Old Hot Wells resort could be next county park

Exterior view of the Hot Wells Hotel with palms in front. Kin Man Hui/staff Exterior view of the Hot Wells Hotel with palms in front. Kin Man Hui/staff Photo: Kin Man Hui, En Photo: Kin Man Hui, En Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close Old Hot Wells resort could be next county park 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

This article was originally published Aug. 29, 2012

Bexar County Commissioners Court recently approved negotiations for the donation of three acres of the former Hot Wells resort to the county. The idea is to transform the land into a park that connects to the hike-and-bike trails installed along the Mission Reach of the San Antonio River.

Under the current plan of action, the property's developer, James Lifshutz, will donate three acres of the Hot Wells property to the county while retaining the site's remaining 15 acres for private development.

Lifshutz, who purchased the site in 1999, said it had always been his goal to give the land back to the county, and had hoped to maintain the property long enough for such a plan to take shape.

Lifshutz also said the project as a “good fit” for the area, which has seen other recent large-scale developments.

“I have long felt that (Hot Wells) was a valuable community resource, he said. “I hoped from the beginning to be able to donate it to the public.”

He said the 13 to 14 remaining acres of the property will be used for amenities including lodging, a day-spa and an ice-house type component.

The proposals, he said, are all in sync with the history and beauty of the property.

“In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Hot Wells site on the San Antonio River was home to several versions of a health spa and resort that piped sulfurous water from an Edwards hot spring to health-inducing swimming pools and baths,” according to www.edwardsaquifer.net.

“Much of the site's history has been defined by fire. The first structure burned to the ground in 1894 after only one year of operation.

“The most famous version of the spa was its replacement, a lavish Victorian style structure built in 1900 that became a renowned, world-class vacation destination for celebrities, world leaders, and wealthy industrialists.

“Some of its visitors were Will Rogers, Charlie Chaplin, Teddy Roosevelt, Porfirio Diaz, Tom Mix, Douglas Fairbanks, and Cecil B. De Mille,” the site noted.

“The legendary hotel burned in 1925, and the bath house burned twice, in 1988 and 1997.”

Laura Jesse, Bexar County Commissioners Court public information officer, said funding for the project will come from the 2012-13 county budget. The budget will be adopted Sept. 11 and go into effect Oct. 1.

Until the budget is adopted, site specifics are not set in stone.

The projected $2.7 million price tag for the site's redevelopment will also go to the creation of the Hot Wells Interpretive Center.

That center would be geared at displaying the history of the sulfurous springs that put San Antonio on the map as a place of “healing waters.”

A preliminary economic impact report published in 2011 projected the redevelopment of the site would bring 175 jobs, $3 million in payroll and $7.9 million in economic activity annually.

The construction process alone, the report noted, could bring 300 jobs, $9.3 million in payroll and $19.6 million in economic activity.

But the project is not without its critics. Brady Alexander, East Pyron/Symphony Neighborhood Association member, said local residents stand to lose property if the deal goes through.

Alexander said the borders of the Hot Wells property are isolated by the San Antonio River on the west, railroad tracks on the east and national park land on the south.

“The only potential point of vehicular access to the property,”Alexander said, “is through the property of the Torres family, near the intersection of Dullnig Court and South Presa Street.”

Alexander said the Torres family had been approached by real estate agents on behalf of Lifshutz with offers to purchase a portion of their land, which they refused.

Lifshutz declined to comment.

Alexander said he believed the Lifshutz donation did not come from “the kindness of his heart. “He is using the county to as leverage to gain access to the property,” he said.

Richard Torres, who lives on the disputed land, said the developer's plans are being pushed as if his family – which has lived on the property for four generations – was not there.

“We don't know if he is trying to be underhanded with this or if he just doesn't acknowledge us.”

The resident added he did not understand why the developer wants his property because an alternate road off South Presa Street could serve as the gateway to the Hot Wells project.

Joe Newton, Bexar County asset manager, said the conceptual drawing he has seen shows an access point through the Torres' property.

“The county will probably order an appraisal on the Torres' property,” Newton said. “That's as far as we've gotten.”

He added the entire project is still in its infancy, and there are other possibilities.

The exact placement of new roads is still uncertain, as funding for the project has yet to be adopted, Newton added.

mdwilson@primetimenewspapers.com