OKC would definitely be ahead of El Paso and Tulsa, within the Tier. But they're all three in the same tier, imo.

I disagree. After looking at the stats, have to say OKC is as much above El Paso as it is below San Antonio.

Like you said though, back to the topic at hand.

Ok, I just realized that Austin has a GDP of $100 Billion or so, and San Antonio with a GDP of nearly $90 Billion.

Tier 1. Houston/ DFW
Tier 2. Austin/ San Antonio
Tier 3. OKC

Agreed Back of Topic. :)

Ok, I just realized that Austin has a GDP of $100 Billion or so, and San Antonio with a GDP of nearly $90 Billion.

Tier 1. Houston/ DFW
Tier 2. Austin/ San Antonio
Tier 3. OKC

It's 98bn to 91bn.

In 2001 it was 65bn to 61bn.

I disagree. Personally I tend to be more negative about most things concerning OKC than the average OKCTalk poster. Having moved here from a real major city (Charlotte) I have found it lacking in so many ways. However, even I, after looking at the stats, have to say OKC is as much above El Paso as it is below San Antonio.

Like you said though, back to the topic at hand.

Then, if it pleases you, Tier 3 can be OKC and Tulsa and Tier 4 can be El Paso, McAllen and Corpus Christi. It is settled, let's move on. lol

Bet you wouldn't guess...

This is a street in San Antonio and is a quick 10 minute walk from downtown.

http://i.imgur.com/Pw7aYii.jpg

I didn't mean literally their standards. There are cues OKC could take from El Paso like planting trees, rock or brick fences around subdivisions rather than wood, medians on streets with double turn lanes, and streetlights/sidewalks along every street.Gotcha, my bad.

Bet you wouldn't guess...

This is a street in San Antonio and is a quick 10 minute walk from downtown.

http://i.imgur.com/Pw7aYii.jpgAll cities have nice areas; what is so impressive about this picture? I have been to El Paso, and it is an alright city. I however, rank it with Memphis and Tucson; near garbage.

Stick to posting about SA, because with El Paso, it has a long ways to go. Tulsa is 3x the city El Paso will ever become.

All cities have nice areas; what is so impressive about this picture? I have been to El Paso, and it is an alright city. I however, rank it with Memphis and Tucson; near garbage.

Stick to posting about SA, because with El Paso, it has a long ways to go. Tulsa is 3x the city El Paso will ever become.

First, I wasn't posting the picture because it's a nice area. I posted it because it's historic and for most people, it doesn't look like a neighborhood in South Central Texas. Also, it's incredibly close to downtown. Most cities in this country do not have historical residential district as close to their downtown cores. It's a two-three minute drive from downtown to this point in the picture. Btw, this is the King William Historical District.

Second, not sure what El Paso has to do with this picture.

Lastly, I do post about San Antonio in this thread. :)

First, I wasn't posting the picture because it's a nice area. I posted it because it's historic and for most people, it doesn't look like a neighborhood in South Central Texas. Also, it's incredibly close to downtown. Most cities in this country do not have historical residential district as close to their downtown cores. It's a two-three minute drive from downtown to this point in the picture. Btw, this is the King William Historical District.

Second, not sure what El Paso has to do with this picture.

Lastly, I do post about San Antonio in this thread. :)Gotcha, my bad. I thought something else was being portrayed here, but I was wrong.

Gotcha, my bad. I thought something else was being portrayed here, but I was wrong.

Btw, it's a very nice neighborhood. It's beautiful. The old Victorian homes and the shaded streets. It feels like you've been dropped right into New Orleans.

This is just one of the many historical neighborhoods in the urban core of San Antonio. There's Monte Vista (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2621/3995351484_3436d122d7.jpg)[1 (http://i.imgur.com/yn0wmaP.jpg)][2 (http://i.imgur.com/VMLz87i.jpg)], Tobin Hill, Beacon Hill, Dignowity Hill, Lavaca, and Mahncke Park. Then there are places like Olmos Park (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2296/2228800088_522186cc1e.jpg), Terrell Hills, Alamo Heights, Oak Park, Northwoods.

