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josh
05-10-2014, 03:28 AM
Found this gallery (http://imgur.com/a/9Di1Y) on another website and I thought it was pretty cool. It compares the San Antonio freeway system to other metro areas, including Oklahoma City.

For those wondering, the San Antonio system has a sort of a "spoke" design. There's two loops, the inner loop (410 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_410)) and an outer loop (1604 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_State_Highway_Loop_1604)). Then there are interstate highways (10 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_10_(Texas)),35 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_35_(Texas)), 37 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_37_(Texas))) and State Highways (281 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_281_in_Texas), 90 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_90_in_Texas), 151 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_State_Highway_151)) that intersect with the loops.


San Antonio
http://i.imgur.com/Se6FbbR.png

Atlanta
http://i.imgur.com/RcdkRlv.png

Charlotte
http://i.imgur.com/pM7Ng78.png

Dallas
http://i.imgur.com/KQd6Yvp.png

Denver
http://i.imgur.com/jkjRGnA.png

New Orleans
http://i.imgur.com/XtFIKUP.png

Honolulu
http://i.imgur.com/x30JQ9G.png

Houston
http://i.imgur.com/nyj54GO.png

Indianapolis
http://i.imgur.com/HHg61bd.png

Las Vegas
http://i.imgur.com/pcUc1Xz.png

Los Angeles
http://i.imgur.com/eIEjaw5.png

Milwaukee
http://i.imgur.com/LIjjHH2.png

Nashville
http://i.imgur.com/YWYAojQ.png

Oklahoma City
http://i.imgur.com/deieHGc.png

Orlando
http://i.imgur.com/rBFOKvW.png

Phoenix
http://i.imgur.com/oWyUZlb.png

Sacramento
http://i.imgur.com/VCfCZMB.png

Plutonic Panda
05-10-2014, 03:46 AM
That's really neat! It's almost time for OKC to complete the somewhat done loop around our city. I'm actually in the process of making a map of what I think OKC should do.

ljbab728
05-10-2014, 10:23 PM
It seems like a fairly pointless comparison for most of the cities. They aren't all developed the same way and comparing it to Honolulu is really ridiculous.

josh
05-11-2014, 01:00 AM
It seems like a fairly pointless comparison for most of the cities. They aren't all developed the same way and comparing it to Honolulu is really ridiculous.

I think it was just to.show the vast size.of the freeway system not to compare freeway system to freeway system.

ljbab728
05-11-2014, 01:30 AM
I think it was just to.show the vast size.of the freeway system not to compare freeway system to freeway system.

There's nothing wrong with it but many cities have vast freeway systems so it's not particularly remarkable.

josh
05-11-2014, 03:17 AM
And it was comparing the SA freeway system with both large and small highway systems. I think you're making a deal out of nothing. For instance, the SA system looks giant compared to Las Vegas and Nashville but is outsized by LA and Dallas. It's a neat series of images.

Plutonic Panda
05-11-2014, 05:42 AM
There's nothing wrong with it but many cities have vast freeway systems so it's not particularly remarkable.I thought it was neat. Never really realized how big OKC's was for its size

josh
05-15-2014, 11:33 PM
Plans are to frame new downtown civic park with buildings (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/downtown/wp-content/blogs.dir/667/files/hemisfair-park-edges/hemisfair2.jpg)


http://blog.mysanantonio.com/downtown/wp-content/blogs.dir/667/files/hemisfair-park-edges/hemisfair2.jpg

Hemisfair Park in downtown San Antonio is currently undergoing a major redevelopment. Millions are being spent to transform the park by increasing the amount of park land as well as creating a mixed-use neighborhood within it.

This includes:


Three new parks within the overall Hemisfair development area.
Civic Park
Tower Park
Play Xscape

There will also be small neighborhood green spaces.

A 325 million dollar expansion of the convention center to the east.

Restoring the old street grid within Hemisfair to allow for the new mixed-use neighborhood.



http://i.imgur.com/eTcI4uN.png

JoninATX
05-15-2014, 11:41 PM
The San Antonio loop fits very well with in Oklahoma City, Denver, & Sacramento. Seems like you can just place it right in.

josh
05-15-2014, 11:43 PM
Developer wants to bring 300-700 units to St. Paul Square in potentially two residential developments (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/downtown/2014/05/pearl-the-muse-for-st-paul-square-redevelopment/#23404101=8)

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8307/7853820046_f16123d3c8_c.jpg


The redevelopment cat left the bag when University of Houston regents last week approved spending $2.5 million to rent a building at St. Paul Square for a branch of its Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management. Starting Aug. 25, the college will begin offering classes at St. Philip’s College, until the three-story building at 122 Heiman St. is ready, which could be as soon as January, said Graham Bowcher, the college’s assistant dean.

Plans for the school hinted that there is much more in store for the historic St. Paul Square, much of it Zachry Realty LLC either owns outright or leases from the city of San Antonio.

“The current thinking includes urban living, educational components and dining and retail opportunities that will transform the area into San Antonio’s next great mixed-use neighborhood,” said Rene M. Garcia, vice president of Zachry Realty.

The company is partnering with REATA Real Estate to revitalize St. Paul Square, which sustained a heavy blow when anchor tenant Ruth’s Chris Steak House moved in July 2013. Many of the historic buildings remain vacant. Once a hotbed for concerts, the pavilion at Sunset Station, which Zachry is leasing to the RK Group, just sits. In short, St. Paul Square has been a ghost town recently.

Zachry Realty and REATA hope to capitalize on the cache that the University of Houston will bring to the historic district.

