I created these gifs to show what type of impact on the skyline this (not yet designed) building will make.


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

http://i.imgur.com/u2cAFhf.gif

Any rumors as to how tall it will be?

Between 40-50 stories. No exact height has been confirmed.

Good luck then. We know very well here in OKC about how rumors turn out. :)

Good luck then. We know very well here in OKC about how rumors turn out. :)

What exactly do you think is a rumor?

What exactly do you think is a rumor?

Your response to the question about any rumors about how tall it will be.

Your response to the question about any rumors about how tall it will be.

Oh, well, the developer is saying it will be an iconic building so it'll definitely have some height.

I should say, the developer said it will be an iconic tower not building.

HEMISFAIR GETS GREEN LIGHT TO SELECT DEVELOPERS FOR $50 MILLION MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT (http://www.expressnews.com/real-estate/article/Hemisfair-gets-green-light-to-find-developers-5582785.php)TWO MIXED-USED BUILDINGS WITH STREET LEVEL RETAIL PLANNED FOR PHASE I OF YANAGUANA GARDEN

http://ww2.hdnux.com/photos/30/67/64/6520117/3/784x2048.jpg
(TOP CENTER) CONCEPT RENDERING OF WATER STREET PROJECT


The nonprofit behind the remaking of HemisFair Park received the go-ahead Thursday from City Council to look for developers to construct two mixed-use buildings near the southwest corner of the downtown space.

Combined, the two projects, totaling at least $50 million in development, could include more than 200 mixed-income residential units, a boutique hotel and roughly 300 public parking spaces to the park, as well as the expansion of the Magik Theatre.

In late July, the Hemisfair Park Area Redevelopment Corporation said it will begin the process of finding a developer for each parcel.

Once chosen, developers would enter a public-private partnership in which they would lease the public land for decades, according to Hemisfair. Revenue generated from each project — rents, leases, etc. — would be funneled back to HemisFair.

The so-called Water Street Development on 1.13 acres would abut the envisioned Yanaguana Garden, the play area on Hemisfair's southwest corner. A midrise structure (five to six stories) containing 100 or so residential units is envisioned for the parcel. The units would wrap around a parking structure with 400 spaces (100 for residents, the remainder for public use). First-floor retail is another component of the planned building.


LOCATION
http://i.imgur.com/De11bc0.png

Just an FYI, those two buildings are separate from the mixed-use buildings planned for Phase II (Civic Park), which were talked about last month.

These are those buildings:


PHASE II: CIVIC PARK BUILDINGS
http://ww1.hdnux.com/photos/30/03/47/6306248/5/960x540.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/AyX54KR.png

I wish San Antonio luck on building this iconic tower. The city is over due for a new tower and hopefully once construction starts more towers will follow.

Simply as an aside, of the semantic variety, doesn't the word "iconic" connote "not the real thing but rather a representation of something other than itself"? Are we sure that "iconic" is the best way to describe this proposed "skyscraper"? Is the developer's spokesperson sure? =)

Simply as an aside, of the semantic variety, doesn't the word "iconic" connote "not the real thing but rather a representation of something other than itself"? Are we sure that "iconic" is the best way to describe this proposed "skyscraper"? Is the developer's spokesperson sure? =)It will become an "icon" for the city to look at is how I understand it.

- retiny

Simply as an aside, of the semantic variety, doesn't the word "iconic" connote "not the real thing but rather a representation of something other than itself"? Are we sure that "iconic" is the best way to describe this proposed "skyscraper"? Is the developer's spokesperson sure? =)

Iconic denotes icon which by its very own definition is a person or thing regarded as a representative symbol of something.

This building will be an icon for the city and stand out as a representative symbol.

Iconic denotes icon which by its very own definition is a person or thing regarded as a representative symbol of something.

This building will be an icon for the city and stand out as a representative symbol.

I just hope that iconic has more meaning than world class (see OKC's Stage Center Tower).

I think San Antonio is one of the most underrated cities in the entire country. If any of you are Austin regulars but haven't made the little extra mileage to make San Antonio, be sure and put it on your to-do, you'll be impressed.

