Bergheim Memorial Shopping Center
By Ann Koehler
Two Boerne/Kendall County residents and businessmen respond to growth in the Bergheim area with a new convenience store and gas station at the intersection of SH 46 and Voss Parkway.
The developers, Cordillera Ranch resident Jason Hirko and his business partner James Schuepbach, recognized the need for more businesses in Bergheim and purchased the 4.8-acre property in 2017 when construction of the adjacent Voss Middle School was announced. Both men’s backgrounds led to this venture, having worked on numerous types of projects from multi-family, restaurants, shopping centers and business parks: Jason said he began investing in residential real estate in 2010 in Southeast Texas and expanded into commercial real estate in San Antonio and the Hill Country in 2015, including several historic properties on Main Street in Boerne. James, with Ryoak Real Estate Group, has been in commercial real estate since 2005 and has completed numerous ground-up construction projects including a 292-unit multi-family project in Southtown, San Antonio. “This is our first convenience store and gas station. We decided on this type of project because we felt there was a need for an alternative to the Valero in Bergheim. Our convenience store has a full commercial kitchen that will serve a variety of freshly prepared food, which is the biggest void in Bergheim,” said Jason.
The new business consists of a 6,000-square foot convenience store and gas station as well as a 7,700 square feet of shopping center for a total of 13,700 square feet. The developers were intentional with upgrades to the building and surrounding land to make sure the project didn’t end up looking like your average gas station. Some examples of this attention to detail were the developers’ use of high-end materials such as locally sourced Ashlar stone, Nichiha Vintagewood architectural panels and native plants and grasses throughout the project. They also engaged with two local firms, Grit Co. and Manifestive Design, to design a hand-painted mural that highlights Bergheim, Kendall County, Boerne ISD and the Guadalupe River.
