Million-Dollar Listings: Downtown events center back on the market

The public utility company that owns the venue thought it had a buyer more than two years ago

CPS Energy is again seeking a buyer for its Villita Assembly Hall in Downtown San Antonio. (CPS Energy via San Antonio Business Journal)

SAN ANTONIO – The Villita Assembly Hall, a downtown events center on the southern banks of the San Antonio River in historic La Villita, is for sale.

CPS Energy, which owns the nearly 25,000-square-foot building, confirmed that it’s back on the market. But utility company officials would not disclose the sale price.

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A listing by CBRE shows an asking price of $6 million for the property. CBRE officials were not available for comment by press time.

The event center, one of the first in the U.S. featuring an inverted dome roof, was constructed in 1959, prior to the HemisFair ‘68 World’s Fair. It’s served as a key gathering place for multiple festivals, including Fiesta, and has hosted a variety of concerts and other events over the years.

Asked what he would like to see become of the hall, Hemisfair Park Area Redevelopment Corp. CEO Andres Andujr said, “A use that attracts locals and visitors alike, creating a buzz and energy in the area by connecting to surround assets including the River Walk, La Villita and Hemisfair.”

The Business Journal reported in early 2020, only days before COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, that CPS had found a buyer for the hall and planned to seek board approval for a sale. At the time, the most recent appraised value of the property was $13.8 million.

It’s not clear who the potential buyer was or what became of the deal. The hall was one of several properties that CPS had put up for sale in 2018.

Editor’s note: This story was published through a partnership between KSAT and the San Antonio Business Journal.

Read the full story on San Antonio Business Journal.

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