I couldn't remember what it was called, but just went and checked - Uptown Broadway. Some of the most incredible, beautiful old homes in the nation all clustered together in several different (townships?). Think Nichols Hills, Heritage Hills (times ten) and you get Uptown Broadway. If you enjoy old residential upscale architecture, you'll be in heaven.

There's just so much to do and there's something for everybody. I also found a surprisingly conservative Hispanic community in San Antonio. Those Latin American families that have been here for several generations aren't all that excited about how the current immigration problems are being handled. Not that I necessarily agree with them, but I found it surprising, but it makes sense when you think about it. So many have been there for so long and feel they did it the "right" way. Assimilation is better in SA than other places as well. Amazing how many white San Antonio folks know Spanish, too. At least at a basic semi-conversational level.

I want to go back again. Great city that we can learn a lot from. They went through what we're going through 25-30 years ago. There are far worse cities to emulate, that's for sure.

The city appreciates the kind words zookeeper.

The area you're talking about is actually Midtown. The homes you mention belong to historic neighborhoods like Tobin Hill, Monte Vista, Beacon Hill, Manhcke Park. I actually highlighted some of those neighborhoods on page 3 (http://www.okctalk.com/other-communities/35797-san-antonio-%7C-deep-heart-3.html) and page 4 (http://www.okctalk.com/other-communities/35797-san-antonio-%7C-deep-heart-4.html).

I also posted a map (http://www.okctalk.com/other-communities/35797-san-antonio-%7C-deep-heart-5.html#post716504) showing the neighborhoods and districts I have highlighted in this thread.


There are also three wealthy bedroom room communities just north of Midtown that also have fantastic housing stock. Olmos Park, Alamo Heights and Terrell Hills. Those three are considered to be in Uptown with Alamo Heights and Terrell Hills being in Uptown Broadway as both communities are adjacent to Broadway St.

I should also make one last, small note. San Antonio is quite liberal. Though, there are a few conservative pockets around the city and one of those pockets being Uptown. Midtown though is very liberal. The Gay District is within Tobin Hills.

Another gif I created.


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

Agree that San Antonio is underrated. I think it often gets unfairly pigeonholed as one thing or another and that many people who don't have a lot of experience with the place have a one - dimensional view of it and write it off. One of the big problems in this regard is that it is sandwiched between three flashier, noisier cities who do a pretty fair job of tooting their own horns. It gets lost in the mix. Truthfully, I think it is a more authentic experience than any of them.

UPDATED THE MAP AS WELL AS CREATED A LIST.


SAN ANTONIO URBAN CORE DEVELOPMENT MAP (https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zIeX_ZjauNbw.k4VmbvJB2jUQ)

UNDER CONSTRUCTION
RESIDENTIAL UNITS: 2,063 │ HOTEL ROOMS: 295




JOSKE'S REDEVELOPMENT │ REDEVELOPMENT OF A 500,000 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING INTO A SHOPPING AND ENTERTAINMENT DESTINATION │ DOWNTOWN

CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION │ 325 MILLION DOLLAR EXPANSION │ DOWNTOWN

THE RIVER HOUSE │ 261-UNIT RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT │ RIVER NORTH

1130 BROADWAY │ 300-UNIT RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT │ RIVER NORTH

TOBIN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS │ 210 MILLION DOLLAR STATE-OF-THE-ART PERFORMING ARTS CENTER │ RIVER NORTH

EILAN RIVERWALK │ 350-UNIT RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT │ DOWNTOWN

SAN PEDRO CREEK REDEVELOPMENT │ 275 MILLION DOLLAR REVITALIZATION OF A 2-MILE STRETCH OF THE SAN PEDRO CREEK │ RIVER NORTH, DOWNTOWN, SOFLO

ALAMO BEER COMPANY BREWERY AND BREWPUB │ BREWERY AND BREWPUB │ NEAR EAST

HOTEL EMMA │ 145-ROOM BOUTIQUE HOTEL │ THE PEARL

THE CELLARS │ TEN STORY, 100-UNIT RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT │ THE PEARL

BIG TEX │ 336-UNIT MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT │ SOUTHTOWN

WESTEND STATION │ REDEVELOPMENT OF FORMER TRAIN DEPOT INTO A MULTI-MODAL TRANSIT STATION │ WESTEND

PEANUT FACTORY │ 98-UNIT RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT │ CATTLEMAN SQUARE

