Walking bustling Milam Street in the 1950s and ’60s was a feast for the senses. Selber Bros. department store was front and center on the shaded street where beautifully decorated storefronts faced a movie theater and popular Chinese restaurant.

With its gleaming white-glazed terra cotta and white ceramic-glazed brick architectural detailing, 509 Market Street looks like the top of a threetier wedding cake. At 10 stories, it was the symbol of successful commerce and the tallest building in town when it was built in 1911.

One trend for 2015 is the age-old lesson that bigger is not always better. It’s predicted by the National Association of Home Builders that houses this year will be slightly smaller than in recent years – by as much as 10 percent.