Even with 11,000 homes for sale in San Antonio, it's safe to say there's nothing on the market quite like the penthouse at CampStreet Residences.
The former home of arts patron and artist Linda Pace blurs the line between home and art gallery, somehow mixing the elements of a comfortable residence with the vast space needed to house and display a world-class art collection.
Hallways become art galleries, natural light floods the two-story space from every direction and windows frame the best art of all: a 360-degree view of downtown San Antonio.
The only thing missing: a new owner. The two-story penthouse is on the market for $5.7 million.
“One of the things people don't realize is how sophisticated San Antonio is,” said Ann Van Pelt, a real estate agent with the Phyllis Browning Co. and who is listing the property. “They never see spaces like this.”
The loft, in the 100 block of Camp Street just west of South Flores Street, was designed by architect Jim Poteet for Pace, the developer of the CampStreet Residences.
Her investment in the building — and the fact that she also moved in — is widely credited for spurring a revitalization of the entire SoFlo area.
“She wanted to live in a creative environment, and so she built one,” said Julie Hooper of King William Realty. “Creative people followed.”
Pace, who died in 2007, is best known as an heir to the Pace Foods fortune and the founder of ArtPace, a residential program for local, national and international artists.
But she was also a real estate developer ahead of the curve. Pace was among the first to spot the potential of the SoFlo area, which is close to the King William Historic District but has a funky industrial and commercial feel.
“It inspired a lot of people to look hard at the buildings along Flores Street,” said Poteet, whose boutique firm also worked on the renovation of the entire CampStreet building and several other lofts there. “It's a neat, light-industrial corridor with a main street quality to it.”
The CampStreet building was designed by Herff & Jones architects and constructed in 1926 for a candy company. In 1932, Edgar Tobin bought the building and turned it into the headquarters for Tobin Aerial Surveys, the aerial mapping company.
Pace bought the 83,000-square-foot building in 2001 from a partnership that had planned to use it to house switching equipment for telecommunications companies.
Nearby, the city's One Stop Center, headquarters for the Development Services Department, anchors the intersection of Flores and Alamo streets. Some other existing and in-the-works housing developments now include the South End Lofts at 1331 S. Flores St. and the Steel House Lofts at 1401 S. Flores St. and the Judson's Candy Factory Lofts at 831 S. Flores St.
The CampStreet penthouse is one of the most expensive homes for sale in the San Antonio area, and the only listing in the upper echelon that doesn't fit neatly into the traditional category of a single-family home with a yard attached.
But the amenities and custom details are nearly as numerous as Pace's civic contributions.
A Crestron automation system controls everything from the loft's security to televisions, music and lighting. Key cards — or the right person's fingerprints — are required to use the elevators to get to the fifth and sixth floors.
Original concrete floors were resurfaced with ultra-high-gloss white epoxy. The commercial-grade epoxy is similar to what's used in private airplane hangers. And while the floors can be scuffed, they can also be cleaned by a small Zamboni.
Really, the loft comes with its own Zamboni.
Most of the living spaces are on the fifth floor. It has three bedrooms, four full bathrooms and one half-bath, two Fire on Ice fireplaces built with crushed glass, plaster and stainless steel. The master bedroom has his-and-hers bathrooms and a breakfast bar with a Sub-Zero refrigerator.
The kitchen includes a Poliform cabinetry system, two dishwashers, double ovens, two Sub-Zero refrigerators, four freezer drawers, two full-size wine refrigerators, three sinks, an espresso bar, a butler's pantry with silver closet and a large terrazzo kitchen island.
An office off the kitchen operates as a sort of command central for the house, with desks and floor-to-ceiling storage.
The sixth floor was designed as an art gallery, but also has a catering kitchen and a three-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment.
A media gallery has three monumental projection screen displays used for displaying video art. But the screens also could be used to show movies or watch three different TV channels at once.
The loft feels surprisingly inviting for a space with white walls and white floors.
“People don't realize you can have a space as large as this and as modern as it is and have it still be warm,” Van Pelt said. “The first time I saw it I thought it really felt good to be here. It's a space that makes your heart sing. The more I come here, the more I love this space.”
Poteet said the abundance of natural light — pouring through enormous windows and from above thanks to large light wells — warms the space, along with the art collection (the only part of the space that's not for sale). Staircases have glass railings so they don't block the light.
“We went to great lengths to bring in natural light,” said Poteet. “The art and the light warm the space. Because there's such an abundance of natural light, there are no jarring changes and you move around. The light has a balanced quality.”
Because the penthouse was designed for living, entertaining and artwork, one design goal was adding enough interior walls — without interrupting the flow of natural light — to hang a large collection.
On the sixth floor, 18-foot walls can house museum-sized works.
“It's the space to hang art that people who are true collectors long for,” Van Pelt said.
The entire 15,000-plus-square-foot space is lit by museum-quality lighting and interior walls are designed to bear the weight of large works of art. Storage tucked into interior spaces in the loft is secure and climate-controlled for the preservation of artwork.
Although it's a penthouse, the property comes with more outdoor spaces and parking than most traditional homes.
The penthouse's private roof terrace includes landscaping, a small green lawn for a dog and a resistance pool. A multilevel deck has 360-degree views of downtown and is made of Brazilian Ipe wood, which naturally resists rot, decay, insects and mold.
“I think it has the best view of downtown, especially at night, that you could possibly have,” said Poteet. “You see all of San Antonio's best older buildings in front of you. It's really special.”
Hooper called the rooftop a peaceful spot despite its urban location. “You're on an island almost,” said Hooper. “It's very quiet.”
Across the street, ChrisPark is an urban 1-acre park honoring Pace's son. Artpace artist Teresita Fernandez designed the gardens with meandering paths and colorful landscaping.
ChrisPark is open to the public, but has a playground and a dog run just for residents.
“ChrisPark was an asphalt nothing before,” Hooper said. “She was so generous. She did it for all San Antonio and for downtown San Antonio.”
Outdoor spaces
Natural light
Amenities
SoFlo impact
