Waste Program Successes

Until 1930, this property was a private residence. From 1930 to 1964, it operated as an automobile service station with an Underground Storage Tank (UST) and a battery repair shop. The building was demolished sometime before 1971. By 2012, the property was a vacant lot and used as spare parking for a nearby restaurant.

The City of San Antonio applied to the Brownfields Program in hopes to rejuvenate the area and was accepted. Over several fiscal years, the TCEQ Brownfields Program utilized $82,483.81 grant funding towards performing a Phase II, UST removal, and surveying services at the site.

This project transformed an empty, underutilized lot in the heart of historic downtown San Antonio into a lovely mixed-use retail and apartment space. The two retail spaces will provide convenient shops and restaurants within walking distance of many residences but will also provide jobs within the community. The four apartments will provide convenient housing within walking distance of many downtown amenities, including the Alamodome and the River Walk.

The developer, Gerardo Ituarte Hesles, is known for passionately bringing life to San Antonio’s East Side. He partnered with local artist from the area for the artistic mural of a monstera plant on the front of the building. Not only does it provide value for the property, but it allows everyone a chance to enjoy the gift and beauty of art to give back to the city residents.

The current mixed-use residential/commercial property is valued at $576,740 after the building was built which will enhance the local economy and increase tax revenue. After this project was completed, the developer also remodeled two additional properties on Montana street, transforming a 1930’s home into a boutique hotel and converting a former church into an African American history museum.