SAN ANTONIO CHILDREN'S MUSEUM │ NEW 40 MILLION DOLLAR CHILDREN'S MUSEUM │ LOWER BROADWAY

CITY VISTA │ 145-UNIT RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT │ UPTOWN

TOBIN LOFTS PHASE II │75-UNIT RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT │ TOBIN HILL

H-E-B HEADQUARTERS AND GROCERY STORE │ 140 MILLION DOLLAR EXPANSION OF DOWNTOWN HEADQUARTERS AS WELL AS A GROCERY STORE, CULINARY SCHOOL │ DOWNTOWN, SOUTHTOWN

519 ROOSEVELT AVENUE │ 28 MODERN TOWNHOMES │ SOUTH OF SOUTHTOWN

CONFLUENCE PARK │ NEW MULTI MILLION DOLLAR PARK ALONG THE SAN ANTONIO RIVER │ MISSION REACH

MISSION ROAD TRAILER PARK REDEVELOPMENT │ 75 MILLION DOLLAR, 345-UNIT RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT TO REPLACE A TRAILOR PARK │ MISSION REACH, RIVERSIDE

HILTON GARDEN INN │ TEN STORY, 250 ROOM HOTEL │ DOWNTOWN

TERRELL BUILDING │ REDEVELOPMENT OF BUILDING INTO 100-UNIT TIMESHARE │ DOWNTOWN

EAST QUINCY TOWNHOMES │ 25 TOWNHOMES │ TOBIN HILL

BRACKENRIDGE AT MIDTOWN │ 282-UNIT RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT │ MIDTOWN BROADWAY



PROPOSED
RESIDENTIAL UNITS: 4,313



FROST BANK HEADQUARTERS │ 40-50 STORY OFFICE TOWER │ DOWNTOWN

CPS ENERGY HEADQUARTERS │ OFFICE TOWER │ DOWNTOWN

JOSKE'S MIXED-USE │ MIXED USE TOWER OR TOWERS WITH RESIDENTIAL AND HOTEL │ DOWNTOWN

W HOTEL │ 33-STORY W HOTEL │ DOWNTOWN

ST. PAUL SQUARE DEVELOPMENT │ 800 RESIDENTIAL UNITS IN MULTIPLE HIGHRISES │ ST. PAUL SQUARE

MERCHANT'S ICE LOFTS │ 230-UNIT RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT │ NEAR EAST

JONES AVE & BROADWAY ST. │ 300-UNIT RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT │ RIVER NORTH

1221 BROADWAY PHASE II │ 100-UNIT RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT │ RIVER NORTH

NEW FEDERAL COURTHOUSE │ AWAITING FEDERAL FUNDING │ DOWNTOWN

SOUTHWEST SCHOOL OF ARTS │ 200-UNIT MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT │ DOWNTOWN

AVENUE B & 9TH STREET │ 350-UNIT RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT │ RIVER NORTH

JEFFERSON ST, RESIDENTIAL HIGHRISE │ 35-40 STORY RESIDENTIAL HIGHRISE │ DOWNTOWN

AVENUE B & 8TH STREET │ 300-UNIT RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT │ RIVER NORTH

PEARL DEVELOPMENT │ 800-UNIT DEVELOPMENT PLANNED ON 5-ACRES OF UNDEVELOPED LAND │ THE PEAR;

TOBIN CENTER PARKING GARAGE │ 6 LEVEL MIXED-USE PARKING GARAGE │ DOWNTOWN

MAUREAUX BUILDING │ 242-UNIT MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT │ WESTEND

ST. JOHN'S SEMINARY SCHOOL │ 250-UNIT REDEVELOPMENT │ RIVERSIDE

WATER STREET │ MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT. PART OF PHASE I OF HEMISFAIR REDEVELOPMENT │ DOWNTOWN

300 SOUTH ALAMO │ 12-STORY, MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT. PART OF PHASE I OF HEMISFAIR REDEVELOPMENT │ DOWNTOWN

LAVACA TOWNHOMES │ FOUR MODERN TOWNHOMES │ LAVACA

ALAMO STREET & 10TH STREET │ 250-UNIT RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT │ RIVER NORTH

SOUTHTOWN VILLAS │ 212-UNIT RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT │ SOUTHTOWN

DWYER STREET │ 272-UNIT RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT │ DOWNTOWN

CPS ENERGY HEADQUARTERS UPDATE (http://www.expressnews.com/business/business_columnists/greg_jefferson/article/Once-again-HQ-for-utility-in-play-5585604.php)


This week CPS will put out a “request for information” from developers interested in doing a headquarters deal. That'll be followed in mid-September by a “request for qualifications” to ensure that the potential bidders are for real. Finally, the utility will put a “request for proposals” in November.

