Jefferson Woodlawn Lake Community Development Corp - Located in San Antonio's Deco District

San Antonio Express-News Is there a historical reason the area of Fredericksburg Road and West Avenue where H-E-B is located is called the Deco District?

Kiri Hyatt

Most people who have lived in San Antonio for a while are familiar with landmarks in or near the area without knowing there was a place called the Deco District. The fabulously elegant Jefferson High School (opened in 1932 at 723 Donaldson Avenue, near the intersection of Wilson Boulevard), the fabulously tropical Cool Crest miniature golf course (1937, 1400 Fredericksburg) and the fabulously chicken-fried DeWese's Tip Top Caf� (late 1930s, 2814 Fredericksburg) all are Decoland legends.

The Deco District is not one of 22 historic districts recognized by the city � although its area includes one, Monticello Park. The name is more of a branding effort, emphasizing the architectural style of some of the original buildings in this part of town, developed in the early 20th century.

Short for Art Deco, a modern art movement in decorative style, Deco architecture "was characterized by smooth stucco, clean lines, terrazzo floors, neon lights and nautical motifs," says an article in the Oct. 30, 2002, issue of Architecture Week magazine. Geometric shapes reflected the logic of the Machine Age, and swoopy, rounded corners referenced ever-speedier travel and communications.

The term "Deco District" can cover the area of the neighborhood associations of Monticello Park, Jefferson, Woodlawn Lake and Los Angeles Heights-Keystone, says Marianna P. Dannelly, executive director of the Jefferson Woodlawn Lake Community Development Corporation, or JWL/CDC, a nonprofit organization that promotes the district's revitalization. Sometimes the name refers only to the area's commercial corridor along part of Fredericksburg Road where some of the business buildings were Deco-influenced in shape and signage.

To get an idea of what constitutes this latter idea, look for the Deco-style markers designed by Jefferson High students and placed by the JWL/CDC in cooperation with the city's Office of Cultural Affairs to mark an area from the 1700 to 2100 blocks.

A two-mile radius around this corridor was "once a popular business district, but began to decline as a result of suburbanization," says a neighborhood history on the Deco District's Web site, www.decodistrict.org. Now, the area connects downtown with the South Texas Medical Center, but before its 1930s growth, the Deco District was just plain country.

Land for Jefferson High School was purchased from a late-1920s developer who had planned a golf-course suburb to be called Spanish Acres.

Meanwhile, another group of developers "transformed a dairy farm ... into one of the most desirable neighborhoods in San Antonio," to be called Monticello Park in homage to the home of the nearby school's namesake. Houses there, says a history on the Historic Preservation page of the city Web site, www.sanantonio.gov, are "an eclectic mix of architectural styles, ranging from Art Moderne to Spanish Eclectic and Gothic Revival."

Housing stock elsewhere in the Deco District is diverse, says Dannelly, "and there are some absolute gems there."

In recent years, the Deco District has been blessed with revival � the Deco-style H-E-B was built to replace a previous store. Two decrepit eyesores, the Travis Building and the Bihl House, were restored last year in period style and are now the Deco Building and Bihl Haus Arts, a multipurpose arts space that anchors an arts district.

A new arts-related neighborhood event called Dia de los Artistas is planned for the fall, Dannelly says, underscoring the neighborhood's connection to the palmier days of Deco.

Chips off the old blocks: Tales about Mount Rushmore sculptor Gutzon Borglum were handed down to readers who responded to a July 2 column about Borglum's sojourns in San Antonio. While Borglum was in San Antonio in the late 1920s working on the "Trail Drivers" memorial now outside the Pioneer Trail Drivers Texas Rangers Museum, he also sculpted models of the heads for his monumental work in South Dakota.

The model for the "Trail Drivers" lead cowboy was a career wrangler, writes Lili D. Thrailkill.

He was Jesse Perkins, a calf and steer roper, "who had cowboyed all his life in and around San Antonio," says Thrailkill, who knew his son, Edward Wilson "Dub" Perkins. "And while it may be true that Mr. Borglum had longhorns brought to his studio to study (for the cattle portrayed in "Trail Drivers"), it was (Jesse's wife) Delilah Perkins milk cow, with appropriate anatomical changes, that served as model for the steer."

Review: Guest dancer leads thrilling 'Historias'

Web Posted: 03/28/2006 12:00 AM CST

Jasmina Wellinghoff
Special to the Express-News

In a town founded by Spaniards, one would expect that flamenco would be a steady feature of the art scene, but, oddly enough, it isn't. So the Academia de Arte Flamenco should be congratulated for producing "Historias Flamencas," a varied evening of Spanish flamenco presented at the Carver Community Cultural Center Sunday night. Though the entire show was appealing, guest artist Antonio Granjero, from Spain, was the virtuoso who seduced the audience with his power, control and passionate drive. He had only two solos, but they alone were worth the price of admission.

