Plans to build a gas station fueling pushback from historic Lavaca neighborhood residents

SAN ANTONIO — A historic neighborhood is battling a buyer, again.

Several residents in the Lavaca neighborhood in Southtown are pushing back against plans to build a gas station.

The lot located off I-37 and Florida Street was originally a gas station but had sat vacant for years. In 2021, 7/11 proposed a plan to build there but ultimately those plans fell through after pushback from the community.

Since then, residents were hoping they would not have to go through a similar situation.

But months ago, they noticed a sign pop up on the property, stating a Fuel Station was in the works.

“There was not a gas station in 1910 when it was built,” homeowner Robin Kaarlsen said.

Residents quickly got together with the housing association to bring up concerns to the buyer. Hilda Juarez lives right across the street from the empty one-acre property zoned for commercial use.

“My concern is that they are going to bring so much traffic in this little spot and it’s going to create accidents and you know, God forbid something happens to a pedestrian,” Juarez said.

According to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, the buyer, Avaish Maknojia plans to spend a million dollars on development. He spoke to KENS 5 over the phone, explaining they were still in the early stages of planning out the project but did meet with residents about a month ago to hear them out.

Homeowners Robin and Bryan Kaarlsen were at that meeting.

“The pollution would be terrible,” Kaarlsen said. “We worry about homeless, there’s a big homeless situation and that would be somewhere people would congregate.”

The buyer said it is too soon to say when construction would begin. He said they are working on gaining permits.

These residents, however, are holding out hope somewhere down the road, his plans will fall apart.  

“We are people that are hardworking,” Juarez said. “I myself, grew up on the other side of the west side so to buy a house here in this neighborhood has been a dream for me so I don’t want to see, and I don’t want people to see as they are coming into our neighborhood, to see a gas station welcome them into Southtown.”

Residents said are not opposed to a development on the lot and expect it, but are hoping it would be a locally owned business.

“Think beyond money and opportunity and think about what he’s doing to the community,” Kaarlsen said.

KENS 5 reached out to company selling the property Tuesday but have not heard back.