If all goes as planned, staffers will cut the list of contenders to three or four, and Beneby would recommend a finalist to the board of trustees early next year.

This is according to John Benedict, CPS' Chief Administrative Officer.

Update on the Peanut Factory Lofts

http://www.bigreddog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Birdsong-Peanut-Factory-Flats-panioramic-6-13-14.jpg

http://www.bigreddog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/June-20-pano-studios-Silo-and-Loft-building.jpg

http://www.bigreddog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Birdsong-peanut-factory-New-life-3-1024x768.jpg

Under Construction: Peanut Factory Loft | BIG RED DOG Engineering | Consulting (http://www.bigreddog.com/under-construction-peanut-factory-lofts/)

CONVENTION CENTER EXPANSION UPDATE
325 MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT FROM THE SKY

http://i.imgur.com/f63rDIK.jpg

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

IN-N-OUT BURGER UPDATE

LOOP 1604 & CULEBRA ROAD LOCATION
Projected opening is October 2014.

http://i.imgur.com/47EwuY3.jpg


WINDCREST LOCATION

Demolition of building (http://ww2.hdnux.com/photos/30/51/22/6460557/3/622x350.jpg) is underway for mixed-use project that will include In-N-Out. Projected opening of restaurant is sometime in October.

CPS ENERGY HEADQUARTERS UPDATE II


CPS ENERGY SECURES CASSIDY TURLEY TO HELP IDENTIFY NEW HQ SITE (http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/blog/2014/07/cps-energy-secures-cassidy-turley-to-help-identify.html)


CPS Energy is taking another step toward identifying a site for its new headquarters.

The San Antonio utility company has contracted with Washington, D.C.-based commercial real estate services firm Cassidy Turley to evaluate its current real estate assets in and to develop and implement a long-term plan for its headquarters facility.

Cassidy Turley will help CPS craft a strategy for acquiring space for its new headquarters and for disposition of its current San Antonio property downtown.

CPS Energy is the nation’s largest municipally owned energy utility. It has more than $10 billion in assets and more than $2.4 billion in annual revenues. The utility currently serves more than 741,000 electric customers and some 331,000 natural gas customers in the region.

Cassidy Turley will release a request for information (RFI) as part of an effort to identify all potential real estate opportunities in the market which can accommodate a corporate headquarters.

This RFI will be released during the first week of July to an initial list of targeted properties within a defined area encompassing downtown San Antonio. The RFI will also be released to an initial list of targeted investor-developers.

Cassidy Turley is inviting property owners and investor-developers to submit proposals for a new CPS Energy headquarters.

Please delete.

107-UNIT MICRO APARTMENT DEVELOPMENT PLANNED FOR RIVER NORTH (http://www.expressnews.com/real-estate/article/Micro-apartments-could-get-county-tax-abatement-5607560.php)

http://ww1.hdnux.com/photos/31/04/20/6571044/3/784x2048.jpg



A 107-unit apartment project behind KLRN's offices on Broadway received the go-ahead from Bexar County commissioners for county staff to begin negotiations on a 10-year property tax abatement valued at $125,879.

Marketed as “micro apartments,” the majority of the units will be in the 525- to 625-square-foot range.

“We're tying to keep rents as close to $1,000 a month as we can,” said David Adelman of Area Real Estate LLC. “The 525-square-foot (units) will be right about $1,000, or a little less. The rents won't be set until we're open in a year.”

Some units will be as small as 382 square feet, while a handful of others will be just smaller than 1,000 square feet.

The $10 million project includes a parking structure on the former Spires-Douglas Buick dealership at 209 E. 6th Street, and building a five-story apartment building adjacent to it on the same block. The one-year construction period is expected to begin in September.