Granjero opened the second half of the concert with "A compas de 12," a festive buleria that features an abundance of vigorous stamping and a seamless rhythmic dialogue among dancer, singer and guitarist. Dressed in a contemporary suit, he stepped on stage as if he had just wandered in from the street but then quickly abandoned himself to the spirit of the dance. His feet were dazzling, precise percussion instruments that could beat the floor in light, nearly weightless steps, thunder like galloping horses or vibrate together with the rest of his body like a human guitar string.

Even when the dance allowed for a break from the demanding hoofing, his body and face remained tense, his chiseled hand gestures still eloquent. In both solos, he did not really dance to the music. Guitarist Isai Chac�n � himself a brilliant artist � played to his dancing. It was no easy task for others to measure up to that. Still, San Antonian Jackie Rodriguez shone in her own solo seguiriya and martinete. Looking the part to perfection, she embodied the context of the cante jondo as much with her soulful demeanor as with her fine footwork and graceful arms. Brownsville-based artist Eduardo Arturo also acquitted himself honorably in the masculine farruca, but his upper body and arm movements could be both more disciplined and more expressive.

The first part of the program consisted of a piece titled "De Noche" conceived and choreographed by Austin-based Olivia Chac�n, who also served as artistic director for "Historias Flamencas." Through five segments, the work imagines how flamenco may capture facets of ordinary life during a night in a Spanish city. Chac�n appeared in several numbers, as a grieving woman, a woman falling in love and in an interesting group scene where company members came out in jeans as if they were youths gathering by a street lamp to while away the time and work off that youthful angst. The choreographer's message is clear: This is a dance form that is alive and well, not a relic from a romantic Andalusian past.

Of course, flamenco is as much song as dance. With their emotional, highly expressive vocalizing, singers Francisco Orozco "Yiyi" and Chayito Champion were co-creators of the numbers they were in. The rest of the ensemble offered able support throughout.

Art house grows from renovations

Web Posted: 11/09/2005 12:00 AM CST
Nicole Lessin
Express-News Staff Writer

About two years ago, the current site for Bihl Haus Arts at 2803 Fredericksburg Road was a rundown mess. The nearly 90-year-old structure had been damaged by fire, and people sometimes broke in to use drugs. Graffiti covered the exterior walls, and neighborhood residents feared the ceiling would cave in.

But these days, things are different. The lintels above the Bihl Haus' many double-paned windows showcase gleaming, hand-carved rosettes. The graffiti is gone from the two-story structure, revealing thick limestone bricks, which legend says originally were part of a wall surrounding the Alamo. Floors made of 110-year-old pine planks have been added, along with flexible track lighting and central air conditioning. Thick beams span the ceiling, which is more than 20 feet high because the developer removed the second floor.

What's more, for the past two months nearby residents have been using the renovated space for art openings, poetry readings and community meetings. The space provides a showcase for many artists, including some of the nearly 40 professional artists who live within a three-mile radius, supporters said. In fact, residents hope Bihl Haus Arts will serve as the northern anchor of a Deco District arts corridor after the group gets nonprofit status.

"It's so great," said neighborhood artist Rita Mar�a Contreras, who was integral in the building's restoration. "Every time we turn around, there is some other opportunity for showing another good artist or some other event."

Community activists Kellen Kee McIntyre and her husband Eric Lane, who previously had united with other residents against a proposed subdivision at the site, also played a key role in the Bihl Haus revival. But the restoration itself was paid for by an entirely different entity. Southwest Housing, a Dallas-based real estate company, donated more than $200,000 to convert the decaying shell of the Bihl Haus into the multipurpose arts space it is today. The company owns and manages Primrose at Monticello Park, a senior citizens' apartment complex on the same site that opened recently. The complex surrounds Bihl Haus Arts.

"We worked very closely with the neighborhood in developing that property," said Brian Potashnik, an owner of the company. "Our first inclination was to tear it down, but the neighborhood and the historical significance behind it really put us in a position to restore it." In 2003, despite the Monticello Park Neighborhood Association's opposition to previous development plans, the company successfully wooed locals by showing them their plans and by giving them a tour of a similar facility they built and manage in Austin.

"Everyone was very impressed," McIntyre said. "With that, the neighborhood got very much behind it." Still, members of the community had additional goals. They hoped the structure on the property could be preserved. McIntyre, an assistant professor of art history at the University of the Incarnate Word, said the company's response initially was lukewarm. "It really didn't fit their needs," she said.

