By Edmond Ortiz
The city continues shepherding three separate redevelopment plans focused on Pearl and adjacent neighborhoods north of downtown and along the San Antonio River Museum Reach.
Pearl expansion
Oxbow Development Group on Aug. 6 sent the city plans to build 10 one- and two-story structures along Avenue A between Grayson and Mueller streets. Oxbow is also requesting permission to raze a vacant industrial building at 250 E. Grayson St.
According to Oxbow, the additional 85,000 square feet of retail, restaurant, and commercial space will serve as an expansion of Pearl, and strengthen the Pearl District’s historic urban character through the placement of smaller retail buildings, and improved public spaces and connections throughout the existing mixed-use development.
Representatives for Oxbow and its development partner, 3-O Real Estate Partners, said they had hoped to preserve and reuse the former “Garage Building” at 250 E. Grayson, a structure that was built in 1939 to support vehicle maintenance and service functions after horsedrawn Pearl/Lone Star Brewery beer transportation became obsolete.
However, the Garage Building’s current configuration makes it a challenge for the developers to repurpose the structure, which has been mostly vacant since 2013.
Alamo Architects is working with Don B. McDonald Architects to design the proposed development with an eye toward acknowledging and reinforcing the existing character of Pearl’s new and historic structures.
The developers also intend to salvage as much material from the Garage Building, including bricks, windows and skylights, for reuse at the proposed retail development and its surroundings.
The city’s Historic and Design Review Commission is slated to review plans for demolition of the Garage Building, and construction of new retail buildings on Oct. 7. Plans call for construction to start in early 2027, with completion expected in late 2028.
Terry Black’s Barbecue
The HDRC is tentatively scheduled to meet Sept. 2 and consider Terry Black Hospitality’s plan to build a $63 million, three-story boutique hotel at 1411 Ailing St. as part of its emerging development north of Pearl.
The development will include a restaurant, bathhouse, and an underground parking garage. Hotel construction is expected to begin this September, and wrap up in summer 2028.
West Jones Avenue redevelopment
San Antonio City Council voted Aug. 6 to formally acknowledge the state legislature’s creation of an entity that will accommodate a new mixed-use development near Pearl and the San Antonio Museum of Art.
The Jones Avenue Municipal Management District covers six acres at the corner of Camden Street and West Jones Avenue, a site that was previously owned by CPS Energy before it was bought by McCombs Family Partners.
Plans call for the razing of vacant buildings at 326 W. Jones, and the construction of eight structures that will feature nearly 400 apartments, more than 281,000 square feet of office space, 58,600-plus square feet of retail space, and 65,000 square feet for dining retail space.
The new unnamed development would include parking garages, and amenities for apartments tenants. It will also be a major addition to the growing River North neighborhood, which features a blend of multifamily properties, dining and drinking destinations, and the museum.
The Jones Avenue MMD can support roadway, recreational and utility improvements on the redevelopment site by levying taxes and fees on property owners within the district.
The special district may also maintain and operate parks and beautification initiatives, and provide supplemental services such as security patrols and solid waste collection.
The district will be overseen by a council-appointed board of directors: Lawson Jessee, a current Alamo Heights City Council member, Pat Biernacki, Andrew Simms, Nick Prater, and Geroge Weron.
