Architects, developers bring downtown Walgreen

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But for the last year, developers, contractor and architects have been working to bring the downtownn drug store into the21st Century. Set to open next the store will be part of the lates t renovation work taken on by owner as part of its Housto n Streetredevelopment efforts. “The new store’s footprint will dwarcf the old one, more than tripling the size andproducgt offerings,” says Melissa Douglas, CEO of the husbanrd and wife run architectural firm .
At 15,000 square the drug store will go a long way in supplyinb residents not only with but with many of the other basic necessitie and conveniencesfor “The new and expanded Walgreen’a will essentially be an urban market so vitallyt needed in downtown,” Douglas Part of a 54,000-square-foot mixed use development, the building at 300 Houston will house Nix Hospital offices on the seconcd floor. A tower structure was addee onto the building at Collegwe and Navarro that will serve as an entry to theNix offices. (The hospita l is across from the officews at the other corner College and An additional retail space fronting Houston Stree t is still availablefor lease.
is the generalo contractor on the Andrew Douglas, Melissa’s husbandf and the other architect on the project, says that while constructiojn crews began working on the project a year ago, much of the work on the buildinbg occurred before, with plans for the property approvee by the Historic Design and Review Commissio as well as the City of San Antonio. The work involvedc demolishing both theold Walgreen’s building and its the Stuart Building, which once houseed Stuart Department Store. “Most of the properthy had structural problems,” Andrew Douglas “We had to make an official casefor demolition.
” “The new building employw similar colors, materials and detailing that are contemporary, yet respectful of its Melissa Douglas adds. Also, the buildinf also utilizes the store’es original neon sign, which has been Melissa Douglas recalls first standing under itin 1982, when she visited downtown as a student at . “Fofr many San Antonians there is much nostalgi associated withthe sign,” she says. “Severalo people have come up (to us)during construction and mentione d that they are so glad to see the old sign and that they remember it beingt part of Houston Streetg sincetheir childhood.
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