Nonetheless, Lane conducted research � including interviews with the original builder's daughter Alleen Bihl Locklar, 92, who said she remembered her father, George D. Bihl, building the structure around 1918. Locklar said her father used stones from St. Mary's Church after the original downtown building was razed. She also said she was told the rocks originally were from a stone fence that surrounded the Alamo. Locklar said the building was her childhood home, and she approves of the renovations today. "I think they have a done a real nice job," she said. "It's going to be nice as a showplace."

When Southwest Housing heard about the connection to the Alamo and learned about a proposal to convert the structure into a multiuse arts space, they spared no expense, residents said. "Southwest Housing went beyond our wildest expectations," Lane said. Potashnik said the dedication of the residents in preserving the space was a key factor in his firm's decision to renovate the Bihl Haus. "Having the neighborhood as motivated to redevelop that area gave us a lot of comfort," he said. "Our benefits as a property owner are very similar to those of the homeowner. We have a long-term investment."

At 5:30 p.m. Nov. 18, Bihl Haus Arts will have an opening reception for an exhibit of fiber artists. For more information, visit http://www.decodistrict.org/wst_page8.html.

nlessin@express-news.net

Deco days festival providing fall fiesta

Web Posted: 09/07/2005 12:00 AM CDT Nicole Lessin
Express-News Staff Writer

Enjoying cascar�nes, the trumpets of mariachis and the swirling skirts of folklorico dancers no longer is a pastime reserved for Fiesta. This year, the Deco District is having a fiesta of its own to promote the area's shopping, dining, arts and entertainment features. From noon to 6 p.m. Saturday at the corner of Elmendorf Street and West Gramercy Place, the Jefferson Woodlawn Lake Community Development Corp., in partnership with the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, will hold the Deco Days Street Festival and Art Celebration, a day of music, dancing and activities for the family.

"It's a beautiful neighborhood that has all the wonderful elements of a hometown," said Mary Jessie Garza, one of the organizers. "This is a great opportunity." Garza, the Guadalupe's arts education director, said the event will feature hands-on activities for the kids, such as drumming and creating papel picado and cascar�nes. "It makes it much more interesting to take home something you learned that day," she said.

Local businesses also will participate. Frozen treat-maker El Paraiso will give attendees a behind-the-scenes look at how paletas are made, and students from Alamo City Aikido will demonstrate their martial-arts techniques. But the main events will include performances by the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center dancers, mariachi performers and dancers from Bomba Brasile�a and Academia de Arte Flamenco.

Emcees will include Roy Galvan, the weekend co-anchor for WOAI-TV; Rob Thompson, a host on WOAI News Radio; and Ed Tijerina, a columnist for the San Antonio Express-News. Organizer Mariana Peralta Dannelley, the executive director of the development corporation, said the event was made possible through a $17,000 grant from the city's Office of Cultural Affairs to promote neighborhood heritage and culture through the arts.

"We would like to make this a yearly event," she said "It's free, and it's a chance to discover the artistic part of San Antonio."

For more information, call (210) 732-2238.

nlessin@express-news.net

Deco District seeing continued restoration

Web Posted: 09/07/2005 12:00 AM CDT

Nicole Lessin
Express-News Staff Writer

Photos by Nicole Lessin/Express-News

Driving by 1800 Fredericksburg Road in the heart of the Deco District, you might think you are seeing urban blight.

A weathered roofline bearing faint traces of storefront lettering peeks out from behind a blanket of pressboard. Jagged chunks of glass on the sidewalk silently warn passers-by to keep away.

But beneath those chipped boards, a 1955 building is

finding new life. Construction workers are busy

rehabilitating the gutted 17,802-square-foot structure,

formerly known as the Travis Building, using funds from a $1 million city bond issue passed in 1999.

By October, the building is expected to be ready for

leasing and will feature a deco-style fa�ade �

complete with a botanical-themed mosaic entrance

� as well as its original harlequin-patterned terrazzo tile flooring.

Possible tenants could include an art gallery, a nonprofit youth music group and a restaurant offering live music, said Mariana Peralta Dannelley, a key figure in this revitalization effort.

For the past year, Dannelley has been the executive director and sole paid employee of the Jefferson Woodlawn Lake Community Development Corp., a nonprofit organization coordinating the rehabilitation of the city-owned building, which soon will provide the organization with its home office as well as leasing income.

That income will be used to pay for maintenance of new lighting and planting areas along Fredericksburg Road � improvements coordinated by the organization and part of a separate $400,000 infrastructure project also approved with the 1999 bond. Other aspects include the installation of palm trees and landscaping pavers.