The strategy is to start with signing office tenants, which could come within year’s end. From there, they’ll look to fill street-level spaces with retail and restaurants.

Down the road, they’re looking to add 300-700 residential units — possibly two separate developments — to the area; construction could start next year, they said.


St. Paul Square is east of Hemisfair and just north of the Alamodome.

http://i.imgur.com/glrjI2N.jpg

josh
05-15-2014, 11:52 PM
Rezoning makes way for 75 million dollar, 600-unit mixed-use development just south of downtown, along the Mission Reach, in the Riverside neighborhood. (http://www.ksat.com/news/mobile-home-residents-outraged-ahead-of-city-council-vote/26004630)

http://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/26/53/15/5944135/4/622x350.jpg


The San Antonio City Council voted 6-4 Thursday night to approve the rezoning of an area home to the Mission Trails Mobile Home Park.

Council approval paves the way for a $75 million retail and residential development to be constructed in the 1500 block of Mission Road, forcing residents who live in the mobile home park to vacate the property.

josh
05-16-2014, 12:09 AM
Google sends out email proclaiming San Antonio is "one step closer to Google Fiber".


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

josh
05-16-2014, 04:06 AM
Tech company, VYSK, relocates headquarters to San Antonio.
Plans to add 50-75 high paying jobs (65k/yr) and 350 manufacturing jobs (http://therivardreport.com/vysk-unveils-new-product-plans-bring-manufacturing-san-antonio/)

http://therivardreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/vysk-announcement_credit-iris-dimmick18.jpg


The 18-month-old cell phone security firm VYSK announced Thursday its plans to hire 50-75 more San Antonians in the coming months in addition to the more than 25 employees already hired by VYSK.

Most jobs created by VYSK will be high-paying engineering, technology, and project management positions paying upwards of $65,000 a year, said VYSK Co-founder and CEO Victor Cocchia. By early 2016, the cellphone security startup plans on bringing 350 high-tech manufacturing jobs to San Antonio.

To double-down on their investment in San Antonio, VYSK is moving its manufacturing facilities from San Francisco and the Silicon Valley to San Antonio. ”We think Texas and San Antonio is the place to be (and) a great place to do business,” he said.



http://therivardreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/phipps-building.jpg
VYSK's River North headquarters (http://therivardreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/vysk-announcement_credit-iris-dimmick24.jpg) along the Museum Reach

josh
05-22-2014, 10:05 AM
Here are some before and after GIF images of the future 281 freeway expansion, which will begin construction sometime next year and cost nearly 1 billion dollars.




281/1604 Interchange
http://i.imgur.com/yh3zG2m.gif

281 at Redland Rd. - South view
http://i.imgur.com/yt1j7Of.gif

281 at Redland Rd. - North view
http://i.imgur.com/BnG5Gyh.gif

281 at Encino Commons Blvd - North view
http://i.imgur.com/j83qUsg.gif

281 at Stone Oak Parkway - South view
http://i.imgur.com/vLCI38a.gif

281 at Stone Oak Parkway - North view
http://i.imgur.com/PW3uncP.gif

281 at Wilderness Oak - Northwest view
http://i.imgur.com/xcn4sPU.gif

281 at Marshall Rd. - South view
http://i.imgur.com/d9caw1m.gif

A few more here (http://imgur.com/a/BOHxT#0).

HangryHippo
05-22-2014, 04:45 PM
I just don't get Texas' endless expansion of highways. At some point, that new highway is going to be congested too and $1 billion dollars would've built a lot of rail with a lot fewer impacts on the environment while being much, much easier to expand.

Plutonic Panda
05-22-2014, 05:36 PM
That will be soooooo nice. Wish OKC could get nicely and constructed highways like that with real interchanges that are actually efficient.

Plutonic Panda
05-22-2014, 05:38 PM
I just don't get Texas' endless expansion of highways. At some point, that new highway is going to be congested too and $1 billion dollars would've built a lot of rail with a lot fewer impacts on the environment while being much, much easier to expand.yeah, at some point it will be congested and hopefully so. It's called growth. The more a city grows, the more traffic it gets. You can't expect them to build a 40 Lane Highway when traffic counts don't justify it either.

ljbab728
05-22-2014, 09:41 PM
That will be soooooo nice. Wish OKC could get nicely and constructed highways like that with real interchanges that are actually efficient.

Somehow I knew you would like that. :)

josh
05-22-2014, 10:25 PM
I just don't get Texas' endless expansion of highways. At some point, that new highway is going to be congested too and $1 billion dollars would've built a lot of rail with a lot fewer impacts on the environment while being much, much easier to expand.

First off, 1 billion doesn't get you much light rail and even New York and Chicago and San Francisco have highways, congested highways at that, and they're full of mass transit options. Some of the best in the nation. From streetcars and light-rail to rapid transit trains. But that doesn't mean they don't need freeways. This is America. A country that is incredibly car oriented. Americans like their cars, no amount of light-rail is going to change that.

Second, there's a reason this is happening. It's not to just build it, it's to relieve some of the worst congestion in the state. Stone Oak (https://www.google.com/search?q=stone+oak&oq=sto&aqs=chrome.0.69i59l3j69i57j69i60l2.1344j0j4&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8) is a small area some 15 miles north of downtown San Antonio that grows by 5,000 people a year. Stone Oak first broke ground as a master-planned community in the early 1980s, and as of 2013 has a population of nearly 80,000. In 2000, it had a population of 20,000. That's 60,000 people in just 13 years! And that's Stone Oak. Cibolo Canyons has exploded in growth since the mid 2000s and 281 north of 1604 is sandwiched right between both master-planned communities.

