San Antonio’s Pearl is giving a first peek at its planned expansion ahead of an October 7 hearing with the Historic and Design Review Commission (HDRC). The panel will consider Oxbow Development Group's request to raze the Garage Building at Grayson Street and Avenue A to accommodate 10 new buildi ngs to provide more retail and dining space.New renderings show a series of structures that largely keep with Pearl’s current vocabulary. The development’s signature brick is used throughout, and touches like parapets and an arcade of Romanesque-style arched windows nod to the historical architecture. The biggest change for customers, however, may be the walkability. Many of the buildings can only be accessed on foot, and the lush landscaping includes several shade trees nestled in native plantings.“The project replaces surface parking lots and underutilized structures with active, street-oriented buildings that are appropriately designed to accommodate today’s retailers while staying true to the guiding principles at Pearl: architectural design that is inspired by Pearl’s original structures, human-scaled, and built with timeless materials consistent with the materiality of Pearl,” writes Oxbow in the submitted project description.To make way for the shops, the development plans to bulldoze the existing Garage Building, one of the least distinctive of the former Pearl Brewery’s structures. Built in 1939 after horse-drawn beer delivery gave way to trucks, the building originally acted as a vehicle maintenance space. According to the HDRC documents, it's been sitting mostly empty since Aveda moved out in 2013, save for a stretch from 2018 to 2021 when two nonprofits occupied it for a combined rent of less than $50. ...read more read less