While the improvements will not by themselves bring the Deco District back to its former glory, Dannelley said she hopes they will serve as a catalyst for more positive change in this architecturally rich area. "Part of attracting businesses is having an attractive environment for them to come to," she said. "When I first got here, my first plan was to start meeting each of the business owners. I realized we needed to show them we can make something happen."

Dannelley also serves as a liaison to business owners for a separate city-funded program, known as Operation Facelift, which provides matching grants of up to $15,000 to business owners in designated neighborhoods to improve their shops' exteriors.

Dannelley said she hopes the Travis Building rehabilitation and the infrastructure development will inspire business owners in the area to take advantage of these grants.

One such business owner is Lonnie Fussell, who has owned two buildings in the 1700 block of Fredericksburg since June 2000. In 2004 and again this year, Fussell has used more than $10,000 in grants to install a new silver-and-black deco awning for a building he owns at 1720-24 Fredericksburg and new windows for the other structure at 1710 Fredericksburg.

He compares the change he has seen to the growth that parents see in their children.

"You don't see it," he said. "But if you go away and don't see them for a while and see them all at once, you appreciate all the growth." Still, he said he is unhappy with what he sees as minimal involvement from fellow property owners in the area. "I'd like to motivate some of my neighbors," he said. "I became more involved (because) it is my neighborhood now and my business."

Indeed, the proliferation of rental properties in the neighborhood � a byproduct of about 50 years of decline � is a major challenge to this area, said Char Miller, director of urban studies

at Trinity University.

"Rental property becomes a drag on rehabilitation," he said. "It takes one person at a time." Still, Miller said he has no doubt that the district will come back because of its well-built housing stock, walkable neighborhood infrastructure and proximity to the downtown core.

"The houses are gorgeous," he said. "They may be in bad repair, but they can be rebuilt." Reversing five decades of neglect, however, will not be done overnight, he added. "It won't take 50 years to fix it," he said. "But it will take more than a decade."

nlessin@express-news.net

Obituary: DeWese, 87, learned to cook, met wife at family's Tip Top Cafe

Web Posted: 03/06/2005

Carmina Danini

Express-News Staff Writer

James Ancel DeWese Sr., owner of the legendary DeWese's Tip Top Cafe, died of cancer Thursday. He was 87.

The Tip Top at 2814 Fredericksburg Road is where DeWese learned to cook, forged long-standing friendships and courted the young woman who became his wife.

DeWese's father, John A. "Pappy" DeWese, opened the restaurant in 1938.

Ancel DeWese told the San Antonio Business Journal in 2001 how his father, who had a root beer stand, came to own the Tip Top.

"A fella by the name of Orten had a hamburger stand next to us. When his wife was killed, he had to give it up, so my daddy took it over. It was called Tip Top Sandwich Shop," DeWese said.

It became the Tip Top Caf� when Pappy DeWese moved it because the owner, who was subleasing, wanted to build.

An old house that had been turned into a beer joint became the new home of the Tip Top. It was rebuilt after it burned down in 1940.

Ancel DeWese learned his way around the kitchen so well that even though he qualified as an Army sharpshooter, he took on the duties of a mess sergeant.

Assigned to the 164th Field Artillery Squadron in the Pacific, DeWese also was in charge of cooking for soldiers with the 40th Infantry Division.

Having to cook liver for 5,000 troops on a ship forever changed DeWese's feelings about the dish.

"After that, he couldn't stand the smell of liver and he never ate it," said his daughter, Linda DeWese, who now runs the Tip Top.

He returned to the restaurant after the war. One day in 1946, he stopped by one of the booths to greet a girl he had known from school who was sitting with her family.

"They started dating and within the year, they were married," Linda DeWese said.

Pappy DeWese died in 1964, and his son and daughter Juanita DeWese took over management of the Tip Top.

Other family members also worked at the restaurant, including Ancel DeWese's wife, daughter and son, James "Bubba" DeWese Jr.

Little has changed over the years, from the menu to the funky d�cor, including the deer and fish trophies on the knotty pine walls.

Many of the fish were caught by Ancel DeWese, a charter member of the San Antonio Bass Club and fervent fisherman.

"More than anything, my daddy would rather get in his car and head to Medina Lake to fish," Linda DeWese said. "He fished nearly every day and held a lot of state records for bass."

Bubba DeWese died in 1996.

In addition to his daughter, Ancel DeWese is survived by his wife, Bernice; granddaughter Laura Wischmeyer; and two great-grandchildren, Garrett and Emma Wischmeyer, all of Marshfield, Mass.

