Victory Park has signed on another new restaurant, and it's a biggie: Mesero, the Tex-Mex concept from restaurateur Mico Rodriguez. He'll open a flagship location at Victory Park, serving reimagined Tex-Mex and Mexican dishes, as well as American classics, with an opening set for early 2018.

In addition, a branch of Orangetheory Fitness will also open at Victory Park, bringing its scientifically backed, group personal training workout to Victory in the fall.

Mesero currently has four branches around Dallas, beginning with the original Mr. Mesero on McKinney Avenue, plus locations on Henderson Avenue, Inwood Village, and Prestonwood; another is set to open in Plano at the Legacy West complex. Rodriguez founded the chain after parting ways with Mi Cocina, the other successful Tex-Mex chain he helped spawn.

There are currently a dozen branches of Orangetheory Fitness in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, including Preston Hollow, Plano, and Rockwall.

Victory Park is undergoing a redevelopment by owner Estein USA and retail partner Trademark Property Co. They're adding 85,000 square feet of new retail space, and making key district enhancements to evolve Victory Park into a more authentic, walkable, and soulful urban neighborhood.

Both Mesero and Orangetheory Fitness will be located in a new mixed-used building under construction at Victory Park Lane and High Market Street. The building, which is nearing completion, will also be home to two other 2017 openings: Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas – Victory Park and The 23, a new 285-unit mixed-use apartment community by LMC, as well as 20,000 square feet of new retail space.

Victory Park vice president Lance Fair says in a release that these new tenants give a more concrete glimpse of the new vision for the district.

"Everything we are doing — the tenant lineup, local food and beverage talent, the public art program, down to the smallest detail — is designed to contribute to a refreshing, authentic vibe that will make Victory a vibrant destination for visitors to rediscover," he says.

Mesero joins a slew of other new restaurants and bars: There's the restaurant and bar from the owners of High Fives, So & So's, and The Standard Pour; a bar and tavern by Brooke Humphries of Barcadia, Beauty Bar, Mudsmith, It’ll Do Club, and Pints & Quarts fame; a restaurant-entertainment concept in Victory Plaza from Humphries and Elias Pope (HG Sply Co.); and three concepts from Tristan Simon's new venture, Rebees, including a saloon, a retail store, and workspace with a cafe.

Victory Park recently unveiled an 8-foot steel sculpture of a hand making a V, by California-based artist Nathan Mabry. Called Heavy Handed (Symbol), it's the first in a series of Instagram-worthy public art installations planned for Victory, including a large sculpture by Las Vegas artist Tim Bavington coming in the next few months.

Other redevelopment initiatives to date have included reworked streetscapes, sidewalks, and storefronts; district identity markers; wayfinding elements; public space amenities; two-way traffic conversion on Houston Street and Victory Avenue; and a dedicated bike lane extending the Katy Trail. Additional parking and valet options, as well as lighting and technology upgrades, will also roll out in 2017.