The traffic in the Stone Oak area is insane (http://www.stoneoakinfo.com/files/images/traffic_huebner_0.preview.jpg). The traffic on 281 that runs just east of Stone Oak is even more insane.

During rush hour and post rush hour, traffic is at a stand still for miles.

The following two pictures of the 1604/281 area were taken at two different times of the year back in 2012.


Spring 2012:

281/1604 viewing south
http://ww2.hdnux.com/photos/17/34/12/4047517/5/622x350.jpg


Fall 2012:

281/1604 viewing north
http://blog.chron.com/texaspolitics/files/2013/03/281overview.jpg

This is 281 a few miles north of 1604/281:
http://ww3.hdnux.com/photos/20/64/00/4407342/5/960x540.jpg

This is 281 a few miles south of 1604/281:
http://mediad.publicbroadcasting.net/p/kstx/files/traffic_on_281_north_construction.jpg


As I said: This is a daily and nightly occurrence.

The freeway expansion is long overdue and actually should have/would have begun construction back in 2006 had it not been for anti-toll groups suing and causing the county to do environmental study after environmental study, which caused them to lose their funding which caused even more delay. Now, there is funding, everything has been approved and everything is set.

Btw, just for reference, the 281/1604 interchange is the same distance from downtown San Antonio as downtown Edmond is from downtown OKC.

josh
05-29-2014, 12:26 AM
BIG TEX DEVELOPMENT TO HAVE OFFICIAL GROUNDBREAKING THIS FRIDAY (http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/blog/2014/05/nrp-group-lifshutz-cos-join-with-city-officials-to.html)

http://i.imgur.com/gYl680k.png

http://i.imgur.com/wwPt1cq.png



The dirt will be flying soon on one of the latest multifamily projects within the center city.

This Friday, James Lifshutz of Lifshutz Cos. LP and Dan Markson Sr. of NRP Group LLC will join city officials to celebrate the start of construction on Big Tex — a $50 million plan to turn the former Big Tex Grain Co. into an eclectic urban residential community.

Plans call for 336 units and 6,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space.

Mayor Julián Castro and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff will also be on hand for the event.

The project is now being hailed as the gateway to the Mission Reach portion of the San Antonio River.

josh
05-29-2014, 12:26 AM
MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT, ON CLAY STREET, PLANNED FOR SOUTHTOWN
212-UNITS WITH GROUND FLOOR RETAIL

http://i.imgur.com/ezd7Z6I.png

josh
05-29-2014, 12:43 AM
Both the Clay St. mixed-use and the Big Tex development are in the same area of Southtown.


http://i.imgur.com/D1UVRY4.png

http://i.imgur.com/DsEMmx4.png

josh
06-03-2014, 03:07 AM
Many may not know this, but most of the San Antonio Riverwalk is actually connected to and part of the San Antonio River. Most of people know or identify as the "Riverwalk" are man made channels connected to the actual river. For most of its history, the Riverwalk was the only developed part of the river, which runs down the middle of San Antonio. However, since 2007, nearly $400 million has been spent improving the San Antonio River. Those improvements have come in the form of two different segments. The Museum Reach (completed: 2009) and the Mission Reach (completed: 2014). Both of which had always been overgrown, dirty and cluttered. However, as I said, since 2007, hundreds of millions have been spent improving those areas. The Museum Reach is a 1.3 mile urban extension north of the Riverwalk. The Mission Reach is an 8 mile "park (http://cdn2.content.compendiumblog.com/uploads/user/ab04c84c-11a5-40cf-a34e-fd5aba218b07/fc624679-6ff6-46fe-884a-4c8425e1ff18/Image/cfa907e3a07d27d61cf5c58baa45b375/missionreach_yoga.jpg)" extension south of the Riverwalk. All four segments are connected, creating a nearly 12 mile linear park.

The $400 million improvement project was completed earlier this year.

This article details the economic impact of the 5 year old Museum Reach.

For comparison, the 70+ year old Downtown Reach, aka the Riverwalk, is 2.5 miles and has an annual economic impact of $3 billion.


ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE MUSEUM REACH EXCEEDS $130 MILLION (http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/blog/2014/05/economic-impact-of-museum-reach-development.html)

http://i49.tinypic.com/28kq9v7.jpg


Local officials have compiled new data demonstrating the economic impact of the Museum Reach portion of San Antonio River improvements.

That price tag for that 1.3 mile leg of improvements north of downtown was $72 million. However, officials with the City of San Antonio and the San Antonio River Authority point to numbers provided by Alamo City economist Steve Nivin which indicate that the total annual economic impact from the Museum Reach redevelopment is nearly double the initial investment.

The project, completed in 2009, has catalyzed development along the Museum Reach, attracting 50 new businesses and more than 1,200 new housing units, representing in excess of $253 million in private investment. According to Nivin, those businesses employ the equivalent of 800 full-time positions and support more than 1,200 jobs across the city.

Nivin estimates that the cumulative impact of these businesses generate a direct output of more than $81 million and a total economic impact of $139 million annually.



MAP OF THE SAN ANTONIO RIVER SEGMENTS
http://i.imgur.com/EVCG32m.png

josh
06-03-2014, 04:53 AM
Pictures of the four different segments.


