Adaptive Reuse Becoming Solar Energy Test Case

William Shown, managing director of real estate for locally based Silver Ventures Inc., tells GlobeSt.com that the retooling of the Full Goods Building into office and retail space will be completed by late spring 2008. The full project cost is being kept under wraps, but $1.35 million will be spent on a solar energy initiative that's being touted as the largest project of its type in the state. Silver Ventures is partnering with CPS Energy of San Antonio to install a 200-kilowatt collector on top of the building at 312 Pearl St. in the 22-acre former Pearl Brewery. It is projected that the solar energy collection system will generate about one-quarter of the building's total energy needs.

Depending on the program's results, other buildings in the development could end up with solar panels as well. "We'll design this as we go and if it works, we could use it on other structures," Shown says. "One thing about the Full Goods Warehouse is that it has an expansive flat roof, much more so than other buildings. As we get into this project more deeply, and see the benefits of it, we'll move on from there."

Shown says the Full Goods Building will have an HVAC system manufactured by Daikin of Japan, which uses up to one-third less electricity than a standard system. Additionally, the building will be used as an educational center to inform visitors of the benefits of solar power.

If the benefits justify the costs, Shown says Silver Ventures and CPS will see if it can be repeated. "The Pearl Brewery won't be its only application. If we can't phase solar panels in any other part of this project, we'll do it in others," he says. "All we know is that what we're seeing out there energy-wise and environmentally, we wanted to step it up a little and see what could be done to reduce the carbon footprint."

Silver Ventures acquired Pearl Brewery, operating from 1883 until 2001, from Pabst Brewing Co. to redevelop it into urban residential, retail and office space. The development site, backing up to the San Antonio River, will take an estimated seven to 10 years to build out.

Lake/Flato Architects Inc. and Durand-Hollis Rupe Architects Inc., both from San Antonio, designed the mixed-use redevelopment. Cambridge Realty Group Inc., also local, is handling the leasing.