By the late 1990s, it became apparent to many in the neighborhood that times were changing, and the stability of Lavaca as a residential neighborhood could no longer be taken for granted. Nationally, downtown areas that had depopulated in the mid to late 20th century were seeing signs of revitalization, mostly in and around areas that had retained their historic character, despite outward migration to the suburbs as well as ill-advised expansion of schools, hospitals and other large institutions into surrounding residential areas. This trend was late in arriving in San Antonio, though the King William neighborhood, well on its way to revitalization (and gentrification, of course) was already a poster child for successful historic preservation on a neighborhood scale. 

Local factors contributed to renewed interest in Lavaca, along with other near-downtown neighborhoods: the construction of the Alamodome in the late 1980s; the demolition of the Victoria Courts and subsequent public debate about what should replace the 660+ public housing units on that site; and the formation of the Southtown organization as a means of bringing redevelopment to the commercial streets (S. Alamo, S. St. Mary’s, S. Presa) that run though the area. 

As was obvious in other cities and also other near-downtown neighborhoods here in San Antonio, with renewed interest and new investment came the threat of demolition and insensitive new development. Some neighborhoods near downtown San Antonio even literally ceased to exist by the late 1990s. In particular, the western part of what is now known as Tobin Hill was systematically demolished by San Antonio College as it expanded its campus. To many, including myself, Lavaca seemed threatened by external forces, and solutions were sought to preserve the character, both social and physical, of the neighborhood.

King William became the first residential historic district in Texas in the 1970s, commensurate with its status as a showplace of Victorian architecture produced by some of the most prominent architects in San Antonio for some of the wealthiest local families. Lavaca, with its modest houses that in part were contemporary with those in King William, seemed unlikely as a potential historic district to some, but the protection from demolition and inappropriate new development afforded by historic designation seemed the only effective tool to preserve the neighborhood’s character.

Well-established legally in many parts of the United States, historic districts are considered a type of “overlay” zoning category, in the sense that the “base” zoning, which is common to every property in most cities, establishes permitted uses on a particular piece of property, while the historic district regulates form, materials and massing, regardless of use, as an “overlay” to the “base” zoning.

For the Lavaca neighborhood, the first piece of the puzzle was the designation of several dozen houses in the northern part of the neighborhood as the Lavaca National Register Historic District. This designation is quite an honor, and is reserved for the most historically significant structures and districts in the United States. However, inclusion on the National Register does not carry with it any real protection against demolition or inappropriate development — legally, protection for historic resources can only occur for and within locally designated structures and districts. 

With the Lavaca National Register district as the nucleus, efforts soon began to incorporate it along with the surrounding neighborhood into a comprehensive historic district. To that end, a stalwart group of neighbors met with city staff from the Office of Historic Preservation for guidance, and, over about a two-year period, collected sufficient signatures from property owners to establish formally the Lavaca Historic District.