SAN ANTONIO — A city commission approved plans for a shopping center on a former commercial fueling station in downtown San Antonio, even as District 1 Councilwoman Sukh Kaur continued efforts to have the property donated to the city’s Parks Department.
The proposed development involves a property on the eastern edge of downtown near the Lavaca neighborhood, where a planned gas station and Little Caesars restaurant drew opposition from residents last year before the developer withdrew the proposal.
Lavaca Neighborhood Association President Melissa Stendahl previously said residents opposed the earlier project because of concerns about quality of life and traffic.
“There’s just a lot of competing interests and some conflicts of interest with things like quality of life and traffic management with that kind of development amidst homes like that,” Stendahl told MySA at the time.
More than a year later, the Historic Design and Review Commission approved a new proposal for a shopping center on the site.
Kaur said she had reached a preliminary agreement with one of the property’s owners to donate the land to the San Antonio Parks Department.
“As part of that effort, I reached a preliminary agreement with one of the property’s partners to donate the land to the Parks Department,” Kaur told MySA.
She said the city completed environmental assessments and other due diligence requirements as part of the proposed park project.
“During that process, another partner associated with the property sought approval from the Historic Design and Review Commission for a shopping center development, which has subsequently been approved,” Kaur said.
Kaur said developers have submitted permit applications to city staff.
The property is owned by KEM Texas LTD and is associated with GrayStreet Partners. Kaur said multiple partners are involved in decisions related to the property.
No neighborhood group has publicly opposed the shopping center proposal.
MySA sought comment from the Lavaca Neighborhood Association, GrayStreet Partners and KEM Texas LTD but did not receive responses before publication.
