Architect outlines two‑story mixed‑use plan for Main and Elm in Buda historic district

Carl Williams, an architect with Logan Architecture, presented a preliminary design on March 19 to the Buda Historic Preservation Commission proposing to combine 400 Main Street and 44 Main Street into a single parcel and construct a two‑story mixed‑use building.

"We are looking to combine those 2 properties and replat into a single property," Williams said, describing a plan that would site the building close to the Main Street sidewalk, retain two heritage trees on site and provide a pedestrian‑activated zone adjacent to the existing Astra restaurant. The ground floor is envisioned for restaurant or retail space at the corner with up to two additional tenant spaces; the second floor will be delivered as a shell with a continuous rear hallway and interior stair access to allow flexible future tenant layouts.

Commissioners focused their questions on access, signage and material choices. Williams said the first floor would have about a 14‑foot ceiling height and the parapet would screen rooftop equipment. He presented several façade and signage options — metal banding, pin‑mounted letters and perpendicular blade signs — and asked the commission for feedback. One commissioner suggested keeping signage lower on the façade to preserve the Romanesque window rhythm; another urged adding more historic top‑cornice detailing such as dentils or corbeling to avoid a too‑modern parapet look.

Williams said the design team will explore brick texture variations, corbeling at the cornice and reduced parapet profiles to introduce additional historic character without substantially increasing costs. He also described exterior stair and courtyard access that would provide direct exterior entry to the second floor from the sidewalk near Astra.

The architect said an updated survey and coordination with utilities (overhead power lines) would determine final placement; he closed by asking commissioners for any written preferences before the team submits a formal Certificate of Appropriateness application. "Thank you all for the feedback, and we'll go back and continue to refine things and look forward to presenting our actual application here hopefully in a couple months," Williams said.