San Antonio history for sale: The Friedrich Complex
Posted on 02/09/10
Trapped in bureaucracy and economic hard times, the Friedrich Complex on San Antonio's often-overlooked East Side, is fighting a battle to rise again.
The 87-year-old complex located on roughly 5.4 acres at the corner of Commerce Street and North Pine Street in the Dignowity Hill neighborhood, not far from Sunset Station and the Carver Academy, is for sale. The entire 533,000 square complex consists of four heavy timber and concrete buildings.
The 87-year-old complex located on roughly 5.4 acres at the corner of Commerce Street and North Pine Street in the Dignowity Hill neighborhood, not far from Sunset Station and the Carver Academy, is for sale. The entire 533,000 square complex consists of four heavy timber and concrete buildings.
The complex is, quite literally, a piece of San Antonio and national history. The property was zoned historic by San Antonio and has earned a place on the National Register of Historic Places, listed as the Friedrich Complex.
The past, unfortunately, was a better time for the old buildings. At one time, the complex housed the last manufacturer of commercial refrigeration in the United States -- the brainchild of one-time San Antonio furniture maker, Ed Friedrich. The origional business, located on Cherry Street, created refrigeration products using ice as a raw material. When Ed’s sons George and Richard Friedrich joined the company, they developed mechanical refrigeration.
The past, unfortunately, was a better time for the old buildings. At one time, the complex housed the last manufacturer of commercial refrigeration in the United States -- the brainchild of one-time San Antonio furniture maker, Ed Friedrich. The origional business, located on Cherry Street, created refrigeration products using ice as a raw material. When Ed’s sons George and Richard Friedrich joined the company, they developed mechanical refrigeration.
After a fire struck the Cherry Street building in 1923, Friedrich relocated the company to the 1617 Commerce St. location. A new building was constructed on the site in 1925 and was dedicated to the production of refrigerator units and air conditioning equipment. Already, 600 employees worked for Friedrich.
By the early 1950s, the Friedrich Air Conditioning Company had become one of the largest manufacturers of commercial refrigeration equipment and had expanded into the field of room air conditioner units.
The business thrived and expanded for more than four decades until intense competition from Chinese manufacturers prompted the company to shutter the San Antonio plant in 1990, and later relocate all operations to Monterey, Mexico, in 2007. The Friedrich Complex remained dormant for almost a decade until John Miller and G. Eugene Simor purchased the property under the name Friedrich Lofts Ltd.
The new owners cleared the abandoned building of tons of trash and discarded equipment that had accumulated over the years. They renovated 15,000 square feet of the complex for immediate lease. Additionally, they received $1.5 million grant in 2003 from Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The owners also applied for a Section 108 loan with the city of San Antonio, which permits the state and local government to obtain money to stimulate the economy and revitalization in some areas of the city. They were approved for $9 million in November 2005, but the loan never closed. In 2005, the renovation project for the complex was scheduled to receive $6.3 million in new market tax credit but that, too, never came to fruition.
Now, after the promise of second life unfulfilled, the Friedrich Complex is once again on the market. The future of the buildings and the surrounding neighborhood is uncertain. One fact remains certain: the historic designations mean that a new owner could not arbitrarily tear the old buildings down.
The owners also applied for a Section 108 loan with the city of San Antonio, which permits the state and local government to obtain money to stimulate the economy and revitalization in some areas of the city. They were approved for $9 million in November 2005, but the loan never closed. In 2005, the renovation project for the complex was scheduled to receive $6.3 million in new market tax credit but that, too, never came to fruition.
Now, after the promise of second life unfulfilled, the Friedrich Complex is once again on the market. The future of the buildings and the surrounding neighborhood is uncertain. One fact remains certain: the historic designations mean that a new owner could not arbitrarily tear the old buildings down.
Patrick Shearer with the Cambridge Realty Group notes that not every building in the complex is considered historically "significant,” but “there are parts of it that are really cool and interesting."
Shearer added that a new owner would have to submit remodeling or demolition plans to the San Antonio Historic and Design Review Commission for a determination before undergoing major changes.
What do you think should become of the Friedrich Complex? What stories do you have to tell about the buildings and the company? E-mail us at news@nowcastsa.org
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Places with a Past is an occasional series highlighting historic buildings in San Antonio.
