San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Historic houses could get new leases on life
Two empty, historic houses near San Pedro Springs Park and San Antonio College — including one that was slated to be demolished by a previous owner — could get new leases on life.
Downtown developer Weston Urban bough the Koehler mansion at 310 W. Ashby Place from the Alamo Colleges District in 2022 and is restoring it as a dining and lodging establishment. The 12,655square-foot house, built in 1901 for Pearl Brewing magnates Otto and Emma Koehler, has curved windows, ornate masonry and a basement bowling alley, among other features.
It is Weston Urban’s first project outside downtown, where the firm has renovated the Rand and Savoy buildings, erected Frost Tower, and is building apartments, retail space and parking. Graham Weston and Randy Smith, the firm’s co-founders, are also part of a group that owns the San Antonio Missions and wants to build a downtown stadium for the baseball team.
“We’re unwaveringly dedicated to placemaking, and that is a special crown jewel in the history of San Antonio that needs a lot of love and that we think can be part of a bigger story around our downtown work,” Smith said, referring to the Koehler house.
Across the street sits the Hughes house, which was built in 1913. Local restaurateur Chad Carey and Ed Byrne, co-founder of local investment firm Scaleworks, acquired the property at 312 W. Courtland Place late last year.
Carey’s Empty Stomach Group operates restaurants, bars and nightlife venues, including Double Standard downtown, Barbaro and Extra Fine in Monte Vista, Hot Joy and Hands Down in Southtown, and Little Death, Midnight Swim, Paper Tiger, Rumble and Vibras on the St. Mary’s Strip. He recently announced plans
to open a second Extra Fine location in the Savoy Building and a pizza joint in the Rand Building. Both buildings are downtown.
Byrne launched Scaleworks with Lew Moorman, a former executive at
Rackspace Technology Inc., in 2015. The firm invests in and operates business-to-business software companies and is based in the Savoy Building. Byrne and Moorman also founded Soilworks
Natural Capital, which invests in companies focused on regenerative ranching.
For now, Carey declined to comment on plans for the 3,300-square-foot Courtland Place house,
which is less than a mile from the St. Mary’s Strip.
The house was built for Russell Meriweather “R.M.” Hughes and Lillian Allan Hughes; they came to San Antonio from Lou