Demolition Looms for Former Book Store in San Antonio

A longtime fixture on San Antonio’s Broadway corridor could soon be wiped from the map.

Local developer Harper/Huddleston filed for permission to demolish the building that housed the former Antiquarian Book Mart at 3127 Broadway, according to city records. The demolition request, submitted Dec. 31, is now under review by staff in the city’s Office of Historic Preservation, with a response expected in February, the San Antonio Business Journal first reported.

The property sits within a River Improvement Overlay district, a zoning layer intended to protect the character and development patterns along the San Antonio River. While the overlay adds scrutiny, the proposal would not automatically trigger a hearing before the Historic and Design Review Commission unless city staff determines the project warrants additional review, according to the publication.

Harper/Huddleston bought the property in 2023 from bookstore owner Bob Kellel, ending the run of the beloved Antiquarian Book Mart. The deal also included the adjacent Half Price Books building and parking lot. Both retailers closed shortly after the sale, clearing a sizable stretch of frontage along Broadway.

The developer has continued to quietly assemble property in the area. In March 2024, Harper/Huddleston also acquired the neighboring building at 3125 Broadway, home to W.D. Deli. The firm did not respond to requests for comment about its plans for the sites.

Any demolition would add to the steady churn reshaping Lower Broadway, a corridor increasingly defined by redevelopment and higher-density projects. Last fall, The DoSeum purchased nearby land once occupied by Good Time Charlie’s and Taco Cabana for a potential expansion. Farther up Broadway, construction is underway on the first phase of Terry Black’s BBQ’s mixed-use project, which includes a restaurant, a three-story hotel with a spa and an underground parking garage at 2100 Broadway Street.

Larger projects are also in the pipeline. GrayStreet Partners and Fulcrum Development are planning the 15-acre BESA District mixed-use development in Government Hill, while Sandstone Developments recently repositioned the aging Ranch Motel into a boutique hotel.

— Eric Weilbacher