San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation Publishes Deconstruction Feasibility Study
The Office of Historic Preservation in San Antonio, TX recently published the results of its deconstruction feasibility study. As a major city in the quickly expanding Sunbelt, San Antonio has become a magnet for growth and opportunity. However, like in almost every other city in the country, the economic recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified pre-existing challenges, like housing affordability and climate resiliency. The city’s Office of Historic Preservation has been exploring deconstruction as a tool to address these compounding crises.
Transitioning from a linear economy model, whereby materials are manufactured, used, and discarded, to a circular economy, where rather than discarded, materials are recycled and reused will allow the city to recover and leverage existing assets to meet its stated economic, equity, sustainability, waste diversion, and housing goals. The report finds that adopting a deconstruction ordinance would be aid in this transition. The findings illustrate that jumpstarting and scaling a deconstruction program will create positive economic and environmental outcomes for local residents and businesses. The report outlines the economic and environmental cost of demolition, the impact of a deconstruction ordinance, opportunities for the retail impact of deconstruction, and proposes strategic next steps for implementing a deconstruction program in the San Antonio.
A municipally-supported deconstruction program in San Antonio would be the first in the Southwest.