Rex Apartments is one of the forgotten San Antonio Housing Authority housing projects next to Victoria Courts and Vista Verde Housing Project from the 20th century. Rex Apartments was also known and referred to as Rex Apts. This news article will explain the history of Rex Apartments and what happened to Rex Apartments.
Around 1938 is when San Antonio Housing Authority a 0.1322 acre lot from the City of San Antonio. Rex Apartments were built in 1940 on a lot size of 0.1322 acres near the lock dam on the San Antonio River. The property line of Rex Apartments was backing up to the San Antonio River. Seniors lived in the 89-unit subsidized housing complex. There were 15 separate 2-story buildings. (Ref: https://frontporchrealtyllc.com/downtown-parcels-make-saha-major-development-player/)
Dan Lee Wakefield described Rex Apartments as being landscaped beautifully despite not being necessarily in a better neighborhood. (Ref: http://dawnleewakefieldblog.blogspot.com/2017/10/when-waze-takes-you-back-50-years-on.html)
Rex Apartments was newly decorated in 1957 with panel heating. Panel heating was installed on floors, ceilings, verandas, and walls. (Ref: https://newspaperarchive.com/san-antonio-light-feb-03-1957-p-32/)
By 1958, Rex Apartments received air conditioning. The San Antonio Light newspaper described Rex Apartments as being “air conditioned” and “nicely furnished”. The nice furnishings come from the new decorations back in 1957. (Ref: https://newspaperarchive.com/san-antonio-light-may-25-1958-p-33/)
On December 11, 1968, San Antonio Housing Authority remodeled the apartments to be designed especially for the elderly. Several existing apartment complexes, such as the Rex Apartments, have been offered to the Housing Authority for purchase and rehabilitation for apartments for the elderly. (Ref: https://www.aging.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/publications/12191968.pdf)
1970 is when part of Rex Apartments was turned into an office for Housing Authority of the City of San Antonio, Central Maintenance Office. Rex Apartments was Housing Authority of the City of San Antonio, Central Maintenance Office by 1971. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/62273850/)
One resident named Rachel G. Lozano complained to San Antonio Housing Authority about harassment, moral abuse, and unfair treatment gong at Rex Apartments at a housing needs hearing in 1993. Rachel G. Lozano criticized San Antonio Housing Authority for not being built from a public housing standpoint despite the fact that Rex Apartments were built by a private contractor. (Ref: https://books.google.com/books?id=g_iDjDGuBe8C&pg=PA101&lpg=PA101)
At that time, San Antonio Housing Authority considered Rex Apartments an obsolete development consisting of 15 separate 2-story buildings. San Antonio Housing Authority admitted Rex Apartments was poorly designed for senior citizens.
San Antonio Housing Authority tried to sell the aging property in the late 1990s. However that failed as no buyers were interested in purchasing the property. There was a lack of interest in that market.
Of course there were some citizens opposed to Rex Apartments being sold to private owners to redevelop the Rex Apartments site for market rate housing. Some citizens wanted San Antonio Housing Authority to continue to provide opportunities for the less fortunate to live near/on the San Antonio River. (Ref: https://www.sanantonio.gov/Portals/0/Files/Planning/NPUD/DowntownPlanFINAL1999.PDF)
1999 was the year Rex Apartments was demolished. The reason why Rex Apartments was demolished is because of high maintenance costs. Renovation proved to be too costly. When renovation proved too costly, Rex Apartments was ultimately demolished. (Ref: https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/sunday_focus/article/SAHA-s-land-now-is-good-as-gold-876493.php)
San Antonio Housing Authority planned to redevelop the site by constructing new apartments with about 150 units serving senior citizens, with a mix of public housing and market-rate rents. (Ref: https://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/1999/11/22/newscolumn1.html)
[The San Antonio Housing Authority (SAHA) has demolished the former Rex Apartments at St. Mary's Street and Brooklyn Avenue downtown and plans to redevelop the site. Diana Kinlaw, vice president for development and asset management with SAHA, says the agency is putting together a request for qualifications (RFQ) to advertise for a developer to assist SAHA in the project.
"We know what we want to have there," she says. "We will allow a developer to present their ideas and see what we can negotiate."
The site is about five or six acres in size and once had 83 housing units, plus an auto repair shop. Kinlaw says SAHA plans to build about 150 units serving senior citizens, with a mix of public housing and market-rate rents. SAHA is also considering putting commercial space on the first floor. This will help generate more funds for SAHA, which Kinlaw says the agency needs, since it is seeing less money for capital improvements from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). ]
San Antonio Business Journal announced in 2001 that construction of new apartments were to be built at the former Rex Apartments site with approximately 200 units. However nothing happened. (Ref: https://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2001/04/09/focus6.html)
In 2006, the San Antonio Housing Authority planned to enter the final planning stages for the new apartments, a 200-unit, mixed-use, mixed-income development boasting a a European plaza design with Southwestern touches that would have overlooked the lock dam on the San Antonio River at Brooklyn Avenue. The new apartments were a $15 million project. (Ref: https://www.sacurrent.com/sanantonio/no-dicks-need-apply/Content?oid=2272296)
“The San Antonio Housing Authority is moving ahead with plans to build a new and improved version of the demolished Rex Apartments that stood at the intersection of North St. Mary's, Brooklyn, and the river. Lifshutz is one of the developers for the mixed-use, mixed-income project. The architect's rendering of the planned 200-unit Rex looks like a palace fit for Uday: Trees bloom on rooftops, and the front lawn terraces down to the river, past a fountain, to an overlook on the planned lock and dam.
The Rex won't begin taking deposits for awhile, but some potential SAHA customers have already moved in. On a drizzly Sunday morning, the corner of a brown pegged tarp protrudes from the palm trees on the shore, concealed from the Brooklyn Street bridge, but visible from the opposite bank. A week earlier, a tent, complete with rain foyer, was its neighbor. It's a romantic spot, with a variety of trees and water lilies, except for the pile of cat-food cans, abandoned sleeping pallets, and clothing strewn along the edge, a reminder that many species - birds, raccoons, and humans - thrive in the neglected corners of the inner city.”
[“The $15 million project is a European plaza design with Southwestern touches. We think it's a very exciting riverfront development." says SAHA Executive Director Henry Alvarez.]
Unfortunately nothing happened as the Rex refused to take deposits and bureaucratic delays. For whatever the reason(s) may have been, nothing happened. So the project was stalled and construction was halted for the 3rd time. 
A plan for innovation in affordable housing was put into place for the former site of Rex Apartments in 2019. The plan was to establish mixed-use development for mixed-income residents based on area median income. However nothing has come to fruiting as of yet. Today the site remains vacant with just gravel, grass, and dirt. San Antonio Housing Authority still owns the land and has full rights. (Ref: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2019-IAH-Competition-Guidelines.pdf)
Rex Apartments were located at 550 Brooklyn Avenue, San Antonio, Texas, US 78215. Their phone number was 210-226-2247.
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