All Aboard!
San Antonio's historic Sunset Station embarks on major transformation
A historic San Antonio venue is embarking on a major renovation. On November 21, East Commerce Realty announced ambitious plans to rebrand the underutilized Sunset Station into The Espee at St. Paul Square. The company also revealed it will transform the former train station into entertainment hub by spring 2020.
The name of the project is a nod to the development’s East Side location, formerly a stop along Southern Pacific Railroad's Sunset Limited train route. “The SP,” spelled “Espee,” is a common abbreviation by train enthusiasts.
The project, spearheaded by East Commerce Realty, LLC., includes real estate professionals Michael Jersin, Don Thomas, and David Adelman, as well as the marketing team behind Estudio Bradlio. The redesign will enhance six spaces to be used for concerts and other special events.
Improvements include additional parking and a new entry point to the complex. A plaza designed to hold 1,000 guests, The Espee Depot, will serve as a focal point to the grounds. The cost of the project was not disclosed.
"The vision for The Espee and St. Paul Square has always been to bring this historic location back to life,” said Thomas via release. "We see the potential that exists here, and we are confident that promoting The Espee as a music venue will help the East Side of downtown to continue to grow and prosper."
Once open, The Espee will be booked by Austin-based Margin Walker, which promotes shows locally at Paper Tiger as well as Austin venues like ACL Live at the Moody Theater and the Paramount Theatre. The company will begin announcing the slate of artists in the spring.
“San Antonio has so much to offer and The Espee venue will be a great place to showcase talent coming to south Texas,” said Margin Walker founder Graham Williams. “We are thrilled to start building a quality music program at such an important staple in San Antonio.”