MUSEUM REACH
http://i.imgur.com/81y0ZHj.jpg

http://www.sanantonioriverwalk.com/DSC01516Small.JPG

http://www.sanantonioriverwalk.com/DSC_0070Small.JPG

http://www.sanantonioriverwalk.com/DSC03388Small.JPG

http://www.sanantonioriverwalk.com/IMG_20140317_141309Small.jpg

https://www.sara-tx.org/parks_and_trails/reservations/images/locations/IMG_0158.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/9eiz9cq.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/k6KLgzU.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/zyy2Brl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/PTc2BPl.jpg

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

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

http://www.acectx.org/designing_future_texas/images/SanAntonioRiverImprovementsProject5x7.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Ed9lmvt.jpg


DOWNTOWN REACH
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BhLVQcJCQAAeLNg.jpg:large

http://i.imgur.com/cZ4GEJX.jpg

http://www.trekexchange.com/images/San_Antonio_Riverwalk.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BjMhdd-CIAAThpd.jpg:large

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BkBT0ZPCMAE3ztt.jpg:large

http://i.imgur.com/frmvQ0v.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/0mVSz6R.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/FuXTKF6.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/MTz135e.jpg

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

http://www.topproducerwebsite.com/users/12749/images/riverwalk%20christmas.jpg


EAGLELAND REACH
http://ww2.hdnux.com/photos/24/11/12/5280433/3/622x350.jpg

http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ember/deals/fe36df33200e4a07883e68bad7786525f4814f25d8f82538ad 922e6d462b75c1

http://i.imgur.com/upTzc9i.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/2OcxtKT.jpg

http://www.sanantonio-vacation.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/img_6507-large.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/YpeFx0Y.jpg

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

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


MISSION REACH
http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/1/f/4/c/600_210548012.jpeg

http://i.imgur.com/o1VY1Bx.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t1pFutRVxcc/UsYySAe47YI/AAAAAAAAYhk/UtK-X6yOw_g/s1600/IMG_3560+(800x600).jpg

http://www.satxproperty.com/images/mission_reach_-_waterworks_return_journey_800.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Jszf91o.jpg

https://www.sara-tx.org/parks_and_trails/reservations/images/locations/DSC8327.jpg

http://mediad.publicbroadcasting.net/p/kstx/files/201303/MISSION_REACH_PADDLING_MARCH2013.JPG

http://ww2.hdnux.com/photos/24/11/55/5282665/9/960x540.jpg

http://sphotos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/421801_10152647309525721_402114290_n.jpg

http://worldwidephotowalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/SAPhotoWalk-2013Entry.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/c1SL1GB.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/V9WE9u3.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/8x7RYVl.jpg

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

http://www.missionkayak.com/uploads/1/4/5/5/14550088/4385409_orig.jpg

http://therivardreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC8440-1.jpg

Plutonic Panda
06-03-2014, 02:04 PM
Josh, those pictures are incredible. Did you take those or are they photos from somewhere else?

Your canal is truly world class. I hate to say this, but the Bricktown Canal doesn't even compare. I really wish they would expand the canal a mile or two in total length.

Dubya61
06-03-2014, 02:06 PM
Josh, those pictures are incredible. Did you take those or are they photos from somewhere else?

Your canal is truly world class. I hate to say this, but the Bricktown Canal doesn't even compare. I really wish they would expand the canal a mile or two in total length.

Note: San Antonio's river is not a canal.

Plutonic Panda
06-03-2014, 02:13 PM
Note: San Antonio's river is not a canal.I'm talking about the canal downtown. I understand the last set of pictures wasn't part of the canal.

It just seems OKC's Canal is very underwhelming from what I've seen of the canal in San Antonio.

HangryHippo
06-03-2014, 02:36 PM
San Antonio is beautiful. Thanks for the pictures Josh.

zookeeper
06-03-2014, 03:09 PM
I love San Antonio. Nice collection of pictures, Josh.

josh
06-03-2014, 07:33 PM
I appreciate the kind words.

Btw, just a small note. Nine of the arched pedestrian bridges are the same in those pictures. Each one is different and at a different location along the Mission Reach.

josh
06-04-2014, 08:37 AM
DOWNTOWN MIXED-USE PROJECT WINS INITIAL OK (http://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Mixed-use-downtown-project-wins-initial-OK-5526381.php)
272-UNITS, 450-SPACE PARKING GARAGE AND 50,000 SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL SPACE

http://i.imgur.com/C835Ojq.jpg


An underused segment of downtown, two blocks south of the Bexar County Courthouse, could become the site of a vibrant mixed-use development that would include 272 apartments, half of which would be priced for people who earn less than San Antonio's median income.

The $50 million development would also include about 50,000 square feet of commercial space and 450 parking spots.

City Council is slated to vote later this month on an incentives package that would move the project forward.


LOCATION
http://i.imgur.com/JqsD4H7.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/6M36UKe.png
THE BUILDING ON THE LEFT WITH BE RAZED

josh
06-04-2014, 08:47 AM
I appreciate the kind words.

Btw, just a small note. Nine of the arched pedestrian bridges are the same in those pictures. Each one is different and at a different location along the Mission Reach.

Oops, should be none, not nine.

JoninATX
06-07-2014, 09:22 PM
Great pictures Josh.

josh
06-08-2014, 09:35 AM
SAN ANTONIO URBAN CORE DEVELOPMENT MAP (https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zIeX_ZjauNbw.k4VmbvJB2jUQ)

Urbanized
06-08-2014, 03:44 PM
I'm talking about the canal downtown. I understand the last set of pictures wasn't part of the canal.

It just seems OKC's Canal is very underwhelming from what I've seen of the canal in San Antonio.

You understand, don't you, that the San Antonio Riverwalk is the result of many decades of focused effort and multiple waves of development? Do you understand that at various times during its existence the Riverwalk was written off as a sewer and as a crime-ridden wasteland? And yet believers in its potential prevailed and made it what it is today.