That's "old" nice.

New nice is Shavano Park (http://d2sa73fkuaa019.cloudfront.net/listings/sabor/1020325/photo_1.jpg), Stone Oak (http://info.kuperrealty.com/Portals/147848/images/Stone-Oak.jpg), Sonterra (http://www.kimberlyhowell.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/26-stone-court-san-antonio-78258.jpg), La Cantera (http://luxedb.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Westin-La-Cantera.jpg), Sonoma (http://i.imgur.com/I1i8DMF.jpg)[1 (http://i.imgur.com/DfM1PSB.jpg)][2 (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2669/3994591455_7f0bb6685e.jpg)], Inwood (http://www.robin-rogers.com/_account/images/listing/154-1.jpg), Cibolo Canyons (http://www.cibolocanyonsrc.com/hoa/assn13975/images/Front%20Entrance%20photo%20-%20twilight.JPG) [1 (http://sanantoniorealestate365.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/imag0079.jpg)][2 (http://www.forestargroup.com/Assets/Property/448/cc%20home%207-huge.jpg)][3 (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Marriott_san_antonio_resort.jpg)], etc.

First, I wasn't posting the picture because it's a nice area. I posted it because it's historic and for most people, it doesn't look like a neighborhood in South Central Texas. Also, it's incredibly close to downtown. Most cities in this country do not have historical residential district as close to their downtown cores. It's a two-three minute drive from downtown to this point in the picture. Btw, this is the King William Historical District.

Second, not sure what El Paso has to do with this picture.

Lastly, I do post about San Antonio in this thread. :)

It absolutely is a very nice area. OKC has similar very nice historic neighborhoods that close to downtown.

It absolutely is a very nice area. OKC has similar very nice historic neighborhoods that close to downtown.

Nice. What are the names? I'd love to check them out.

Btw, it's a very nice neighborhood. It's beautiful. The old Victorian homes and the shaded streets. It feels like you've been dropped right into New Orleans.

This is just one of the many historical neighborhoods in the urban core of San Antonio. There's Monte Vista (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2621/3995351484_3436d122d7.jpg)[1 (http://i.imgur.com/yn0wmaP.jpg)][2 (http://i.imgur.com/VMLz87i.jpg)], Tobin Hill, Beacon Hill, Dignowity Hill, Lavaca, and Mahncke Park. Then there are places like Olmos Park (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2296/2228800088_522186cc1e.jpg), Terrell Hills, Alamo Heights, Oak Park, Northwoods.

That's "old" nice.

New nice is Shavano Park (http://d2sa73fkuaa019.cloudfront.net/listings/sabor/1020325/photo_1.jpg), Stone Oak (http://info.kuperrealty.com/Portals/147848/images/Stone-Oak.jpg), Sonterra (http://www.kimberlyhowell.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/26-stone-court-san-antonio-78258.jpg), La Cantera (http://luxedb.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Westin-La-Cantera.jpg), Sonoma (http://i.imgur.com/I1i8DMF.jpg)[1 (http://i.imgur.com/DfM1PSB.jpg)][2 (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2669/3994591455_7f0bb6685e.jpg)], Inwood (http://www.robin-rogers.com/_account/images/listing/154-1.jpg), Cibolo Canyons (http://www.cibolocanyonsrc.com/hoa/assn13975/images/Front%20Entrance%20photo%20-%20twilight.JPG) [1 (http://sanantoniorealestate365.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/imag0079.jpg)][2 (http://www.forestargroup.com/Assets/Property/448/cc%20home%207-huge.jpg)][3 (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Marriott_san_antonio_resort.jpg)], etc.WOW! Those are some awesome neighborhoods there.

Thanks. Yeah, all the "old" nice neighborhoods are inside Loop 410 and all the "new" nice neighborhoods are outside 410 and most are outside Loop 1604. There's a ton more new nice neighborhoods but I didn't want to over do it.

I would have linked pictures to all the "old" nice neighborhoods but I was sleepy and I couldn't finish.