A graveside service will be at noon Monday at Mission Burial Park North.

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Passion for Flamenco

Web Posted: 09/15/2004 12:00 AM CDT

Lety Laurel
Express-News Staff Writer

Oscar Trevio began dancing when he was 9. By the time he was 18, he was touring internationally as lead dancer with Spanish singer, actress and guitarist Charo.

Later, he was featured on national television shows.

Claudia Silva-Lipsey's specialty is computers. She began dancing flamenco five years ago and admits she may not be much of a dancer, but she has a passion for the art.

The two have collaborated to create what they hope will be the mecca for flamenco in the city the Academia de Arte Flamenco.

There, students can learn the four arms of flamenco dance, singing, guitar and cajn, or drum under one roof, at 1722 Fredericksburg Road in the Deco District.

"Our goal is to educate the San Antonio community in regards to Spain's contributions to the art of dance," Silva-Lipsey said. "We want flamenco to be respected."

To that end, the studio has a permanent display on the history of flamenco and Spain's role in dance. Planners also want to hold monthly lectures on Spanish culture, flamenco history, the history of classical Spanish dance and zarzuela (a kind of Spanish opera), flamenco terminology and flamenco dancer-to-guitarist communication.

In flamenco, the traditional song and dance of the gypsies of Andalusia in southern Spain, the guitarist follows the dancer's lead.

"There's so many things you can learn about flamenco," Silva-Lipsey said. "I'm not a dancer, but I love flamenco. I'm obsessed."

And she and Trevio hope the community will follow suit. Both say their goals include uniting the flamenco community in San Antonio, promoting the city nationally as the place to learn about Spanish dance culture and the flamenco arts, providing performances to benefit charitable organizations, and offering workshops and cultural programs for at-risk youth.

"The community of San Antonio has flamenco teachers, classes and studios, but it seems like they stick to themselves when they should be working together," Trevio said.

They also would like to start a yearly citywide flamenco festival that would bring dancers from Spain and other countries, offer one-hour flamenco classes for tourists staying in hotels and create a professional dance company.

"When you have a dance company that can perform and do theater work and travel and do tours to represent the San Antonio area, it's incredible for kids to see what the school can do and promote," Trevio said. "It's incredible for them to see the finished product of how far they can go."

Classes for children 4 years and older and adults are $45 to $75 a month, with discounts for family members and for those enrolled in multiple classes. Scholarships are available for those with economic need. Most instructors won't be paid for their classes. Instead, any money that they would have received will go toward supporting the studio and student scholarships.

"I think we're going to do so good," Silva-Lipsey said. "The main reason is we are truly doing this for the love of the art."

It wasn't until Maria Paz Gribbin, 53, moved away from Spain that she took her first flamenco class. She's been dancing for five years and enrolled in the studio's intermediate class.

"To be honest, in my case, I go there just for fun," she said. "It's my hobby. I love to dance."

She said she expects the studio to strengthen the San Antonio flamenco community.

"As a Spaniard, even though I didn't get too much into flamenco when I was in my own country, there's a lot of flamenco in San Antonio, but it's not good flamenco," she said. Like Silva-Lipsey, she took her first class at the now closed La Chiqui Flamenco Dance Academy, where Trevio used to teach.

"Certainly Chiqui's was the best one in San Antonio by far, but I truly believe Oscar will take over this part," Gribbin said. "He'll be the one that will bring flamenco back where it was."

For more information, call (210) 785-9954.

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A Community Celebrates

Posted: 03/15/2004

Eric F. Lane

Monticello Park Neighborhood Association

Barely four months ago Southwest Housing, a Dallas-based builder and manager of affordable, high-quality apartment communities for seniors, approached the Monticello Park neighborhood with a proposal to build a retirement community on the vacant Massey property. Many community members were skeptical.

Not too long ago, certain quarters in this city were cursing the Monticello Park

Neighborhood Association and the Massey property subcommittee in particular, for

putting up very stiff resistance to development on the property. The Massey property, located between Quentin Drive and Fredericksburg Road across from the Tip Top Caf, is the last large parcel of vacant property in the area.

"No one will ever build in your neighborhood!" developers screamed after trying

to ramrod one terrible proposal after another on the property. But these were business interests primarily guided by dollar signs, while their vision was blind to community interests. And they lacked the sensitivity and sophistication needed to build in the inner city, especially in the historic Monticello Park area.

What many of these developers lacked, beyond the inability to listen, was a sense of history of the area. It wasn't too long ago that Auto World, an auto auction business that harassed neighbors with a vociferous sound system and noxious exhaust fumes, was knocked down.