The final chapter of development associated with the Bricktown Canal is many years from being written, and hopefully one day soon it will find champions in the same way the Riverwalk has. To make apple-to-apples comparisons between the two is unfair to both. You need to look for context before comparing them.

Plutonic Panda
06-08-2014, 05:49 PM
You understand, don't you, that the San Antonio Riverwalk is the result of many decades of focused effort and multiple waves of development? Do you understand that at various times during its existence the Riverwalk was written off as a sewer and as a crime-ridden wasteland? And yet believers in its potential prevailed and made it what it is today.Ummmm, I didn't exactly know those details, but what I do know, my opinion still stands the canal is underwhelming at this point. I do understand that what we have could be better utilized, but I also understand it would be much better, imo, if we extended the canal.


The final chapter of development associated with the Bricktown Canal is many years from being written, and hopefully one day soon it will find champions in the same way the Riverwalk has. To make apple-to-apples comparisons between the two is unfair to both. You need to look for context before comparing them.Making apples to apples comparisons? What are you just jealous SA has a better canal than we do? Wasn't the concept of our own canal modeled and born from the success of San Antonio's?

Laramie
06-08-2014, 07:52 PM
San Antonio has had a lot of time to develop and improve their river walk. Years of expansion and renovation has turned the river into a center piece for tourism in their downtown. Oklahoma City Bricktown Canal all concrete; it is drained & cleaned periodically.

https://sp3.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608036269708348559&pid=15.1 https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTh7N_JtMJlBB640Gw16FtrUGF_BpuDM wuh4n97yEp1gHHBWhArpw https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRu5KFPrcKZFiMAOipL1b6l03KHUuzIE HOdOP4M_8dQwMVdXJZ0
San Antonio Riverwalk 1938 S.A. River Beautification Project 2.5 miles ___ Oklahoma City Bricktown Canal - 1993 MAPS (Metropolitan Area Projects) 0.6 mile


The city wants people on tour boats to be able to hop off and catch a water taxi from one entertainment district to the next. The tunnel will also allow walkers and cyclists to travel easily between Bricktown and the Boathouse District.

OKC, Union Pacific Dispute Halts Bricktown Connection To River - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports | (http://www.news9.com/story/23584018/okc-union-pacific-dispute-halts-bricktown-connection-to-river)



http://www.thunderfans.com/vforum/images/smilies/okc.gif "Oklahoma City looks oh-so pretty... ...as I get my kicks on Route 66." --Nat King Cole.http://www.thunderfans.com/vforum/images/smilies/okc.gif

Urbanized
06-08-2014, 10:59 PM
Ummmm, I didn't exactly know those details, but what I do know, my opinion still stands the canal is underwhelming at this point. I do understand that what we have could be better utilized, but I also understand it would be much better, imo, if we extended the canal.

Making apples to apples comparisons? What are you just jealous SA has a better canal than we do? Wasn't the concept of our own canal modeled and born from the success of San Antonio's?

I'm absolutely envious of the success of the Riverwalk, but not in the ugly manner you suggest. OF COURSE it was a major inspiration for the Bricktown Canal and OF COURSE it is something to aspire to.

All I am saying is that it is unfair to make an apples-to-apples comparison such as the one you made. The Riverwalk effort (as Laramie points out) started in the Thirties. What we think of as the modern Riverwalk really started to take shape in the late Sixties, with a major development focus in the Eighties. The Riverwalk also had major expansions since 2000.

By comparison, the Bricktown Canal has been here for fifteen years. Expecting the Canal to favorably compare to the Riverwalk is ridiculous. The fact that it is even in the same conversation is actually a recommendation for the canal.

JoninATX
06-08-2014, 11:02 PM
I agree it is an apples to apples comparison. The Bricktown riverwalk is nice and has LOTS! of potential later on in the future.

josh
06-15-2014, 12:05 AM
TOBIN CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS MIXED-USED PARKING GARAGE


Height: 5 Stories (6 levels)
Retail: 10,000 square feet (Ground floor)




LOCATION
http://i.imgur.com/0zJs2h6.png

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

http://i.imgur.com/g81nflQ.png

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

http://i.imgur.com/ySub1Oq.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/gnFZEz8.jpg

JoninATX
06-16-2014, 08:29 PM
Speaking of San Antonio, congratulations to the Spurs on winning their 5th NBA National Championship!!! :)

Laramie
06-17-2014, 04:17 PM
Oklahoma City's progress since the passage of MAPS in 1993

https://sp3.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608038700673011491&pid=15.1
MAPS I: September 1993 MAPS proposal unveiled a $254 million, sales-tax funded MAPS proposal to voters as a way to revitalize downtown and make the country take notice of Oklahoma City. Projects included:

1. new baseball park; April 1998 Ballpark opens
2. new sports arena; May 1999 Construction begins on arena
3. new downtown library; August 2000 Library construction begins
4. convention center renovations and expansion; Summer 1997 Convention center expansion begins
5. Fair Park renovations - June 1996 State Fair Park renovations begin
6. Civic center renovations - December 1998 Civic Center Music Hall renovations begin
7. River construction; downtown river walk canal - July 1998 Canal construction begins

Enacted a five-year penny sales tax to fund the projects; December 1993 Voters pass MAPS I.


https://sp1.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608051516850835173&pid=15.1 https://sp1.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.607999814039634845&pid=15.1 https://sp1.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608042733652084073&pid=15.1
MAPS II: MAPS for Kids (August 2001 MAPS for Kids proposal unveiled)

The nearly $700 million proposal called for the closure of 21 schools, seven new schools, at least $1 million in renovations at every other school, academic reforms and money for neighboring school districts. Officials proposed paying for the massive project with $512 million in sales tax funds and a $180 million school district bond issue.