Nice. What are the names? I'd love to check them out.

A couple would be Heritage Hills and Mesta Park.

A couple would be Heritage Hills and Mesta Park.

Checked them out. Really cool.

Very similar to Monte Vista and Tobin Hill in San Antonio. Both distance wise and look.

With King William and Lavaca, those two neighborhoods are less than half a miles from the core of downtown. Also, the housing stock in King William is vastly different than what I saw in Mesta Park and Heritage Hills. In King William, it's a mix of Greek Revival, Victorian, Italianate styles as well as others.

Here are some pictures of the neighborhood showing off the housing stock as well as giving reference to how close it is to downtown.


http://i.imgur.com/QvaY6olh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/7LlkSUCh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/OusdWcUh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/flX5SLXh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/aaR3Temh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/knSYoAJh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ZUZSVF7h.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/llu0nl0h.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/tBmnDHPh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Ue1ikewh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/grtObO1h.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/l30uXDUh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/cFrAgjfh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/w4kWRP8h.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/KT76RRgh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/BbvPHxQh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/w2ltfbeh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/A0P26MMh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/orEUwLYh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/7OqadM2h.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/nPFCGfzh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/FglNLrQh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/MFglWEOh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/kLakblwh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/gTj5lblh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/geEQe2eh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/d5OLx0uh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/v2cj4Qgh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/xiKVdBJh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ymmVO7zh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/fVnFpc6h.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/MGoRD7Nh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/K0MoZgah.jpg

Arts District Mixed-Use

http://i.imgur.com/KLOgqCn.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/P7My3pm.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/hrfVFZn.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/q6kaCQI.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/fMgqmnt.png

http://i.imgur.com/jqCKbsP.png

H-E-B is tearing down its oldest San Antonio grocery store and replacing it with its ever multi-level urban grocery concept. The first level will be parking while the second level will be a two story grocery store.



http://i.imgur.com/ZyPG0sy.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/XvKIttU.jpg

Map showing the location of the new urban HEB in relation to downtown proper.
http://i.imgur.com/XCUw4LN.png

One of my favorite pictures of San Antonio.

Taken from The Broadway (http://i.imgur.com/oILMZy0.jpg) in Uptown, the view is looking north-northwest into the city's suburbia.

Disclaimer: This picture is from 2008. A lot has changed with the suburbs as more high-rises have been built, since then, that would be in view today.

http://i.imgur.com/bnRmotH.jpg

Also: All the streets shown as well as off camera in that area are under heavy construction at the moment as wider sidewalks are being added, utilities being buried as well as other improvements such as bike lanes and medians being added. This is all part of the Broadway/Hildebrand project (http://www.sanantonio.gov/dotGov/feb2013/broadway.aspx).

That is a killer view. With the powerlines being buried should make it look even nicer.

I agree! Can't wait to see an updated photo of the new street without the power lines and the new high/mid-rises in the background.

Here's a view looking towards the west. Downtown would be just off to the middle left of the picture. You can see some of the buildings in Midtown.


http://i.imgur.com/8KgWxJ3.jpg

Funny enough, David Robinson recently sold his suburban Shavano Park (http://i.imgur.com/YXNJQwU.jpg) [1 (http://i.imgur.com/vsYkpRq.jpg)][2 (http://i.imgur.com/rcNmoLJ.jpg)][3 (http://i.imgur.com/GrVOefW.jpg)] home and bought the penthouse in the residential high-rise that picture was taken from. He wanted to be closer to downtown and as a soon to be empty-nester (along with his wife), didn't need the huge mansion in the suburbs. He actually bought the Shavano Park home in 2011 after selling the Dominion (http://homesoftherich.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/www.mysanantonio.com_.jpg) home he custom built over 23 years ago, so he could be closer to his youngest son's school. Moral of the story? It's nice to have millions and millions of dollars, lol.