The neighborhood, particularly those folks living on Quentin, North and Kampmann, were not about to let just anyone move in. This created a source of understandable friction with the Massey's who owned the property.

And so it went for many years, until last fall when Southwest Housing approached

the neighborhood. In what could be used as a textbook example of how to present a project for inner-city development.

Brian Potashnik, one of the owners and founders of Southwest Housing, held a community meeting. At that first meeting he explained what his company did and why he wanted to develop a retirement community on the Massey property. He pointed out that Southwest Housing was one of the largest affordable housing developers in the nation but that affordable housing did not mean "housing project." Southwest Housing, according to Potashnik, had redefined affordable housing with lasting quality, curb appeal and the amenities of luxury-apartment living. He also made very clear that he would only develop this project if he had the full support of the neighborhood.

The following weekend, Cindy Marquez, the local representative for Southwest Housing, led a group of skeptical Montecelites, including myself, to Austin to view two existing developments. By the time we returned, we all pretty well knew this was the project we wanted for our neighborhood.

The new Massey Property Committee, led by David Logan, began to hold numerous open meetings at Jefferson Bank. At those meetings, many associations were represented by their presidents: Alex Soto of the Woodlawn Lake Association, John Davis of the Los Angeles Heights Association and Justin Rodriguez of the Jefferson Association. Also in attendance were Noel Suniga, executive director of the Community Development Corporation, and Paul Stahl, its present president. From Councilman Castro's office, Jessica Arevalo played an important role in guiding the committee through the political minefield it was about to enter. But high on the list of important committee members were the concerned citizens who showed up at each meeting, neighbors such as Joe Stehle and Jessie Gonzalez. Without their input and support, the Southwest Housing project would never have gotten off the ground.



Southwest Housing made a concerted effort to quickly address the pressing

concerns of the community, particularly in the areas of building height limits and flood and traffic control. Their efforts were met with the resounding roar of broad community support. Once Brian Potashnik and Chief Operating Officer, Kent Plemons felt certain the community was solidly behind them, they tackled the political and financial issues facing the project.

Meetings were set up with Mayor Ed Garza who offered his advice and assistance

in moving the project forward. From these meetings retail space along Fredericksburg Road was added to the site plan and design ideas were incorporated into how the structures would look. Andrew Cameron, Director of the San Antonio Department of Housing and Community Development played a critical role in finding matching money to help fund the project. It was a community-supported steamroller that gained momentum every day, until finally, on November 13, 2003, City Council voted unanimously to approve the project.

"It's a terrific example of community collaboration and will be a welcome addition that is not simply going to help revitalize the neighborhood, but enliven it as well," stated Councilman Castro.

In an e-mail I received from Kent Plemons on January 12th, he wrote that "actual

site work will begin in one week and that they had just finished up the asbestos abatement on the VCT located on the existing slabs and that the demo will commence next week."

The long battle over the Massey property is over. Those who fought in the trenches, I salute you. Those who helped the process to move forward, a heart-felt thank you. And those who will reap the benefits of a new, affordable retirement community in our midst, welcome. Now, let's watch and celebrate the addition of a new chapter to the distinctive history of Monticello Park.



   (Eric Lane can be reached at eflane@swbell.net)

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1800 Fredericksburg Soon to be Reborn - in Deco Style!

Posted: 01/15/2004

Paul Stahl

JWL CDC President

The JWL/CDC is extremely proud to announce the beginning of reconstruction of the space previously known as the Travis Building. In the coming months our surrounding communities and the Deco District Corridor will witness the exciting rebirth of 1800 Fredericksburg Road into an arts oriented destination. The renovation will incorporate exhibition space, studio space, and office spaces for arts organizations and light retail space for a coffee shop or bookstore type establishment. Of special interest to local groups and organizations will be the state-of-the-art conference room with meeting space for up to 25 people complemented with audio/video equipment provided through a generous donation from H.E.B.

The long process that has brought us to this point began in 1995 with the acquisition of the building by the City of San Antonio as part of the drainage and street project. As a result of a master lease agreement with The City and the use of $1.4M in bond funding, the JWL/CDC was given the responsibility of renovating the 18,000 square foot building and overseeing landscape improvements in the Deco District. The variety of contractual, bureaucratic and logistical issues have ensured slow progress, however major headway has been made recently with the finalization of contracts between The City, the JWL/CDC, the General Contractor and Architect.

An extensive bidding process followed which culminated in the selection of The Lifshutz Companies as General Contractor and Burton Rose Gonzales as architects for the project that is expected to be completed in the Fall of 2004. Plans call for the building facade to incorporate an Arts Deco style using tile, glass block and stucco. It will feature a prominent Deco mosaic tile design created by a local artist. The interior will have over 6700 S.F. of space for an anchor tenant with adequate exhibition space available, over 4000 S.F. of general lease space, and over 2100 S.F. of studio space. Individuals or organizations interested in finding out more details about the available lease space are encouraged to contact the JWL/CDC.