“It's a small boutique project, but it's going to be packing a lot of punch for the residents,” Adelman said. A residents-only bike shop is planned for inside the garage. A coffee shop open to the public will face McCullough Avenue and Avenue B. And residents will have access to a rooftop lounge and an internal courtyard with a pool and cooking area.



http://ww2.hdnux.com/photos/31/04/22/6571197/4/premium_article_portrait.jpg

Nielsen to add more than 200 jobs in San Antonio

Nielsen to add more than 200 jobs in San Antonio - San Antonio Business Journal (http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/blog/2014/07/nielsen-to-add-more-than-200-jobs-in-san-antonio.html)

IT immigrants building up S.A.'s 'Little India

IT immigrants building up S.A.'s 'Little India' - San Antonio Express-News (http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/local/article/IT-immigrants-building-up-S-A-s-Little-India-5596848.php)

OAKLAND RAIDERS OWNER IN TALKS WITH SAN ANTONIO TO RELOCATE NFL TEAM (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/pro-sports/article/Oakland-Raiders-owner-in-talks-with-SA-to-5654812.php)

http://cdn.fansided.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/28/files/2013/07/Raider-logo-4.png


Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis and two top lieutenants met recently with several San Antonio officials to discuss the potential of moving his NFL team from the Bay Area to the Alamo City, sources familiar with the matter have confirmed.

On July 18, Davis met with the officials, including Henry Cisneros, then-Mayor Julián Castro, City Manager Sheryl Sculley, Mario Hernandez of the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation, and both Richard Perez and David McGee, the president and chairman of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, respectively.

Davis and his associates reportedly spent two or three days here, visiting the Alamodome and other places. They also took an aerial tour of the city in a helicopter, arranged by developer Marty Wender.

If the Raiders moved here, though, Davis is expected to seek a new stadium within a few years, after the team had proved itself in the Alamo City.

Davis told San Antonio civic and business leaders he isn't seeking a “Jerry Jones-type facility” and prefers “a small, intimate” stadium that he can place “a statue of his father in front of,” a source said.

AT&T CHOOSES SAN ANTONIO FOR GIGAPOWER (http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/local/article/AT-T-chooses-S-A-for-GigaPower-5654201.php)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/3a/AT%26T_logo_(horizontal).svg/526px-AT%26T_logo_(horizontal).svg.png


AT&T announced Tuesday that it will introduce its GigaPower network to the San Antonio market — capable of downloading 25 songs in one second, a TV show in three seconds and an HD online movie in 36 seconds — though the company did not provide a timetable for the roll-out.

The service also allows customers to watch and record five simultaneous HD streams.

“AT&T's investment will deliver some of the fastest broadband Internet speeds our city has ever seen, helping spur economic growth across the city,” Mayor Ivy Taylor said in a statement. “When local governments and the private sector work together, consumers and businesses win.”

Availability and pricing of the service in the San Antonio market, will be announced later, AT&T said in a press release.

TIME WARNER CABLE JOINS FIBER-OPTIC RACE IN SAN ANTONIO (http://www.expressnews.com/business/local/article/Time-Warner-Cable-joins-fiber-optic-race-in-S-A-5660732.php?cmpid=reddit-premium&t=03ee81ffdaab698138)

http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20101026122023/logopedia/images/thumb/0/02/Time_Warner_Cable_1-1_2010.png/640px-Time_Warner_Cable_1-1_2010.png


The field of competitors in the race to provide San Antonio with faster fiber-optic networks is getting crowded, with Time Warner Cable jumping in Thursday.

The company announced it will provide its San Antonio customers — along with those in six other markets — upgraded Internet and TV services as a part of the expansion of their TWC Maxx network by the end of 2015.

Internet speeds will be up to six times faster than they are now for customers in San Antonio. DVRs will be able to record six shows at once and store about 150 hours of high-definition shows.

The provider is converting to an all-digital system, providing digital converters to customers with cable boxes and turning all remaining analog channels to digital.

TWC's announcement comes two days after AT&T announced it will roll out its high-speed GigaPower network in San Antonio.

So now that makes Google, AT&T and Time Warner Cable bringing fiber to San Antonio. Good stuff.

