The owners of a 1903 Victorian building in downtown San Antonio won key approval this week to remake the historic structure into a River Walk restaurant.
The Historic and Design Review Commission (HDRC) on Wednesday recommended conceptual approval for plans that include new awnings at the historic Loan and Trust Building, 235 E. Commerce, owned by restaurateur and developer Chris Hill.
But plans for a proposed dining terrace spanning West Crockett Street to an elevator tower on the River Walk are still up in the air.
Don McDonald of Don B. McDonald Architects told commissioners that the project has the potential to help attract visitors from the river level to the downtown streets — a “long-time goal” of his, he said.
At times, “it’ll just be wall-to-wall people on the River Walk, and you’ll go up a stairway, and we have this incredible urban area that’s just dead,” he said. “We really see this as the next-generation evolution of the River Walk and, equally important, the streets of the city.”
Built by George Brackenridge between 1901 and 1903, the Loan and Trust Building was designed by G. Voorhees is “an excellent example of a Victorian commercial structure using classic details,” according to nominating documents for the National Register of Historic Places filed in 1976.
A businessman and philanthropist, Brackenridge lived with his sister Eleanor in the upper three floors of the building, using one for their quarters, one for servants and the other for a ballroom.
Last restored in 2005, the Loan and Trust Building has until now served as office space and private apartments. Its owner, Hill, completed the Canopy by Hilton hotel, less than a block away at 123 N. St. Mary’s St., in 2021.
Renderings presented by McDonald show the six levels of the building designed for use as a restaurant with a bar and lounge areas.
Documents prepared for the Office of Historic Preservation describe a rear, outdoor dining deck structure, 28 feet wide, that extends 60 feet from the rear of the historic structure to an existing public elevator.
Renderings show a pergola-style covering with people seated at tables and chairs and a set of stairs to the River Walk.
McDonald said the architectural team that includes Christina Berlanga has met with Office of Historic Preservation staff and commissioners to address issues with the plans.
“There’s been a big push towards making the whole thing lighter and more ethereal,” he said. “There’s been a push towards it shifted back from the River Walk.”
Representatives of the adjacent Omni Mokara Hotel and Spa, 212 W. Crockett St., oppose the plans for any kind of dining deck, saying it not only looms over the hotel entrance, limiting visibility, but also damages the historic nature of the 125-year-old hotel building and Crockett Street.
“We feel very strongly that the proposed improvements are inconsistent with the historic character of the block,” said Brian Baker, senior counsel for Omni Hotels.
“While this may be viewed as the back of the Commerce Street property, and that’s maybe not as necessary for historic preservation, with respect to the Omni property, we consider it the front of our property, the main entrance, and of the highest importance for maintaining historic character of the property,” Baker said.
HDRC Commissioner James Cervantes agreed and said he would not vote to approve the request.
“I think it changes the overall aspect from both the river and the street in a way that you can’t really undo, or that would also segue into other people trying to do the same thing,” Cervantes said.
Also concerned about the plans for a dining deck, Commissioner Gabriel Velasquez suggested approval for most of the plan but said the applicant should meet with the Mokara representatives and others in the area who could be affected.
But other commissioners appeared to fully embrace the concept.
“It excites me to see this kind of development on the river … and I like to see this kind of action,” he said. “I think that Crockett Street is under-activated, and this could be something that would spur development and activity out there.”
Commissioners voted in favor of giving conceptual approval for the items in the request that involved several canvas awnings but gave conditional approval only to the sidewalk lift and valet station, the dining deck and elevator tower modifications.
A conditional approval requires the applicant to return to HDRC for final approval, a step that is also required after the initial conceptual review and approval.