San Antonio selected as a Google Fiber city (http://www.ksat.com/news/san-antonio-selected-as-google-fiber-city/-/478452/24561820/-/wvl38gz/-/index.html)

http://www.ksat.com/image/view/-/24562180/medRes/1/-/maxh/360/maxw/640/-/f9kca9z/-/Google-fiber-image.jpg


City leaders announced Wednesday that San Antonio is one of nine cities selected to be part of the next phase of Google Fiber, a fiber-optic network that would bring high-speed broadband Internet service to consumers.

“San Antonians deserve faster Internet speeds and better broadband access,” San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro said at Wednesday's announcement. “We’re working hard to make that happen – and I’m confident that we will accomplish our goal.”

According to the company, Google Fiber could bring San Antonio residents Internet access at speeds up to 1,000 Megabits per second.

Google Fiber eyes San Antonio (http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/Google-Fiber-eyes-San-Antonio-eight-other-U-S-5248358.php)

http://digxtal.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/google_fiber_rabbit.png


Google Inc. will unveil plans Wednesday to bring fiber-optic services 100 times faster than basic broadband to San Antonio consumers, officials from the California-based technology company confirmed Tuesday.

Mayor Julián Castro is slated to participate in a press call Wednesday afternoon with Google's Lo to announce the national initiative.

The mayor has been working with the Google team said the strong potential for Google Fiber in San Antonio would be a significant win for residents and business here.

“This comes at a particularly opportune time for local markets like San Antonio to have increased competition,” Castro said. “And I'm confident we can make it a success in San Antonio.”

Bringing some of the fastest Internet speeds in the country could also spur further economic development in San Antonio. Castro said he believes it would attract small tech businesses to the city and help bolster the tech existing sector here.

It's just a restaurant but I'm pretty dang excited about this one. Also, this will be just the second location in Texas, that one being in Dallas.


L&L Hawaiian BBQ opening San Antonio location (http://blogs.sacurrent.com/flavor-2/hawaiian-franchise-heads-to-sa/)
http://www.nutritionix.com/uploads/locations/440.jpg


The island is coming to SA. L&L Hawaiian Barbecue will open its first location in the city at 1302 Austin Hwy, Ste 1. The company, known for its fusion of American and Asian eats carries Hawaiian ‘cue, chicken katsu, kalua pork, Loco Moco (patties placed over rice, covered with brown gravy and topped with two eggs), spam musubi and a picturesque Saimin Burger.

The company confirmed via Facebook that it has set a tentative opening date in April. Follow L&L on Facebook for more updates.

I just want to say thanks for all the gorgeous photos. I absolutely love San Antonio. Both my parents grew up there and I lived there for a year when I was 18. Many of the old neighborhoods look pretty much the same as when I was there. We used to take our baby to those areas for picnics and it was so lush compared to OKC, at the time. Thanks for taking me down memory lane to some happy times.

I just want to say thanks for all the gorgeous photos. I absolutely love San Antonio. Both my parents grew up there and I lived there for a year when I was 18. Many of the old neighborhoods look pretty much the same as when I was there. We used to take our baby to those areas for picnics and it was so lush compared to OKC, at the time. Thanks for taking me down memory lane to some happy times.

You're more than welcome. I'm genuinely thrilled that my posts could bring happiness to you.

New development proposed for Mission Reach neighborhood

• 400-unit development proposed for Riverside neighborhood in the Mission Reach.
• Proposed cost of the development is $75 million.
• Will feature street level retail.
• Would replace a trailer park.



LOCATION MAP
http://i.imgur.com/baeXn2K.png (http://i.imgur.com/27WX6af.png)

Express-News paywall link (http://www.expressnews.com/business/local/article/Proposed-development-could-displace-residents-5271366.php)

Alamo Beer Company's new brewery and brewpub restaurant are under construction on the near east side.


http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_R-MYsKqTRs/Uw1QltCEc3I/AAAAAAAAA0o/beHHd3o05CI/s1600/375699_10151890897986725_763262746_n.jpg

Google Fiber eyes San Antonio (http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/Google-Fiber-eyes-San-Antonio-eight-other-U-S-5248358.php)

http://digxtal.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/google_fiber_rabbit.png

That's cool. It was only a matter of time until Fiber made its way down to SA with it already being in Austin. We have it back home in KC but I have yet to use it :(

Council Expected to Approve Google Fiber Proposal on Thursday (http://www.woai.com/articles/woai-local-news-sponsored-by-five-star-cleaners-119078/council-this-week-expected-to-approve-12144858)


The City of San Antonio this week will take the first steps toward getting the world's fastest internet service into your home and office, 1200 WOAI news reports.