The resumes of The Lifshutz Companies and Burton Rose Gonzales reflect their passion for creating (and in this case re-creating) exciting, vibrant spaces. The Lifshutz Companies was responsible for the development of the Blue Star Arts Complex and the Cadillac Lofts while Burton Rose Gonzales was involved in the renovation/restoration of the Alameda Office Building and Theater. Their wealth of experience and dedication to San Antonio and specifically the revitalization of areas close to downtown will be a great asset in helping to ensure the success of this project.

The JWL/CDC is continuing to solicit community input and assistance with a variety of aspects of the project. Currently we are receiving ideas for renaming the building. We are looking for a name to help brand the development while recognizing the style and projected use of the building. We are also ready to begin receiving inquiries from parties that are interested in leasing space within the building. Anyone interested in submitting possible names or prospective tenants for the building is encouraged to contact the JWL/CDC directly.

The JWL/CDC was created in 1994 by local business owners, city officials, and various members of the community to assist in the revitalization efforts of the "Deco District" and to address the neighborhood concerns of the surrounding community. This project provides one more step in fulfilling the vision of rebirth towards which our community has continued to strive. It is a project that the surrounding community can take great pride in and should serve as yet another reminder of what our community can achieve through hard work, cooperation and shared vision.

Revitalizing S.A.'s Deco District

Web Posted: 08/16/2007 09:05 PM CDT

Dreams inspire Reiko Imoto's technique and artistry

Web Posted: 09/23/2006 Dan Goddard - Express-News Staff Writer

Edmund Tijerina: Event provides look at new Deco Building

Web Posted: 09/13/2006 08:16 PM CDT

Paula Allen: Deco District was named for the area's fabulous architecture

Web Posted: 07/16/2006 12:00 AM CDT

Web Posted: 03/28/2006 12:00 AM CST

Art house grows from renovations

Web Posted: 11/09/2005 12:00 AM CST

"Rental property becomes a drag on rehabilitation," he said. "It takes one person at a time." Still, Miller said he has no doubt that the district will come back because of its well-built housing stock, walkable neighborhood infrastructure and proximity to the downtown core.

"The houses are gorgeous," he said. "They may be in bad repair, but they can be rebuilt." Reversing five decades of neglect, however, will not be done overnight, he added. "It won't take 50 years to fix it," he said. "But it will take more than a decade."

nlessin@express-news.net

Obituary: DeWese, 87, learned to cook, met wife at family's Tip Top Cafe

Web Posted: 03/06/2005

Carmina Danini

Express-News Staff Writer

James Ancel DeWese Sr., owner of the legendary DeWese's Tip Top Cafe, died of cancer Thursday. He was 87.

The Tip Top at 2814 Fredericksburg Road is where DeWese learned to cook, forged long-standing friendships and courted the young woman who became his wife.

DeWese's father, John A. "Pappy" DeWese, opened the restaurant in 1938.

Ancel DeWese told the San Antonio Business Journal in 2001 how his father, who had a root beer stand, came to own the Tip Top.

"A fella by the name of Orten had a hamburger stand next to us. When his wife was killed, he had to give it up, so my daddy took it over. It was called Tip Top Sandwich Shop," DeWese said.

It became the Tip Top Caf� when Pappy DeWese moved it because the owner, who was subleasing, wanted to build.

An old house that had been turned into a beer joint became the new home of the Tip Top. It was rebuilt after it burned down in 1940.

Ancel DeWese learned his way around the kitchen so well that even though he qualified as an Army sharpshooter, he took on the duties of a mess sergeant.

Assigned to the 164th Field Artillery Squadron in the Pacific, DeWese also was in charge of cooking for soldiers with the 40th Infantry Division.

Having to cook liver for 5,000 troops on a ship forever changed DeWese's feelings about the dish.

"After that, he couldn't stand the smell of liver and he never ate it," said his daughter, Linda DeWese, who now runs the Tip Top.

He returned to the restaurant after the war. One day in 1946, he stopped by one of the booths to greet a girl he had known from school who was sitting with her family.

"They started dating and within the year, they were married," Linda DeWese said.

Pappy DeWese died in 1964, and his son and daughter Juanita DeWese took over management of the Tip Top.

Other family members also worked at the restaurant, including Ancel DeWese's wife, daughter and son, James "Bubba" DeWese Jr.

