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The Hot Wells Hotel
The hotel had about 200 rooms and catered to the rich and famous who believed in the healing powers of its hot sulfur water. It was a favorite vacation spot for silent-movie stars, presidents, and wealthy industrialists. Some of its frequent visitors were Will Rogers, Charlie Chaplin, Teddy Roosevelt, Tom Mix, and Cecil B. De Mille. In 1910 and 1911 the property was home to the Star Film Ranch, a movie studio that made 71 films in San Antonio including the first about the battle of the Alamo called "The Immortal Alamo". World War I had a serious impact on business at the resort, as national resources and attention were diverted from leisure pursuits. In 1919, Prohibition cut off a major source of profits for hospitality-based businesses that had previously served alcoholic beverages.
Over the years many potential investors contemplated restoring the hotel, but little refurbishing was ever accomplished. In 1979 Kathryn Scheer bought the property with visions of turning it into a holistic health care center. She spent 15 years looking for investors with no success. In 1988 lightning struck the spa's tower, causing a fire that gutted the building. Scheer lost the property to the county in 1994 because of unpaid back taxes. On October 20, 1997 a fire caused by arson destroyed the midsection of the bath house and made it seem more unlikely the hotel could ever be restored. But some residents never lost hope for the area. Mike Lance, President of the San Jose Development Corporation, and other neighborhood activists sought permission from the Commissioner's Court to draw up plans for the area. Their first goal is to see some kind of resort hotel built that would serve visitors coming to see the missions. In March 1999 the site was purchased at auction by Liberty Properties for $161,000. Company president James Lifshutz wants to preserve the bath house and make it available to the public with historical markers and interpretive displays. There is still hope the site could be restored and re-developed into a resort hotel. In 2000 the San Antonio City Council voted to spend $50,000 on a study to determine what type of development would be best for Hot Wells. The hotel is just one component of a larger redevelopment plan for the South Presa street commercial corridor. On May 6, 2000 voters turned down Proposition 4, which would have authorized a sales tax to raise $30 million over 10 years for a Commercial Corridor Revitalization and Improvement Fund. If approved, $1.5 million had been earmarked for infrastructure and access improvements to assist in redevelopment of the Hot Wells site. In 2003, a series of public meetings was held to get input on the best uses for the property. The meetings were conducted by the Hot Wells Institute, a non-profit, community-based organization established to cultivate a full appreciation of the natural, ecological, and cultural aspects of the Hot Wells site. The Institute was hired by Avenidas, Inc., the economic development agency for the South San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, to lead the community through the strategic planning process. Three alternate development models were presented, and the idea was to narrow it down to one, which would be presented in a final report to Avenidas the Chamber. Potential uses included a hotel, a spa, a wellness center, and a resort. It is hoped the report can be used to convince developers and investors of Hot Wells' potential. By 2004, owner James Lufshutz had begun cleaning up property and shoring up walls, and in April of 2005 modular spaces were set up on the property to establish an art enclave.
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Materials used to prepare this section: "Hope for revival of Hot Wells may be up in smoke" San Antonio Express-News, October 1 1997. |
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