San Antonio City Council on Thursday is expected to approve the lease of city and CPS Energy owned land for the construction of so called 'Google Fiber Huts,' the 26 foot by 11 foot prefabricated buildings which will house the brains of the Google Fiber operation.

The way Google Fiber works, a 'fiber ring' will be constructed surrounding the service area, mainly San Antonio and some close-in suburbs like Leon Valley.

Fibers will branch out from the ring to the Good Fiber Huts, where they will branch out to what are called 'fiber-hoods,' that is a group of homes served by the same hut.

Google Fiber Lease Agreement Approved (http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/politics/article/San-Antonio-City-Council-OKs-Google-Fiber-contract-5314407.php)


The City Council approved Thursday, a long-term contract with Google Fiber Texas, LLC., allowing the tech company to install about 40 so-called “fiber huts” at San Antonio libraries, fire and police stations, and other city buildings.

City Council members applauded the deal, which lays the legal framework for Google to roll out a fiber-optic network that clocks Internet speeds 100 times faster than traditional broadband.

Mayor Julián Castro lauded the deal because he said it would lessen the “digital divide” in San Antonio and force better competition among Internet service providers — driving down costs and increasing speeds.

The contract allows Google Fiber to lease space for its fiber huts, which house hardware that makes the system run, for an initial 20-year period. The lease may be extended in five-year segments for another 15 years. The market-rate rent Google will pay escalates each year by 3 percent.

Progress is ramping up on the Alamo Beer Company brewery in East Point, formerly known as the near east side.

http://5octliz6pjst5uvq.zippykid.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Construction-of-Alamo-Brewery.jpg

http://5octliz6pjst5uvq.zippykid.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Rendering_View-from-Bridge-Courtesy-Alamo-Beer-Co.jpg

Rendering: View of the Brewery and Beer Garden from the Hays Street Bridge


http://5octliz6pjst5uvq.zippykid.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Night-view-from-Hays-St-Bridge-Courtesy-HOA.jpg

The Hays Street Bridge at night

In-N-Out confirms first San Antonio location will open in November on the far west side (http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/local/article/In-N-Out-confirms-first-S-A-site-5335862.php)

http://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/22/04/05/4735355/3/622x350.jpg


After months of speculation, the popular fast-food chain confirmed it selected a site on the far West Side for its first location in San Antonio.

“We really like the site and hope to be able to get it under construction in the not-too-distant future,” Carl Van Fleet, vice president of planning and development for In-N-Out, said in an email.

Architectural records filed with the state Wednesday show In-N-Out plans to spend $1.5 million on a freestanding restaurant with a drive-thru at 10918 Culebra Road near Loop 1604.

This is a map of the four In-N-Out locations planned for San Antonio and the metro area so far. The far left marker is the Culebra Rd. location which will open in November.


http://i.imgur.com/E7toTBr.png

Tesla execs secretly visit San Antonio to meet with Mayor Castro and others (http://www.expressnews.com/news/politics/article/Tesla-execs-secretly-visit-S-A-5352333.php?t=5deda27e5dd95dc057#/0)

http://i.imgur.com/3RK8wnk.jpg


A pair of executives from Tesla Motors Inc., the electric carmaker that's scouting a location for its planned $5 billion “gigafactory,” secretly met here Wednesday with top city and county officials, a person close to the discussion said.

The meeting came less than a week after the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation submitted a proposal to the Palo Alto, Calif.-based manufacturer for the factory, which will produce lithium-ion batteries for Tesla vehicles and battery storage units for use in homes, commercial sites and utilities.

While details of what local officials offered Tesla weren't available, the proposal included a separate section for CPS Energy, positioning the city-owned utility as a potential partner for the company.

