Megan Rodriguez (2018, June 12). Improving San Antonio’s West Side by Preserving History. Retrived from http://bit.ly/2GEilPf
“In one month the nearly 90-year-old Basila Frocks building will undergo renovations aimed to restore it to its original glory.
The two-story historic building on North Zarzamora Street has been abandoned for eight years. With its boarded doors and shattered windows it has become a stark contrast to the beautiful architectural monument it was in 1929. Standing in the center of Prospect Hill, one of the few non-segregated neighborhoods in the early 20th century, the Basila Frocks was one of the highest quality buildings on the West Side. When it was first built by a Syrian family, it was used as a factory for women’s dresses and has since been home to convenience stores, restaurants and gyms.
When co-developer and investor Dan Markson first heard that the building was facing possible demolition, he did everything he could to save the monument. Markson’s vision matched the Westside Development Corporation’s five-year search for a community project of this magnitude, leading to a partnership to save the Basila Frocks.
“The goal of building is to have it be a mixed-use building with all kinds of small businesses,” Markson said. “Some retail, some wholesale, some manufacturing and to restore the building to its original grandeur.” “
