Catching up on the historic preservation beat …
Last month, plans for the restoration of the Leeds building, 345 W. Commerce St., were approved by the Historic and Design Review Commission (HDRC).
Cory Stehr, a local developer who recently moved here from Los Angeles, and a partner are restoring the small retail building that sits kitty-corner from downtown Goodwill store on one end, and a block away from the San Pedro Creek Culture Park on the other.
[ Related: Newcomer to San Antonio buys historic building on West Commerce ]
After purchasing the Leeds in February, the partners are spending $500,000 on the rehabilitation, Stehr told the Heron earlier this year.
The plan is to place a local restaurant in the 5,000-square-foot ground-level space, and convert the second floor into flexible office space.
“To me, San Antonio’s downtown is bar none the most underrated, underutilized downtown,” Stehr said. “I can still make money putting in a tenant that doesn’t have as good of credit, but I can grow with them, I can help their business grow. I can start with them when no one’s willing to take them, as long as they have a good product, and I can help them turn their business into something else.”
The renovation began soon after the partnership purchased the 1915 building, which is a local landmark.
According to the agenda for the June 16 HDRC meeting, the restoration includes cleaning the masonry, re-opening “previously concealed windows,” and restoring current wooden windows.
The Leeds is located in the middle of west downtown, where there are more than a dozen major developments underway or planned. Here are a few that are within the immediate vicinity:
[ Related: Bexar County, Weston Urban to partner on apartments at Continental Hotel ]
[ Related: Development Profile: Council approves subsidy for Weston Urban’s 32-story apartment tower ]
[ Related: UTSA has started building its data science school, national security center on Dolorosa ]
Heron Editor Ben Olivo can be reached at 210-421-3932 | ben@saheron.com | @rbolivo on Twitter
[…] Collaboration Center continues. The Kline’s building restoration is nearly completed, and the Leeds’ rehab is underway—both across from the Continental […]