The building on the corner of McCullough and Hildebrand used to be Olmos Pharmacy. These days it holds an Italian restaurant, and starting Monday, Oct. 26, that corner is one of the first places San Antonio Water System crews will tear up. MySA reported that the McCullough and Hildebrand intersection is in the first phase of a project that will close parts of East Hildebrand Avenue around the clock through March 2027.
For Olmos Park, the closure comes down to two facts. The official detours run through the neighborhood's streets, and the McCullough storefronts north of the closed corner stay on the open side for the whole project.
The Schedule, Phase by Phase
SAWS is replacing more than 4,600 feet of water mains along East Hildebrand and Old Hildebrand, from McCullough Avenue to Devine Road. According to the utility's project page, those mains have a history of frequent breaks. The San Antonio Express-News reported that the pipes are more than a century old.
| Phase | Segment closed | Expected timing |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-construction | Lane closures while crews locate underground utilities | Late October 2026 |
| Phase 1 | McCullough Ave. intersection and Hildebrand east to Shook Ave. | Oct. 26 through December 2026; MySA reports the intersection should wrap in November and the stretch to Shook in December |
| Phase 2 | Hildebrand from Shook Ave. to Devine Rd. | January through March 2027 |
SAWS says that "once work starts, portions of Hildebrand will be completely closed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week." The $11.3 million budget covers all three sites in the utility's 2023 Water Main Replacement Project 4. The other two, on Camden Street and Euclid Avenue, are scheduled to start in 2027.
A September SAWS community meeting presentation listed April 2027 as the finish date for the Hildebrand site. The utility's project page, updated more recently, gives October 2026 through March 2027. Treat March as the current target, and expect it to move if conditions underground call for it.
Olmos Park Becomes the Detour
The first phase closes the stretch that sits right along Olmos Park's southern edge, so its official detours start there too. The Express-News laid out the routes for the initial closure:
- West to San Pedro Avenue, or east to Shook Avenue
- Then north to Olmos Drive, or south to Huisache Avenue
The Express-News also stated that "detours will take drivers into the Monte Vista and Olmos Park neighborhoods as they travel between San Pedro Avenue and U.S. 281." In its own guidance, SAWS points drivers to Shook Avenue, West Olmos Drive, Howard Street and East Mulberry Avenue, among other side streets. MySA noted that residents were already worried about drivers using residential roads as cut-throughs.
With Olmos Drive named as a detour route, expect heavier through traffic there while Phase 1 lasts. The City of Olmos Park first told residents about the project in its Sept. 4 newsletter. The October newsletter included a police reminder to yield at the traffic circle, and that will matter more once unfamiliar drivers start using it.
SAWS has put up electronic message boards near U.S. 281, at Stadium Drive and Devine Road, at Devine Road and Old Hildebrand Avenue, and at San Pedro Avenue and West Hildebrand Avenue. The project page also has a construction map and a traffic flow map that SAWS updated in October. Those maps are the best way to check which block is closed in a given week.
Volare Sits Inside the First Phase
The corner that is closing first is also the one with the most history. In 2019, the San Antonio Report covered plans to turn the old Olmos Pharmacy building at Hildebrand and McCullough into a neighborhood Italian restaurant called Volare. Volare's website gives its address as 3902 McCullough Ave. and lists a menu, online ordering and weekly hours.
SAWS hasn't published a driveway or parking plan for individual businesses. Its presentation says only that the contractor will coordinate directly with affected customers. For the few weeks the intersection is torn up, likely through November based on MySA's timeline, check Volare's site or call before you go. Approaching from the north on McCullough avoids the closed segment entirely.
North of the Corner, McCullough Stays Open
House numbers on McCullough climb as you head north from the 3900 block at Hildebrand. Every Olmos Park business below sits on the open side of the closure. You can reach each one from inside Olmos Park, or from Olmos Drive, without driving on Hildebrand at all.
Dough Baby, 4219 McCullough Ave., Suite 2. This is the newest storefront on this stretch. Focus On San Antonio reported a grand opening on July 18, 2026, for the bakery's first brick-and-mortar shop. The San Antonio Report describes it as a bakery known for kolaches and cinnamon rolls, with coffee and tea. The bakery's own site currently lists 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, closed Monday and Tuesday. Earlier published hours were different, so check the site before a weekday stop.
4212 McCullough Ave., across the street. Full Belly Café + Bar opened its second location in this space in March 2024, the San Antonio Current reported. In July 2026, MySA reported that both Full Belly locations appeared to be closed and that the business had not responded to requests for comment. An online listing for the Stone Oak location mentioned a July 2027 reopening, which the business had not confirmed. The listing for the Olmos Park location simply showed it as closed. In the same month, a new bakery opened on one side of the 4200 block and the café across the street went quiet. That's a lot of change for two addresses.
Olmos Pluma Coffee Bar, 5223 McCullough Ave. Farther north, this farm-to-cup specialty coffee shop lists hours of 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, with online ordering. It is open Monday and Tuesday, the two days Dough Baby is closed.
Pesto Ristorante, 5221 McCullough Ave. Next door to Olmos Pluma, this Italian restaurant's website lists a menu, online ordering and hours. While the Volare corner is fenced in November, Pesto is the Italian option on McCullough that sits well away from the work zone.
Tuesdays and Saturdays at the Basin
One weekly routine keeps going right through the closure. The San Antonio Farmers Market at Olmos Basin, 100 Jackson Keller, appears in a 2026 farmers market directory as running year-round on Tuesdays and Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The listing notes that times may vary. The market is north of the construction, so getting there from inside Olmos Park doesn't involve Hildebrand. Dough Baby has its own market history. The San Antonio Report traced the bakery's start to a pop-up at Pearl Farmers Market, where it opened in March 2024, and owner Nancy Fitch told the Report that "many of our market customers have found their way to the store in Olmos Park."
Water Service, and Who to Call
The work can also briefly interrupt water service at nearby homes and businesses. SAWS says it may need to temporarily shut off water to connect the new lines to the existing system, and that affected customers will be notified in advance. The September presentation adds that interruptions will be kept to a minimum and that the contractor will coordinate with affected customers directly.
The presentation lists these contacts, in this order:
- Contractor Liaison: Tommy Carmona, the first call for concerns during construction
- SAWS Inspector: Steven Sanchez, if the contractor isn't resolving an issue
- SAWS External Relations: Cecilia Picazo, 210-233-3750 or [email protected]
The presentation also lists Olmos Park, Trinity University, the University of the Incarnate Word, the San Antonio Zoo, Alamo Stadium, and area businesses and residents among the stakeholders SAWS is coordinating with.
After Phase 1, the timeline works in Olmos Park's favor. In January, the closure moves east to the stretch between Shook and Devine, and the McCullough corner and the blocks along Olmos Park's southern edge are scheduled to be finished. If the schedule holds, the work zone will have moved away from Olmos Park's edge by the new year. For other parts of the neighborhood, Patrick's Olmos Park guide covers more, and the Monte Vista page covers the neighbors to the south who share these detours.
If you own a home near Hildebrand and wonder how months of construction might affect your plans for the coming year, Patrick Bean is glad to talk through timing and preparation with you, with no pressure attached. Start a conversation whenever it suits you.
