King Ranch, Naval Air Station, and incoming Direct Air Capture Facility, developers have all the right ingredients to keep Kingsville entertainment, dollars, and residents in town.
"I love it when people tell me it will never happen. Me and my family, we’ll make it happen if you’ll back it up. Kingsville is now. It's not ten years ago, it's now. You guys have waited long enough in my opinion," Maddalone said.
Maddalone said King's Plaza will be open to the public by early 2025. If interested in joining your business, contact them on Facebook at King's Plaza or on maddalonedevelopment.com.
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