Entrepreneur pitches Estella’s Tex‑Mex for NASA 1 corridor, seeks city support
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Summary
James Caldwell told the Nassau Bay City Council he plans a Tex‑Mex restaurant called Estella's at 1740 NASA 1 with a 7,000‑sq‑ft footprint and a 1,600‑sq‑ft rooftop patio, aiming for a spring 2026 opening and asking the city for support while financing is arranged.
At the public‑comment portion of the Oct. 16 meeting, James Caldwell described plans to open a Tex‑Mex restaurant called Estella’s in the Shell building at 1740 NASA 1 — the parcel between Wendy’s and Five Guys — and asked the council for ‘a little support from the city’ while he completes financing.
Caldwell said the ground‑floor footprint would be about 7,000 square feet with a 1,600‑square‑foot rooftop patio overlooking the Space Center area and that he hopes for a spring 2026 opening, assuming permits and financing proceed. He said he has a letter of intent (LOI) in place and that tenant improvements were included in negotiations.
“...we're looking for a spring 2026 grand opening if everything goes correctly,” Caldwell said. He also told council he plans to source ingredients locally where possible and to support nearby community events such as the farmers market.
No formal council action was taken on the public comment; Caldwell’s remarks were recorded for the minutes and councilmembers thanked him for the update.