A neat little townhouse development on a narrow strip of vacant land in Lavaca is set to be approved by the HDRC (http://www.sanantonio.gov/historic/Docs/HDRC/Case_12_302_306_310_318_Barrera.pdf).


http://i.imgur.com/pEDHlDx.png

http://i.imgur.com/Uvh6jml.png

http://i.imgur.com/FEhV3B1.jpg

Here's a cool video I found: Stone Oak in two minutes


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhTiDyMq9w8

KACO to relocate North American headquarters to San Antonio (http://www.ksat.com/news/solar-company-moving-to-san-antonio/25258724)

http://i.imgur.com/LhJodiM.png


San Antonio will soon be home to a major solar manufacturer.

Mayor Julian Castro announced Monday night that KACO, a Germany based solar company, is moving their North American headquarters to San Antonio.

They are currently located in California, but city officials said they will make the move to the Alamo City by midsummer.

In addition to relocating 40 employees from California to Texas, KACO is expected to hire as many as 25 more employees.

It looks like two In-N-Out restaurants will be under construction over the summer and both will open in November.


In-N-Out to begin construction on their Windcrest location in May (http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/local/article/In-N-Out-to-start-work-on-Windcrest-restaurant-5363983.php)

http://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/22/04/05/4735355/3/622x350.jpg


In-N-Out Burger will break ground on its Windcrest location in May, according to architectural records filed with the state.

The popular West Coast fast-food chain submitted its plans with the Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation last week and estimated construction of the restaurant at 8202 N. Interstate 35 would finish in November. The company plans to spend $1.5 million on the restaurant.

Earlier in March, In-N-Out confirmed it would build a free-standing restaurant with a drive-thru at 10918 Culebra Road near Loop 1604.

Construction there also should start in May and finish in November, according to public records.

Local restaurateur is opening a vegetarian fast food (drive-thru) restaurant (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1553374632/earth-burger-plant-based-fast-food)

http://i.imgur.com/7aJwKLm.png


Veggie burger boss, Mike Behrend is getting in on the fast food game. Behrend and his team at Green Vegetarian Cuisine will open Earth Burger at 722 NW Loop 410 inside the Park North shopping center.

Behrend, who recently opened a Green location in Houston, hopes to provide healthy options for the drive-thru set while using Gardein products and at similar price points to their corporate counterparts.

The restaurant has launched a Kickstarter campain for signage and other whatnots. Behrend said he hopes to open Earth Burger by June.

I forgot to post this here last week.


http://i.imgur.com/sEsVMbr.png

Both Uber (https://www.uber.com/cities/san-antonio) and Lyft (https://www.lyft.me/help?article=1475719) are now operating in San Antonio. Lyft launched on March 21st and Uber launched on March 28th.

AT&T Eyeing San Antonio for High Speed Internet Known as Gigapower (http://www.woai.com/articles/woai-local-news-sponsored-by-five-119078/exclusive-att-also-eyeing-san-antonio-12223739)


http://necatnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/att-uverse-logo.png


Less than two months after Google announced it was considering San Antonio as a location for it's new super fast 'Google fiber' internet service, 1200 WOAI news has learned that AT&T is also eyeing San Antonio for it's 'U-Verse With GigaPower' fiber service, which would provide similarly fast service.

"With the leadership of Mayor Castro, San Antonio is a testament to what is possible when policies encourage investment in technology," AT&T Regional Vice President Renee Flores told 1200 WOAI news.

At next week's City Council meeting, council will consider granting AT&T the same deal that Google was granted last month, the right to use city property, mainly exiting police and fire stations and libraries, to erect 'prefabricated communications equipment shelters' and to string fiber along existing city rights of way.

San Antonio city council approves master lease agreement with AT&T similar to Google Fiber pact (http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/blog/2014/04/san-antonio-approves-lease-deal-with-at-t-similar.html)

http://i.imgur.com/rPN6rHZ.jpg


It was predictable. Now, AT&T has moved to protect some turf in the wake of Google Fiber’s pursuit of potential expansion to San Antonio.