MAPS for HOOPS:

https://sp2.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608019171459992134&pid=15.1 https://sp2.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608025364799687630&pid=15.1 https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608030102153727880&pid=15.1

Oklahoma City voters in 2008 approved another extension of the penny sales tax to pay for $121 million in Ford Center improvements needed to please the NBA. Improvements are under way. The city’s first big league team, the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder, now calls Ford Center home.

Oklahoma City, Thursday, August 27, 2009 – Officials from the City of Oklahoma City, INTEGRIS Health and the Oklahoma City Thunder broke ground today on the NBA team’s new practice facility scheduled to open prior to the 2010-11 season. The new facility will officially be known as The INTEGRIS Health Thunder Development Center.

MAPS III: (September 2009 Maps 3 proposal unveiled)

Asking voters to continue the city’s progress, Mayor Mick Cornett unveiled an ambitious, far-reaching $777 million MAPS 3 proposal that builds on the progress of previous MAPS proposals. It calls for:

1. Grand central park downtown
2. new convention center
3. downtown commuter rail system and transit improvements
4. State Fair Park improvements, riverfront improvements, trails, sidewalks and senior wellness centers.


https://sp2.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.607993268509933994&pid=15.1 https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608032232450229632&pid=15.1 https://sp1.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608029002637313217&pid=15.1 https://sp1.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.607993659355038369&pid=15.1 https://sp1.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.607995003674626533&pid=15.1
A top goal of MAPS 3 is to begin extending downtown to the Oklahoma River, redeveloping a blighted area in the process. An election on extending the MAPS sales tax another seven years... ...Dec. 8, 2009 Maps 3 passes

Sources: History of the MAPS projects TIMELINE timeline | News OK (http://newsok.com/history-of-the-maps-projects-timeline-timeline/article/3454837)
Thunder, City Break Ground on New Practice Facility | THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (http://www.nba.com/thunder/news/release090827.html)

Plutonic Panda
06-17-2014, 05:00 PM
not sure what that has to do with San Antonio, but nice presentation! :)

boitoirich
06-20-2014, 01:11 AM
That garage is everything the massive parking structure on EK Gaylord SHOULD be

Spartan
06-20-2014, 02:12 AM
What does the MAPS recap have to do with San Antonio?

josh
06-22-2014, 04:51 AM
No offense, but can a MOD please remove this post (http://www.okctalk.com/other-communities/35797-san-antonio-%7C-deep-heart-12.html#post800088)?

josh
06-22-2014, 04:56 AM
H&M PLANS TO OPEN IN DOWNTOWN SAN ANTONIO; THEIR SECOND SAN ANTONIO LOCATION (http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/H-M-will-open-even-bigger-San-Antonio-store-at-5561226.php)
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-XDl75FgZicg/AAAAAAAAAAI/AAAAAAAAspA/NT8r-KjSXLE/photo.jpg

The fast-fashion clothing store H&M is set to open a second location in the Alamo City next year at the downtown Rivercenter mall.

The 2-story downtown store is set to open in the spring of 2015 and will be even bigger than the La Cantera location at 30,000 square feet.


http://ww2.hdnux.com/photos/21/21/74/4529937/19/784x2048.jpg

josh
06-22-2014, 05:07 AM
242-UNIT, MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT PLANNED FOR THE WESTEND (http://www.expressnews.com/business/local/article/Incentives-job-boosting-downtown-nearly-done-5569888.php#/3)

http://i.imgur.com/wIUkeNA.png
Maureaux Building circa 1965-1969



Since the beginning of 2013, the city has doled out about $20.6 million in CCHIP incentives for 17 projects expected to bring 1,931 units to market.

Another five downtown-area projects are pending, which would total an additional 755 residential units. Those deals are expected to be inked in the coming weeks. The investment for those projects would total $121.5 million.

One of the projects is the redevelopment of the Maureaux Building at 700 W. Houston St. Plans are for a $28 million mixed-use development that will incorporate 242 apartment units. It's expected to get an incentive package worth more than $4.2 million.


LOCATION
http://i.imgur.com/wEsvpkr.png

josh
06-22-2014, 05:53 AM
FORMER SEMINARY EYED FOR APARTMENTS (http://www.expressnews.com/real-estate/article/Former-seminary-eyed-for-apartments-5556989.php)

http://ww2.hdnux.com/photos/30/51/62/6462605/3/784x2048.jpg


A San Antonio developer plans to turn a former Catholic seminary on the South Side into a mixed-use development, including about 250 apartments.

The proposed project at the defunct St. John's Seminary at 222 E. Mitchell St. will be built in phases, bringing market-rate multifamily housing, retail and arts facilities to that area.

The development group, 210 Developers, will take its plans to the Historic and Design Review Commission on Wednesday. It's seeking the green light for selective demolition, adaptive reuse of historic buildings and apartment construction at the site.

Preliminary plans show several building being converted into apartments. Additionally, a chapel on the 14-acre site will be turned into a community arts center, gallery space and café, and an auditorium will be renovated for use as performance space, city documents show.


