SAN ANTONIO – Dwarfed by a CPS Energy substation, what had been the Sommers Saloon and Beer Garden 150 years ago, may not be at the corner of Tenth and Alamo much longer.
West side of Sommers Saloon Dec 2021 showing what appears to be original 1870’s roof. (Photo Courtesy: Rita Schmiff)
CPS Energy doesn’t have a demolition date yet, according to its spokeswoman.
Yet with the roof removed last Friday, the Conservation Society of San Antonio has issued an SOS to try to save one of the last limestone block buildings of its kind in San Antonio.
Asked if it would take legal action to stop the expected demolition, Vince Michael, its executive director, said, “We’re exploring all possible options.”
He said the Conservation Society of San Antonio had already been working with the city’s Office of Historic Preservation and CPS Energy, so it was surprised when a member alerted them about the roof being taken off the building.
The Conservation Society of San Antonio said CPS Energy had agreed in 2021 to keep the building as it expanded the substation to serve downtown and the growth along Broadway.
Also taken aback was Rita Schmiff, whose great-great-grandparents, Frances and Albertina Sommers, owned and operated the saloon and beer garden.
Francis and Albertina Sommers possibly in the grape arbor seating area of Sommers Garden. (Photo Courtesy: Rita Schmiff)
Schmiff said she’d been working closely with the CPS Energy archaeologist since 2021.
“I’m shocked,” she said. “They had actually worked to board up and save the building.”
Kathy Krnavek, the recently elected president of the Conservation Society of San Antonio, said, “What changed? The building didn’t change. The building is still the building.”
Sommers Saloon facing 10th Street. This was about 1904-1912. (Photo Courtesy: Rita Schmiff)
Instead of going through the normal process of going before the Historic Design and Review Commission and getting public input, they said CPS Energy this year was given administrative approval from the Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) for the demolition to proceed.
In its statement, OHP said the reason was the building met only two of the three criteria required for a landmark designation.
OHP said the building was deemed ineligible because it had been altered through the years.
Sommers Saloon facing 10th street ca 1870’s. Beer garden was in back of this, with a grape arbor and seating around cast iron table made by Alamo Iron Works. They had music and dancing regularly. (Photo Courtesy: Rita Schmiff)
Yet, Krnavek said anything else that was changed wasn’t there in the 1870s when the saloon was built.
As part of its review, OHP said its public portal was open to public input for 30 days but received no public comment. It also said OHP staff reached out to the Conservation Society and other stakeholders last March.
CPS Energy said it worked with the City of San Antonio through the historic review process “in order to enhance reliability in the growing lower Broadway and downtown areas.”
OHP said the building would be “dismantled by hand” so that the materials can be stored and re-used for other structures.
However, Krnavek said, “We repurpose our buildings on a regular basis. So just because it’s not being used now doesn’t mean that some bright architect or someone with a great vision can’t turn this into something.”
“In our minds, we think the building became a little more inconvenient for them to deal with,” Krnavek said.
CPS Energy sent KSAT the following statement:
“CPS Energy worked with the City of San Antonio through the historic review process, and it was determined that the structure located at 10th and N. Alamo Streets was not a historic landmark/protected property. We have committed to the preservation of the limestone block and other materials and they will be provided to the City of San Antonio for potential reuse or other cultural projects. CPS Energy secured the building to ensure it is safe. The area is needed to expand the substation located next to the property in order to enhance reliability in the growing lower Broadway and downtown areas.”
Statement from the Office of Historic Preservation:
“The stone building known as the former Sommers’ Beer Garden is owned by CPS. CPS requested a historic assessment in 2019 of the property at 910 and 928 N Alamo, at which time the Southwell building was still extant. OHP issued the requested historic assessment, determining that the property was not eligible for landmark designation. This determination was consistent with a previous assessment completed as part of the River North Historic Resources Survey in 2010/2011.
“In 2021, CPS requested the demolition of the Southwell building, and OHP issued approval. At this time, the stone building was retained and stabilized.
“In early 2023, CPS reached out to OHP to determine whether the stone structure could be removed. During the review, the demolition request was listed on the OHP Public Portal for 30 days for public input (April 4 – May 4). Also, OHP staff reached out to the Conservation Society and other stakeholders in March 2023
“After review, OHP determined that demolition could be administratively approved and would not require HDRC review because the building was not eligible for landmark designation given the alterations to the building and there were no public comments received on the item. We recommended that the materials be salvaged. After this approval, CPS engaged with OHP’s Deconstruction & Circular Economy Program Manager to coordinate a salvage plan for the structure. Beginning this week with the roof, CPS will dismantle the building manually. Curtis Hunt will perform the deconstruction of the stone walls which will likely start sometime next week. CPS will donate these materials to the Material Innovation Center, where they will be stored together onsite at the MIC’s warehouse at PortSA. This would enable potential reconstruction in the future if someone was interested in doing so.
“CPS is expanding an existing electrical substation in River North, and requested removal of the buildings on site for this expansion.”