AT&T has reached a master lease agreement with the City of San Antonio that would allow the company to establish a series of network huts on municipal property that could help facilitate deployment of a fiber network that would provide communications and technology services to Alamo City residents and businesses.

City Council unanimously approved the deal on Thursday.

“I applaud AT&T for responding to the call for greater competition in the San Antonio market,” says Mayor Julian Castro. “The big winners will be local consumers who will have greater access to super fast Internet speeds that can spur innovation and drive entrepreneurialism.”

If all of this sounds familiar, it should. In March, I reported that City Council approved a 20-year master-lease contract with Google Fiber Texas LLC that allows that company to rent space for network huts that would support expansion of its ultra-high-speed fiber-optic network to the Alamo City.

San Antonio is one of nine metro areas that could enter the Google Fiberhood.

Huge gaming and convention news!


PAX South in San Antonio announced for January 23-25, 2015 (http://www.polygon.com/2014/4/12/5607624/pax-south-in-san-antonio-announced-for-january-2015)

http://www.diygamer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/b912PAX1.jpg


Penny Arcade is expanding PAX to Texas with PAX South in San Antonio, co-founders Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins announced today during their "Make A Strip" panel at PAX East 2014.

The inaugural PAX South will take place from Jan. 23-25, 2015; a press release from Penny Arcade did not mention a specific venue. Robert Khoo, Penny Arcade's president, teased a new PAX earlier this month on Twitter.

Prior to today's announcement, Penny Arcade ran three PAX conventions around the world: PAX Prime in Seattle, which began in 2004; PAX East in Boston, which began in 2010; and PAX Australia in Melbourne, which began in 2013. The organization also holds the developer-only event PAX Dev in Seattle just before PAX Prime.

Given the size most of their other events are, it seems pretty likely it will be the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center

Yes, definitely HB Convention Center. That just seemed to be left out of the official press release. It has since been confirmed.

Microsoft partners with UTSA on three-year research pact (http://therivardreport.com/utsa-microsoft-partner-energy-research/)

http://i.imgur.com/U5lqEhb.png


The University of Texas at San Antonio took a big step forward into the world of advanced energy research Wednesday morning as it joined with tech giant Microsoft to announce the establishment of a “three-year agreement to research and develop sustainable technologies to make data centers more energy efficient and economically viable.”

Microsoft is lending more than its name and support to the project. A a company executive announced a $1 million gift to UTSA’s Texas Sustainable Energy Research Institute, established in 2010 to accelerate and expand energy, water and sustainability research projects at the university.

Microsoft has undertaken a $250 million expansion of its existing data center in San Antonio, built in 2008, a project that will expand the 427,000 square foot facility by adding a companion 256,000 square foot data center next door. Energy supply and costs are key factors of data center management, and UTSA’s new mission will be to find ways to gain greater efficiency while not sacrificing reliability, especially in times of peak load demand when the state grid comes under the greatest pressure.

WESTON URBAN PLANS TO BUILD A 1.000-UNIT URBAN VILLAGE ON THE WEST END OF DOWNTOWN SAN ANTONIO (http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304017604579447124087595710?mg=ren o64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB1000 1424052702304017604579447124087595710.html)

http://www.westonurban.com/dev/wp-content/themes/dev/img/logo.png


In northwest downtown, workers are at work renovating a 120,000-square-foot, century-old former department store into the new home for Geekdom, a communal workspace for tech professionals, which has 800 members. The building will eventually have a cafe, a rooftop bar, and other amenities "that the geeks want," said Randy Smith. Mr. Smith is the president of Weston Urban, a real-estate development company founded in 2012 that aims to "create the ecosystem for tech entrepreneurialism" in San Antonio, Mr. Smith said.

Mr. Smith co-founded Weston Urban with Graham Weston, a native of San Antonio who is the chairman and chief executive of Rackspace, a cloud-computing company valued at $4.5 billion. Over the next five years, Weston Urban plans to develop a downtown district using four surface lots the group bought last year, along with three buildings it already owns, and by buying other properties. The plan includes 1,000 rental apartments plus restaurants, shops and other businesses designed to create a lively downtown.


