Tax Credit Program Highlight: St. Anthony Hotel

San Antonio, Bexar County

1909

Designation	Individually listed in National Register of Historic Places
Historic Use	Hotel
Current Use	Hotel
Total Rehabilitation Cost	$69,000,000
Qualified Rehabilitation Expenses	$55,000,000
Date Certified	January 27, 2016
	Also certified for Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credits

History

Designed by architect J. Flood Walker, the St. Anthony opened in 1909 as the first luxury hotel in San Antonio (or as one writer described, "the Waldorf on the Prairie”). It was considered to be very modern for the time. The hotel was purchased by Ralph W. Morrison in 1935 for $475,000, who took on major improvements to the building, including installation of air-conditioning. The million-dollar projects carried out by Morrison were a significant economic boost for Depression stricken San Antonio. The St. Anthony has attracted several notable visitors over its history including Douglas MacArthur, Will Rogers, Eleanor Roosevelt, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Rehabilitation Project

This project was a full rehabilitation of the St. Anthony, which has been an active upscale hotel since the early 1980s. The project involved extensive work to the building exterior, including: cleaning and repair of exterior masonry and stucco; repair of historic and non-historic windows; restoration of loggia and the main entry on the building’s façade; removal of non-historic elements added throughout the buildings’ history; improvements to a 1930s era roof terrace, design of new valet area; and various other elements. Interior work for this project included: repair and restoration of decorative finishes in the lobby and other public spaces; removal of non-historic alterations; reconstruction of the reception desk to match the original design; upgrading of hotel room bathrooms; and construction of new event spaces and guest amenities.