Converted to Apartments: Landmark San Antonio Tower Being

In San Antonio, The eight-sided Tower Life Building, one of the oldest and most recognizable buildings on San Antonio’s skyline, is undergoing a transformation.

McCombs Enterprises and partners are converting the 31-story office building into Tower Life Residences, a 242-unit apartment building with river-level retail space. The building at 310 S. Saint Mary’s Street opened in 1929 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Many of the Gothic Revival style building’s ornate design elements will be retained.

Red McCombs: “Think big and make a difference.”

“This is a wonderful opportunity to preserve something that has been an integral part of downtown San Antonio for nearly a century,” said Joseph Shields, McCombs Enterprises Executive Vice President. “My grandfather, *Red McCombs, always told us to ‘think big and make a difference.’ In this city, we value our history. With this project, we are not just rehabilitating a historic San Antonio gem, our aim is to bring neighborhood vibrancy to the cultural heart of our city.”

The project, which is slated to open along the River Walk in fall of 2026, will incorporate three penthouses with wrap-around terraces, double-height living rooms and mezzanines, custom millwork kitchens, spa-level bathrooms, and smart home technology. The largest penthouse will occupy the top two floors with panoramic views of San Antonio.

“The penthouses are designed to feel like architectural sanctuaries in the sky,” said designer Luis Miguel Martinez of Front Porch Design Group. “Each design element has been carefully selected to provide the ultimate living experience for residents.”

The seventh floor will offer resident amenities such as a library, lounges, bar spaces, work spaces, private event rooms, a fitness center, yoga/meditation studio, and 5,000 SF of rooftop gardens with a dog run.

The Tower Life Residences development team includes McCombs Enterprises, Ed Cross, Jon Wiegand, Front Porch Design Group, Alamo Architects, Jordan Foster Construction, and J Jeffers & Co. The apartments will incorporate some affordable units.

Architects: Atlee B. Ayres & Robert M. Ayres

Designed by architects Atlee B. & Robert M. Ayres and originally known as Smith-Young Tower, the Tower Life Building is one of San Antonio’s tallest buildings at 404 feet. Other buildings by Ayres & Ayres include the adjacent Plaza Hotel in San Antonio and Carothers Dormitory at the University of Texas at Austin.

As demand for office space has dwindled in recent years, more buildings are being adapted for other uses. Other apartment conversions in downtown San Antonio include The Travis Building and Nix Medical Center, a Gothic style building that opened in 1930.

DeBartolo’s Recent Conversions in Houston

In Houston’s Energy Corridor, the Three Westlake Park building was recently converted to high-rise apartments called The Watt at 550 Westlake Park Blvd. In Downtown Houston at 1801 Smith, a 458,000-square-foot tower was converted into 372 apartments. Both Three Westlake and 1801 Smith were redeveloped by DeBartolo Development, a firm led by Eddie DeBartolo, former owner of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers.

(*Mr. B.J. “Red” McCombs was an auto dealer, founder of the Clear Channel Communications radio network, and former owner of the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs and the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings. Mr. McCombs, who passed away in 2023, is the namesake of the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin.)

Photo courtesy: Tower Life Residences

Mark Your Calendar

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