This is the area (http://i.imgur.com/m7GFN3z.jpg) that will be transformed by this urban village.


In the same Wall Street Journal feature, it is noted that residential demand in the Pearl District (about a mile north of central downtown)has nearly doubled to 1,500-units.


Mr. Goldsbury then began building a new neighborhood called Pearl. Today it is home to 11 restaurants and bars, a campus of the Culinary Institute of America, and 320 units of rental housing, the bulk of which were completed late last year. Apartments rent at averages of $1.80 a square foot, Mr. Shown said. A Kimpton hotel is under construction, as is high-end rental building The Cellars, where the 124 units will be priced at 40% more a square foot than existing Pearl apartments. The district has room for 1,500 more apartments, said Mr. Shown. But everything, including future apartments, is for rent.

This is the Pearl District.


http://i.imgur.com/DxQRr9m.jpg

New rendering for The Prado student housing development currently under construction across from UTSA's Main Campus on the far northwest side.


http://i.imgur.com/pYdDDqj.png
It's also across the street from The Block (https://www.facebook.com/TheBlockSA), a popular food truck park.


The Prado is one of three large student housing developments under construction at the UTSA main campus.

The other two being:


The Luxx (http://liveluxx.com/sites/liveluxx.com/files/styles/header_image/public/default_images/top-pool.jpg)

Tetro (http://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/25/25/21/5592155/3/622x350.jpg)

please delete.

Get excited!



Click on the image for a larger version.
http://i.imgur.com/yilf5Q6.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/YSVfGVt.jpg)

Reata (http://www.reatarealestate.com/) updated their packet for 930 Broadway (http://i.imgur.com/i0jNAD5.png).

In the update, they have a map of River North and overlaid it with different developments that are planned/approved/under construction.

Some we know about, some we heard about, others we are now finding out about.

What's listed:


1221 Broadway Phase 3 - 100 units
The River House - 261 units (under construction)
1130 Broadway - 300 units (approved/construction to begin after Fiesta)
Jones Ave. and Broadway - 300 units
Broadway St. & 10TH St. - 100 units (renovation of Iron Mountain building)
930 Broadway - Medical Office
10th St. & Alamo St. - 250 units
Avenue B & 9th St. - 370 units (10 stories)
Avenue B & 8th St. - 300 units


1,981 total units are in the pipeline for River North.

Map of River North.


The area overlaid in gray
http://y1nadlvtjcaexjuo.zippykid.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/rivernorth_map_t27-11.jpg

THE PEARL IN 2011 AND THE PEARL IN 2013

http://i.imgur.com/SdR4om1.gif

Update on the new Tobin Center for the Performing Arts

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2896/13925364937_55ba00ecfa_c.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7358/13925365927_3abdc0ed06_c.jpg

https://m.facebook.com/TobinCenterSA/albums/759562350720825/

Picture
of
Cherry Street Modern

http://i.imgur.com/9ReJ86s.jpg

in Dignowity Hills
http://i.imgur.com/wqMJH2k.png

in Dignowity Hills

no diggity ... no doubt

Oracle bringing 200 high paying jobs to San Antonio (http://www.woai.com/articles/woai-local-news-sponsored-by-five-star-cleaners-119078/oracle-picks-sa-for-regional-operations-12336156/)


https://d20jhaovzhkyo0.cloudfront.net/uploads/employers/au/oracle-australia/banner.png



Oracle, the computer technology company headed by tech heavyweight Larry Ellison is setting up an operations center in San Antonio and will add 200 new tech jobs to the city's growing high tech work force, 1200 WOAI news reports.

The Redwood City, California based firm says it plans to use the operations center to provide technical support to clients in North America and Latin America, as well as provide financial services.


I'm hearing average salary will be in the $75k a year range.

no diggity ... no doubt

Ha! lol

I also just realized that I wrote it as Dignowity Hills when it's actually Dignowity Hill. My mistake.