The Historic and Design Review Commission (HDRC) approved the next step for the construction of 14 townhouses in two structures on Cedar Street in the King William Historic District.
HDRC has approved the design and site plan by Alamo Architects, and details pertaining to project’s aesthetic – paint color, fencing materials, and landscaping – will soon be up for review. Depending on how smoothly the rest of the process goes, construction could begin as early as the end of this year.
“We’ve been at this for a year now,” said developer Stephen Yndo of Yndo Commercial Real Estate Company “We started out as a 19-unit project and now we’re down to 14 units, and we’re still at it.”
Yndo said the project consists of many moving parts; a vacant children’s shelter facility, a one-story historic home, and a parking lot are all in play. The project includes demolition of the former San Antonio Children’s Shelter at 139 Cedar St. in order to build a ten-unit townhouse, constructing a four-unit townhouse on the nearby parking lot, and selling an historical home at as a single-family residence.
Yndo will also move a historical home from one block west on Cedar Street, currently behind Bonham Elementary, on to the larger plot.
The San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) purchased the home with plans to demolish it for an extended playground at the elementary school, only to be notified by the HDRC that its historic status precludes demolition. It does not, however, prevent relocation.
Yndo, SAISD, and community members agreed that if the historical home was moved to the tract of land adjacent to the current San Antonio Children’s Shelter – and future townhouse complex – the project could go forward.
“It saves the home, which everyone is the neighborhood has been concerned about, and it gets it off of the Bonham Elementary property so that they can have a legitimate playground,” Yndo said, a win-win-win.
Yndo said the new units will appeal to older residents who don’t want to manage the upkeep that comes with ownership of a historic home, and younger residents who don’t have the time or patience to tend to a historic home.
“It meets a demand,” he said.
Yndo said he is “completely opposed to” tearing down historic structures.
“Having lived in King William since the mid-’80s I haven’t seen anything, no matter how bad, that can’t be restored and brought back by somebody at some price,” he said.
Although some people think King William might be flooded with these types of apartment-style projects, Yndo said that is not the case.
“The reality is there are very few opportunities like this within King William,” he said. “It’s kind of a one shot deal.”
This has not been an easy project. Alamo Architects and Yndo’s real estate company have been fine-tuning the project as they gathered feedback and addressed concerns of various organizations and community members. Not all the neighbors welcomed the project.
The King William Neighborhood Association, however, wrote a letter to the HDRC in favor of the project in June.
Yndo said this is the third or fourth HDRC meeting he has attended for the development process.
*Featured/top image: Rendering of the four-unit building. Courtesy image.
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That is a very nice design and meets a growing need for non-single family housing that can be purchased.
So excited to see this happen. Love the renderings.
What a shame.
Place is being over run….
Ew.
historically has YNDO gotten any push back by HDRC ever???
Bonham needs a playground! Love the renderings.
Joan, slight correction. Yesterday, HDRC approved the renderings in your article. Final approval will be for specific paint colors, fencing material and planting material. King William has a couple of additional thoughts pertaining to the corner of Cedar and Pereida that we are also working through as well. Thanks to everyone who has participated so productively in this process. Almost there!
Thanks, Jim! I’ve updated the article to reflect that!
Anyone know the price point?
Wow. Lets sell and move historic homes in an historic neighborhood to make room for this more modern luxury housing. That’s it, San Antonio, keep that heritage alive.
On the upside, I have to say this looks better than most of the modern luxury junk that’s being built down there. Save for those hideous modern railing on the balconies that belongs in a 1980’s shopping mall, it ALMOST looks like it belongs.
Eryn, in this case, the plan is to put a historic home now used as office/storage back into use as a single family residence, and moving a boarded-up historic home from the elementary school site to a portion of the Children Shelter property where it can be restored back to single family use as well. The alternative was for it to stay mothballed on property that could otherwise add to the Bonham playground.
SGT, we don’t have the resources to gamble so typically don’t even start down the path to HDRC unless we feel like we have fairly strong neighborhood support for the overall concept. Given the vagaries of personal opinion and aesthetics, 60-70% support is probably the most any project can expect to achieve.
No homes are being moved to make room for the project. The townhomes are going on an existing parking lot and where a 1970’s-ish commercial building will be removed. The home being moved is from another location in King William. SAISD had purchased the house earlier and was basically letting it rot in place with the goal of it being demolished. This proposal actually SAVES this home and returns it to a residential use.
Scott, I like where your head’s at.
Sad to hear they are demolishing the home I was born at and have so many wonderful memories of…I have no choice but to buy one of the condos now
My grandmother Dolores A Tapia founded the Children’s Shelter on Cedar St I hope they respect her legacy
Amen brother! Make sure you buy one of the condos above where our old home was.