LOCATION
http://i.imgur.com/pgWjA30.png

josh
06-24-2014, 02:52 PM
DINNER LAB EXPANDS TO SAN ANTONIO (http://www.forbes.com/sites/adrianalopez/2014/06/23/dinner-lab-expands-to-ten-new-markets-setting-new-trends-in-the-industry/)

http://i.imgur.com/d2Gap2t.jpg


Popular modern-day supper club, Dinner Lab, has just announced that they are expanding yet again into nine new markets, nearly doubling their current reach to 19 cities across the U.S. The announcement comes shortly after closing a $2.1 million seed round of funding earlier this month.

Starting today, Dinner Lab will be opening membership to San Antonio, Houston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, San Diego, Charlotte, Milwaukie, St. Louis and Denver.

Plutonic Panda
06-24-2014, 04:23 PM
Distinguishing industry trends

Dinner Lab’s popularity can be evidenced by the new dining trends they are setting. In a day and age where frankenfood, fusion cuisine and haute comfort food have become popular, Dinner Lab is making the act of dining pure again. Where dining is all about the food, company and experience, a restaurant’s white tablecloths and violinists no longer measure exclusivity. Exclusivity is now based on making the discovery and getting in before it’s too late.


“This is a really interesting thing happening from a consumer prospective,” added Bordainick. “People don’t correlate fine dining with a quiet restaurant with a violin playing anymore. It’s really about the food and the reasons why people love food.”

One of those reasons we love food so much is that it brings people together. Despite living in an age where basically everyone has an iPhone permanently bonded to their hand, people just want to be connected again. And, much like popular apps such as Facebook and AirBnB, Dinner Lab is bringing people closer to their community through food – by curating dinners that include authentic cuisine, distinct locations and a group of guests who share the same appreciation for that experience.

“We have spent a lot of time trying to figure out who we want to be when we grow up,” said Bordainick, who is still learning more about his own company as it continues to grow quickly. “We are not interested in running a catering company that scales across the globe. We want to find what hasn’t been discovered and bring that to people. It’s what makes us excited to get up and work.”

With the rapid growth, the only other move for Dinner Lab is to go global. According to Bordainick, after this it’s international or bust.

That is awesome!

ljbab728
06-24-2014, 10:50 PM
Is that anything like this now closed OKC business?

Table One: culinary immersion | Oklahoma City Restaurants (http://www.eataroundokc.com/table-one-culinary-immersion/)

josh
06-25-2014, 06:35 PM
Is that anything like this now closed OKC business?

Table One: culinary immersion | Oklahoma City Restaurants (http://www.eataroundokc.com/table-one-culinary-immersion/)

It seems like yes and no. Certain aspects are similar but a lot is different.

San Antonio actually has a few of those types of events that happen weekly and monthy. Even one that involves raw food. But Dinner Lab is a different animal.

josh
06-26-2014, 12:25 AM
THE AIR FORCE WILL ADD UP TO 1,440 HIGH PAYING CYBER-SECURITY JOBS THIS FALL (http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/military/article/Air-Force-to-add-up-to-1-440-employees-to-S-A-5579338.php)

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


The Air Force will expand its cyber mission in San Antonio, bringing up to 1,440 troops and civilian workers to the city this fall.

Joint Base San Antonio was selected to host three cyber protection teams to operate under the 24th Air Force at Port San Antonio.

An environmental assessment has to be done before the move occurs, but that action is seen as a mere formality. The first airmen should arrive in early October.

San Antonio is home to both the 24th Air Force and the NSA, and is seen as a likely location for cyber defense missions. Joint Base San Antonio is getting the additional military and civilian workers because of its high-speed network capacity, proximity to commanders, facilities available for quick occupancy and what the Air Force called the “low-cost option” for taxpayers.

The city also was chosen because of what the Air Force called “optimized cyber mission synergy” — an apparent reference to the 24th Air Force and the NSA, a shadowy organization that is believed to have 3,000 workers here.

josh
06-26-2014, 04:12 PM
FROST BANK TO BUILD ICONIC HQ SKYSCRAPER IN DOWNTOWN SAN ANTONIO (http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/blog/2014/06/frost-weston-urban-propose-major-downtown.html)

http://ww1.hdnux.com/photos/30/67/24/6518060/3/622x350.jpg
FROST'S CURRENT HEADQUARTERS IN DOWNTOWN SAN ANTONIO


The City of San Antonio has received an unsolicited proposal from Frost Bank and Graham Weston's real estate firm Weston Urban LLC that, if approved, would dramatically alter the downtown landscape.

Under the proposal, Weston Urban will develop a new headquarters office tower and hundreds of new residential units in San Antonio’s center city.

Weston and Frost are asking the city to convey to them five downtown properties, including the Municipal Plaza building, the Continental Hotel building, San Fernando Gym and two parcels of real estate.

In exchange for those buildings, Frost would convey to the city its existing office tower at 11 W. Houston Street and an attached parking garage.

As part of the deal, Weston Urban would agree to build Frost a new headquarters building at the northwest corner of Flores and Houston streets.

josh
06-26-2014, 04:21 PM
EXPRESS-NEWS: DEAL WOULD RESULT IN NEW DOWNTOWN SKYSCRAPER (http://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/SA-s-skyline-could-change-5582773.php)

http://ww2.hdnux.com/photos/30/67/24/6518061/3/622x350.jpg



A unique public-private partnership between the city, Frost Bank and the Weston Urban development company could result in the first new downtown office skyscraper in a quarter century, more than 300 housing units in the urban core and a multimillion-dollar annual savings to local taxpayers, officials announced Thursday.

Mayor Julián Castro, poised to depart his hometown for a position in President Barack Obama's Cabinet, is capping off his five-year tenure with what would be the most significant project in his so-called “Decade of Downtown.”