Little has changed over the years, from the menu to the funky d�cor, including the deer and fish trophies on the knotty pine walls.

Many of the fish were caught by Ancel DeWese, a charter member of the San Antonio Bass Club and fervent fisherman.

"More than anything, my daddy would rather get in his car and head to Medina Lake to fish," Linda DeWese said. "He fished nearly every day and held a lot of state records for bass."

Bubba DeWese died in 1996.

In addition to his daughter, Ancel DeWese is survived by his wife, Bernice; granddaughter Laura Wischmeyer; and two great-grandchildren, Garrett and Emma Wischmeyer, all of Marshfield, Mass.

A graveside service will be at noon Monday at Mission Burial Park North.

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Passion for Flamenco

Web Posted: 09/15/2004 12:00 AM CDT

Lety LaurelExpress-News Staff Writer

Oscar Trevio began dancing when he was 9. By the time he was 18, he was touring internationally as lead dancer with Spanish singer, actress and guitarist Charo.

Later, he was featured on national television shows.

Claudia Silva-Lipsey's specialty is computers. She began dancing flamenco five years ago and admits she may not be much of a dancer, but she has a passion for the art.

The two have collaborated to create what they hope will be the mecca for flamenco in the city the Academia de Arte Flamenco.

There, students can learn the four arms of flamenco dance, singing, guitar and cajn, or drum under one roof, at 1722 Fredericksburg Road in the Deco District.

"Our goal is to educate the San Antonio community in regards to Spain's contributions to the art of dance," Silva-Lipsey said. "We want flamenco to be respected."

In flamenco, the traditional song and dance of the gypsies of Andalusia in southern Spain, the guitarist follows the dancer's lead.

"There's so many things you can learn about flamenco," Silva-Lipsey said. "I'm not a dancer, but I love flamenco. I'm obsessed."

"The community of San Antonio has flamenco teachers, classes and studios, but it seems like they stick to themselves when they should be working together," Trevio said.

They also would like to start a yearly citywide flamenco festival that would bring dancers from Spain and other countries, offer one-hour flamenco classes for tourists staying in hotels and create a professional dance company.

"When you have a dance company that can perform and do theater work and travel and do tours to represent the San Antonio area, it's incredible for kids to see what the school can do and promote," Trevio said. "It's incredible for them to see the finished product of how far they can go."

"I think we're going to do so good," Silva-Lipsey said. "The main reason is we are truly doing this for the love of the art."

It wasn't until Maria Paz Gribbin, 53, moved away from Spain that she took her first flamenco class. She's been dancing for five years and enrolled in the studio's intermediate class.

"To be honest, in my case, I go there just for fun," she said. "It's my hobby. I love to dance."

She said she expects the studio to strengthen the San Antonio flamenco community.

"As a Spaniard, even though I didn't get too much into flamenco when I was in my own country, there's a lot of flamenco in San Antonio, but it's not good flamenco," she said. Like Silva-Lipsey, she took her first class at the now closed La Chiqui Flamenco Dance Academy, where Trevio used to teach.

"Certainly Chiqui's was the best one in San Antonio by far, but I truly believe Oscar will take over this part," Gribbin said. "He'll be the one that will bring flamenco back where it was."

For more information, call (210) 785-9954.

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A Community Celebrates

Posted: 03/15/2004

Eric F. Lane

Monticello Park Neighborhood Association

Not too long ago, certain quarters in this city were cursing the Monticello Park

Neighborhood Association and the Massey property subcommittee in particular, for

putting up very stiff resistance to development on the property. The Massey property, located between Quentin Drive and Fredericksburg Road across from the Tip Top Caf, is the last large parcel of vacant property in the area.

"No one will ever build in your neighborhood!" developers screamed after trying

What many of these developers lacked, beyond the inability to listen, was a sense of history of the area. It wasn't too long ago that Auto World, an auto auction business that harassed neighbors with a vociferous sound system and noxious exhaust fumes, was knocked down.

The neighborhood, particularly those folks living on Quentin, North and Kampmann, were not about to let just anyone move in. This created a source of understandable friction with the Massey's who owned the property.

And so it went for many years, until last fall when Southwest Housing approached

the neighborhood. In what could be used as a textbook example of how to present a project for inner-city development.

The following weekend, Cindy Marquez, the local representative for Southwest Housing, led a group of skeptical Montecelites, including myself, to Austin to view two existing developments. By the time we returned, we all pretty well knew this was the project we wanted for our neighborhood.

Southwest Housing made a concerted effort to quickly address the pressing

Meetings were set up with Mayor Ed Garza who offered his advice and assistance

Lety Laurel
Express-News Staff Writer