SoFlo (South Flores Street, San Antonio)

The South Flores Street area of San Antonio was composed of many large, underutilized industrial-type buildings. Like the SoHo (South of Houston Street) area of New York City, artists began to flock to these buildings. By at least 1997, San Antonio had its very own “SoHo,” newly dubbed as “SoFlo.”
     
 
About.com: San Antonio
South Flores
From Kori Ellis, for About.com
South Flores Overview:
South Flores is an area of San Antonio that is referred to by some as SoFlo. It is a part of the city’s Central Loop that also includes areas like SoSo (South of Downtown), NoDo (North of Downtown) and Southtown.
South Flores Boundaries:
South Flores literally encompasses the street it is named after – South Flores. The boundaries surround South Flores Street from Durango to Cevallos streets.
 
Steel House Lofts
Our Neighborhood ~ Welcome To SoFlo
Steel House Lofts is pleased to join an ever-growing number of residential developments, small businesses and artists’ galleries that are revitalizing the South Flores corridor. The SoFlo renaissance is attracting residents who seek an urban lifestyle—near San Antonio’s most historic neighborhoods, vital cultural venues and historic river. 
 
All along South Flores Street an “arts district” is burgeoning. Less than a half mile away, The Blue Star Contemporary Art Complex is the place to go for art exhibits and theater performances, as well as casual dining. The stately and elegant King William neighborhood, with its 19th-century mansions and shaded streets abuts the eclectic mix of restaurants, galleries and coffee shops that comprise SouthTown. These livable neighborhoods paved the way for SoFlo’s emergence.
   
7 December 1997, San Antonio (TX) Express-News, “How arts aid revitalization of the old town” by Mike Greenberg, pg. 7H:
The emergence of a colony of art spaces on South Flores Street near Nogalitos (SoFlo or No-Flo, as you prefer) is entirely a grass-roots, ...
     
30 August 1998, San Antonio (TX) Express-News, “Renewed spirit of growth: Healthy economy spurs business expansion, new housing activity in South San Antonio” by Elizabeth Allen, pg. 1K:
Acuna calls his two buildings the SoFlo District.
 
27 October 2000, San Antonio (TX) Express-News, “San Antonio, Texas, Developer Touts His Redevelopment Projects” by Elizabeth Allen:
Oct. 27—When Charlie Acuna looks at the down-at-heel buildings on South Flores and Nogalitos streets, he has a vision of an economically vibrant SoFlo District, with offices and places to dine and be entertained.
 
In addition, after the garment-finishing company owned by his wife, Nora Sierra, lost its contracts to overseas competitors, “I had nothing else to do,” he said.
 
“I see a lot of areas in San Antonio that are really beautiful,” Acuna said, “and I saw that on the south end of town, I felt that there was a great need for it.”
 
Encouraged by the success and quick sale of his first SoFlo project, Acuna is redeveloping several buildings on South and North Flores streets. The timing also appears to be right. Acuna’s project is evolving at the same time as the successful and nearby…
 
Interiors & Sources
October/November 2007
SoFlo Office Studios (San Antonio, TX)
It isn’t often that two distinct architecture firms come together to find and renovate a single space to set up shop. Yet that’s exactly what happened when Alamo Architects and OCO Architects—after going through separate searches to find suitable space to accommodate their expanding practices—joined forces to purchase a former trailer manufacturing facility with a plan to convert it into offices that showcase the firms’ skills.
 
Located in the underutilized commercial/industrial area of South Flores (SoFlo) just south of downtown San Antonio, the one-acre site contained three existing buildings totaling approximately 16,000 square feet.
 
Houston Architecture.Info 
crunchtastic
Sunday, December 2nd, 2007 @ 1:47am
Hi King William, welcome.
 
Thx for putting up the renderings. A lot of the plans for SA are starting to take place, I see the work on the river extensions has started, that’s great, especially the south, Mission extension.
 
I lived there for 11 years, moved back to Houston last fall. Pretty amazing growth the last 5 years or so. I know the King William, Southtown area really well. But ‘SoFLo’ ? That name actually stuck?? That used to be a bad joke at La Tuna. For those who don’t know San Antonio well, the area could be compared to Washington Ave. Industrial area bordered by historic district, on the rail line. 
   
SkyscraperPage Forum
sirkingwilliam
03-17-2008, 06:02 AM
{San Antonio} San Antonio’s Newest Urban Neighborhood
South Flores Arts District or more commonly referred to as:
soflo
By M.D. Kinkade
A small, graffiti-scrawled office with a large window and broken door stands out like the ugliest duckling at a swan reunion.
 
A chain-link fence separates the rubble-strewn former used-car lot from its South Flores Street neighbors. It seems to quietly watch as the warehouses, buildings and industrial spaces between Durango Boulevard and Cevallos Street are transformed into lofts, living spaces and art galleries.
 
It’s only a matter of time before the useless abandoned lot is swept up in the growing development of SoFlo, San Antonio’s newest downtown neighborhood. Would-be urban dwellers who don’t want to pay premium prices for luxury addresses in the city center are increasingly looking to carve their niche out of SoFlo’s long-dormant existing buildings and spaces.
 
San Antonio Business Journal
Friday, April 11, 2008
SoFlo building owners leading
San Antonio Business Journal - by Sandra Lowe Sanchez
(...)
About 75 years ago, South Flores Street was San Antonio’s “industrial zone.” Businesses in the area were there to serve a much more agricultural community. As such, there were a number of companies along South Flores that sold farm equipment. One was International Harvester.
 
The bottom floor of their building at 1344 South Flores featured a display area for their equipment, with office space upstairs, along with an assembly area. What did their office space look like? Think 1930s movies: Poles throughout the building; names of office managers on glass windows and doors. Wood floors and ceilings.
 
Fast forward to today. South Flores is no longer an industrial district. The manufacturers disappeared decades ago, leaving behind empty buildings. A slow but persistent group of artists, architects and the building rehabbers have come in to try to create an eclectic lifestyle where condominium owners can live down the street from their workplace. Styles are changing—and yet they retain pieces of the street’s history. “Industrial chic” is popular.
 
(Trademark)
Word Mark SOFLO
Goods and Services IC 037. US 100 103 106. G & S: REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES. FIRST USE: 19980300. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19980300
Mark Drawing Code (1) TYPED DRAWING
Serial Number 76184815
Filing Date December 15, 2000
Current Filing Basis 1A
Original Filing Basis 1A
Published for Opposition July 15, 2003
Registration Number 2770672
Registration Date October 7, 2003
Owner (REGISTRANT) C.A.N. Industries, Inc. CORPORATION TEXAS 1325 N. Flores, Suite 102 San Antonio TEXAS 78212
Attorney of Record Cline H. White
Type of Mark SERVICE MARK
Register PRINCIPAL-2(F)
Live/Dead Indicator LIVE