SAN ANTONIO – Construction is nearly complete on a historic West Side building that was previously slated for demolition.
Canizales said Basila Frocks, located at the intersection of North Zarzamora Street and West Martin Street, was built in 1929 by two Syrian refugees to serve as a dressmaking factory.
Over the years, the building has served as a dance hall, nightclub, restaurant, wrestling venue and other storefront businesses.
“We wanted to make sure that this building was not only restored because of its historical significance, but that it also acted again as that economic vessel, that opportunity vessel, for people to be able to house their businesses in and help those businesses grow,” said Rebeca Canizales, the director of strategy and programs for Prosper West San Antonio.
The building was nearly demolished and was expected to become a dollar store. However, residents and West Side officials prompted new development and revitalization for the historic site.
“When we first started this project, (the community) actually became very possessive of the property,” said Janie Villareal McClinchie with the Dream On Group. “They would always email us and call us, ‘Hey, there’s somebody out there. It doesn’t look like it’s supposed to be out there.’ They took ownership of the project because again, the pride, the pride of the community, really exists here.”
The Dream On Group has worked to renovate the building while preserving its historic characteristics, including handcrafted windows, original address numbers and the original scaffolding.
Prosper West, a San Antonio organization dedicated to supporting West Side businesses, will now be headquartered in Basila Frocks. The organization said that it will assist entrepreneurs in learning how to establish and manage a sustainable business.
Prosper West and the Dream On Group will speak at the upcoming San Antonio Startup Week on Oct. 17.
“The West Side, still to this day, continues to encounter challenges and barriers that have been placed over generations,” Canizales said. “And those kinds of challenges and failures are hard and difficult to dismantle. And even though we’re well on our way to doing so, it’ll still be a long journey before we do that.”
The building is expected to be completed with renovations in October and will open to businesses later this month.
A grand opening is planned for December.
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