Redeveloping Historical Westside Building Will Lead to Reinvestment in Westside
[San Antonio, Texas – December 20, 2022] – The Basila Frocks Building, built in 1929 by Syrian immigrants Nicholas and Marie Basila, is in the Prospect Hill neighborhood. The Basila’s ready-to-wear frocks played a significant role in leading San Antonio to be known as the “Garment Capital of the South.” This building has served as an architectural, social, and cultural icon on the City’s Westside.
Over the years, the building has housed a dance hall, nightclub, restaurant, and multiple other uses. The building is still standing today in large part to the Westside community and organizations wanting to see the historic building brought back to life. Ramiro Gonzales, President & CEO of Prosper West, said, “The San Antonio Conservation Society, Westside Preservation Alliance, Esperanza Peace & Justice Center, West End Hope in Action, and many others have all played a significant role in preserving its place in the community and making sure Basila Frocks was saved from demolition.” The DreamOn Group, in partnership with Prosper West, seeks to redevelop the building and continue weaving the significance of this space into the community.
The DreamOn Group and Prosper West are partnering on the redevelopment, including plans to renovate the vacant building for Prosper West’s headquarters, business offices, and space for community organizations to use. Several nonprofit organizations have inquired about renting space and how they can partner in revitalizing the Westside. “This area of town is normally not the first choice for investors, but we believe that decision has been a missed opportunity. We know that restoring this building will help provide a space that will reconnect the City’s history to the present in many ways, and we want to be part of it.” Rene Garcia, Co-Founder of the DreamOn Group said. “The building has great potential to serve the west side community via jobs and community space for all to benefit from.”
“Saving this building has many challenges, but we felt it was an important project that needed to be done, and we are blessed to be a part of it,” Julissa Carielo, Co-Founder of the DreamOn Group with Garcia, said. “We will continue to look for other historical buildings in our city and look for ways to bring them back to life for all of us to enjoy.”
On Friday, December 9th, the development team held an open house for the community to tour the space and give feedback on what the building means to the Westside and what they hope to see transpire with the area. Many attendees could not believe the space’s condition and were happy to hear that a plan was in place to fix it. In addition, design renderings created by Overland Partners Architecture & Urban Designs were displayed for all to give feedback.
Councilwoman, Teri Castillo who represents District 5 where Basila Frocks is located said ““Every building has a story to tell, and I am grateful that once renovations are complete, Basila Frocks will become a welcoming space full of stories of ambition and opportunity again,” Councilwoman Castillo continued, “Our Westside community is looking forward to weaving the Basila Frocks back into the cultural fabric of our lives.”
The DreamOn Group is excited and proud to serve new and existing clients to build strong relationships with local vendors and partners to create unique, sustainable jobs that will benefit the San Antonio community and the local economy.
The Basila Frocks name will remain; for more information on space availability, please contact Maureen Moulton at DH Realty Partners, 210.421.9144.To learn more about the DreamOn Group and Prosper West, please visit their websites at www.dreamongroup.comand www.prosperwestsa.org.
