Developers want density for one of San Antonio’s oldest neighborhoods.
The city’s Historic Design and Review Commission approved a 9-story mixed-use project for Tobin Hill.
Oxbow Development Group plans to redevelop the Lewellan building at 102 East Josephine Street, the San Antonio Business Journal reported. Plans call for about 250 multifamily units and space for office, retail and restaurants.
Also on Josephine Street, Harris Bay, has requested rezoning for several properties it has under contract to buy. The properties, which include offices, warehouses, empty lots and single-family homes, are on the southern end of the St. Mary’s Strip entertainment district. The redevelopment would include the office-to-resi conversion of the 10-story, 98-year-old Travis Building at 400 North St. Mary’s, as well as construction of a boutique hotel.
Harris Bay’s plans call for four buildings. Two will rise on either side of Polk Street, one will be located at the corner of East Dewey Place and North St. Mary’s Street, and the last will rise next to Nathaniel Hawthorne Academy to the southeast. The firm also plans to preserve and incorporate the facades of the Texas Neon Advertising building at 245 West Josephine and the art deco retail building at 326 West Josephine.
The Oxbow development team will be required to complete an archaeological investigation at its site and preserve a historical drain that’s part of the Acequia del Alamo irrigation system developed by Spanish colonists in the 1700s. Oxbow will have to get final approval from city staff for certain features, including window specifications, building materials, lighting and landscaping plans.
The project will serve as a gathering place for the neighborhood and address some of the parking issues that have been plaguing Tobin Hill, the developer said. The project will also fit in with the surrounding river ecosystem and be compatible with the health and wellness facilities nearby, said Omar Conzalez of Oxbow.
“That’s probably the biggest one, celebrating the river and contributing to the hike-bike trail system,” he said.
The project is expected to be completed some time in 2026.
— Victoria Pruitt