“This would be, without a question, a major turning point for downtown San Antonio,” Castro said in an interview. “You can see a very bright future with this investment.

“If anyone still doubts the 'Decade of Downtown' is happening, here you go,” he said. “It is.”

Under the public-private partnership proposal, the city would become the owner of the current Frost Bank tower at 100 W. Houston St. — and its 732-space parking garage — giving the city more than enough room to centralize its 1,100 employees who are currently scattered across several downtown buildings that cost the city some $3.4 million annually in leases.

In exchange, the city would convey five downtown properties to Weston Urban — including Municipal Plaza, which houses City Council chambers. The city would retain the first-floor chambers and its “B-session” meeting room, but the portion of the building along Commerce Street likely would become retail space, said Lori Houston, director of the Center City Development Office.

What's now Municipal Plaza was built in 1922 by Frost Bank and served as its headquarters until 1973, when it opened the Frost tower at 100 W. Houston St. Frost would keep its headquarters there until moving into the proposed 400,000-square-foot “Class-A” office tower that would be constructed at the location of its nearby motor bank. Weston Urban, the development company of Graham Weston, would develop the high-rise.

Frost would be the anchor tenant in the tower and use as much as 250,000 square feet for its corporate headquarters. The remaining space would be available for lease. Castro and others said Thursday that San Antonio needs more high-end office space, which would lead to further economic development in San Antonio.

Weston Urban President Randy Smith said that while there's yet to be a design for the proposed tower, his firm and Frost concur that it will be an “iconic” addition to San Antonio's skyline.

In an interview, Smith noted that Frost's Austin tower has had a significant impact on the capital city's skyline and now appears on Texas drivers licenses.

Houston and Castro both said that the city would only proceed with the partnership if the deal turns out to be cost-neutral or better for the city. Early estimations show that the city would save $3.4 million annually because it would no longer have to lease space downtown and could potentially add revenue by leasing unused space in the Houston Street tower.

In pitching this deal, Frost is making a significant commitment to keeping its corporate headquarters in San Antonio. Phil Green, Frost's chief financial officer, said the proposal runs parallel to key points in SA2020 — Castro's grassroots plan to alter San Antonio in a significant way by the end of the decade — and his concept of the “Decade of Downtown.”

“The mayor's had this vision that he's diligently worked on. Graham Weston has been totally committed to this and poured his capital into it,” Green said in an interview. “I'd say that we're honored to be able to support the process of the visionaries in this city to make San Antonio a better place for its citizens — the people of San Antonio.”

Besides Municipal Plaza, the city would convey to Weston Urban four other downtown properties: a stretch of land along N. Main Avenue between Houston and Travis streets; a parking lot at the southwest corner of Pecan and North Flores; the Metro Health Department's Continental Hotel building at 322 W. Commerce; and the San Fernando Gym at 319 W. Travis.

In all, Weston Urban plans to develop more than 300 residential units in downtown.

Councilman Diego Bernal applauded the proposal and said it creates several exciting prospects for downtown, including the potential of adding more than 700 parking spaces to the city's inventory. Parking is key both for downtown residents and for suburbanites who want to visit the urban core.

The cost of constructing similar structured parking, Bernal said, currently costs between $10 million and $15 million for 500 spaces. So to receive 732 spaces that would be used by city employees during the day and the public on nights and weekends in a deal that would save the city money is a significant win, Bernal said.

“That's like adding another St. Mary's garage to the parking inventory downtown,” he said. “That's huge.”

Houston said the city has accepted the initial unsolicited proposal from Weston Urban and Frost, marking the first time the city has done so since the council approved public-private partnerships in 2012. Now, the bank and the developer have 45 days to submit a detailed proposal that further explains the economics of the deal.

Under the city's “P-3” guidelines, that detailed proposal will be posted for public review and comment for at least 60 days. During that time, the city will “seek to negotiate the terms of a comprehensive agreement based on the detailed proposal.” It will also “simultaneously seek competing proposals,” according to a Thursday letter sent by the city to Frost and Weston Urban.

At the end of the 60-day period, the city has several options. It could decide to not proceed with any proposal, to move forward with the original proposal, to opt for a competing proposal or select multiple proposals.

Whether any competing interests will have time to do the voluminous work that would go into making a competing proposal remains to be seen. And the proximity of the current Frost tower to City Hall — the heart of municipal government — seems to be a key element in the Weston Urban-Frost proposal.

If the city ultimately decides to move forward with the pair, the downtown landscape could move forward relatively quickly. According to a preliminary project schedule, tower design could start by 2015 and construction could begin by mid-2016 with estimated completion and move-in by 2018.

Plutonic Panda
06-26-2014, 04:36 PM
Wish you luck. Hopefully it turns out nice.

josh
06-26-2014, 05:15 PM
Wish you luck. Hopefully it turns out nice.

This is being developed by Graham Weston. It will be very nice!

This is also one of the first steps in his vision of an urban village in that area of west downtown. He also relocated Geekdom (http://www.geekdom.com/) into a historic building next to the current Frost HQ late last year. There are plans for multiple high-rise residential buildings.

josh
06-26-2014, 05:15 PM
BTW, CPS Energy is also building a new HQ tower downtown.

Plutonic Panda
06-26-2014, 05:17 PM
This is being developed by Graham Weston. It will be very nice!

This is also one of the first steps in his vision of an urban village in that area of west downtown. He also relocated Geekdom (http://www.geekdom.com/) into a historic building next to the current Frost HQ late last year. There are plans for multiple high-rise residential buildings.Any rumors as to how tall it will be?