SAN ANTONIO – The flag for a future downtown hotel has been picked.
Laredo-based IBC Bank plans to convert its downtown office tower at 175 E. Houston St. into a JW Marriott and add an entirely new structure to the complex, according to design documents submitted to the City of San Antonio. Renderings show the bank aims to build a third structure next to IBC Centre I at the corner of East Travis and North St. Mary’s Streets for parking, a rooftop pool and other amenities.
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IBC Centre I would house 300 hotel rooms for the flag, which falls under Marriott International‘s luxury lineup. IBC Centre II, the bank’s San Antonio base of operations, would remain an office.
HKS Architects & Designers and SWA Group are attached to the design team. Dimension Hospitality, which manages the Embassy Suites by Hilton San Antonio Riverwalk Downtown, is also on board.
In a statement to city staff, project leaders said the proposed hotel would be a “cultural and architectural anchor” for the urban core.
“Framed by the historic 1926 Texas Theater façade and the adaptive reuse of O’Neil Ford’s 1983 office building, the hotel weaves past and future together,” the team wrote. “It offers a vibrant hospitality experience that honors San Antonio’s architectural heritage, urban character and the dynamic energy of the River Walk, creating a destination that is both historically grounded and forward-looking.”
In previous reviews with the city, IBC Bank has indicated it wants to start construction in spring 2026. After Visionworks announced it would vacate its massive lease in the 280,000-square-foot building in 2024, IBC Bank Executive Vice President Bernardo De La Garza said pivoting away from office use would be more prudent than trying to lease up the space again.
“There’s not a lot of office tenants moving downtown,” he said. “I think that our competition there is against some of the newer buildings that have more amenities, that are better positioned in terms of the amenity package.”
The proposal has been referred to the Historic and Design Review Commission, though it was unclear at press time when the panel would take up the measure. A representative for IBC Bank did not respond to a request for comment by publication time.
Read more of this story at the San Antonio Business Journal website.
Editor’s note: This story was published through a partnership between KSAT and the San Antonio Business Journal.