The city's historic landmark commission heard a proposal Nov. 12 for a development project that would overhaul three separate buildings on San Antonio Street. The project would revitalize properties at 173, 189 and 207 E. San Antonio St., and add extra retail and parking space.
“We want something sustainable that adds to the value of downtown,” said Eli Woolsey, president of Woolsey Design Build, the construction firm overseeing the proposed project.
The three buildings on San Antonio Street all fall into a period of significance for the downtown district, said Amy McWhorter, a member of the commission. They include what is now Modern Beauty Salon, Kim’s Swedish Massage and Once In A Blue Moon.
Constructed in the 1850s, Kim’s Swedish Massage was originally a fachwerk-style home and is the oldest of the three structures. Once In A Blue Moon was built in the 1880s, also as a home, and Modern Beauty Salon was added to the downtown landscape in the 1930s as an office building originally owned by the Landa Family.
The Downtown Historic District encompasses the original downtown area and includes a variety of property types and architectural styles from New Braunfels’ history. Buildings constructed between 1845 to 1940 are considered historically significant and are included in the period of significance for the district.
The historic landmark commission is expected to vote on the San Antonio Street proposal at a meeting Dec. 10.
“We are a commission that wants to foster our heritage,” said Carola Davis, commission member and partner at Davis Settlement Partners. “There are opportunities here to tell a great story.”