HEMISFAIR UPDATE

Three different scenarios for designs of the Civic Park portion of Hemisfair were revealed on Tuesday by Seattle-based Gustafson Guthrie Nichol, who is in charge of the design for the Civic Park.


http://therivardreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/ggn-presentation-14-07-29-hemisfair-three-scenarios.jpg

MORE IMAGES

http://therivardreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/ggn-presentation-14-07-29-hemisfair-connecting-neighborhoods.jpg

http://therivardreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/ggn-presentation-14-07-29-hemisfair-convention-center-rendering.jpg

OVERALL HEMISFAIR REDEVELOPMENT

http://mediad.publicbroadcasting.net/p/kstx/files/201309/Civic-Park-Hemisfair-130913.jpg

That last one is interesting, but aren't they expanding the convention center? Is that included and I am just not seeing it?

That last one is interesting, but aren't they expanding the convention center? Is that included and I am just not seeing it?

Yep! (http://www.okctalk.com/other-communities/35797-san-antonio-%7C-deep-heart-13.html#post806907)

In the last picture, the undeveloped land in the grey area that says Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center is the area that is currently under construction with the expansion. The original portion of the convention center, also the oldest portion of the current convention center, will be razed once the new expansion is built and that is where the Civic Park will be built.

The new expansion will be three stories in height and cost $325 million, while the original portion set to be razed is one story and 1/3 the total size of the new expansion.

Also, those buildings in the Civic Park shown in the three scenarios are planned mid-rises and high-rises.

I gotcha. I was thinking the expansion was going to the west, not the east. I guess I was just turned around. My wife and I went down to SA for an extended weekend several years ago and stayed at the Omni Mansion and loved it. Of course, me being an urban development nerd, I had to go and check out SA's CC since we had just voted to build a new one. And, I wanted to see the Hemisphere Park down there and I have to admit it left a lot to be desired. Adding this park next to the CC and just south of The Alamo will be a great location.

I gotcha. I was thinking the expansion was going to the west, not the east. I guess I was just turned around. My wife and I went down to SA for an extended weekend several years ago and stayed at the Omni Mansion and loved it. Of course, me being an urban development nerd, I had to go and check out SA's CC since we had just voted to build a new one. And, I wanted to see the Hemisphere Park down there and I have to admit it left a lot to be desired. Adding this park next to the CC and just south of The Alamo will be a great location.

Hemisfair Park has almost always been a park in name. The was a really cool laker and water feature area but that was built over in the 90s when convention center was expanded.

But what they're doing now, the children's park, the Civic Park and tower park, will truly give Hemisfair a park/parks.

OAKLAND RAIDERS OWNER IN TALKS WITH SAN ANTONIO TO RELOCATE NFL TEAM (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/pro-sports/article/Oakland-Raiders-owner-in-talks-with-SA-to-5654812.php)

http://cdn.fansided.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/28/files/2013/07/Raider-logo-4.png

Most of the time things like this are just owners trying to get leverage in negotiations with the city they are already operating in.

Most of the time things like this are just owners trying to get leverage in negotiations with the city they are already operating in.

Except this seems more genuine.

This was leaked to local San Antonio media weeks after the secretive meeting. If it were for leverage in Oakland, the meeting would have either be made public or the leak would have been to the Oakland media. The Raiders owner was keeping this quiet. That doesn't scream leverage.

Recent picture of the River Walk in the Pearl District of the Museum Reach.


RECENT PICTURE OF THE RIVER WALK (MUSEUM REACH) IN THE PEARL DISTRICT OF MIDTOWN

http://i.imgur.com/tdJN60u.jpg"]http://i.imgur.com/tdJN60u.jpg

FIRST SAN PEDRO CREEK PUBLIC MEETING IS SET FOR AUGUST 23RD (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/downtown/2014/08/first-san-pedro-creek-public-meeting-aug-23/#12474101=7)

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/downtown/files/2014/08/rsz_sanpedrocreekmap.jpg


The first public meeting for the Bexar County-driven, $175 million San Pedro Creek improvement is scheduled for 9 a.m.-noon Aug. 23 (Saturday) at Christopher Columbus Italian Society, 201 Piazza Italia. Inspired by the River Walk, the project revives the former creek — these days, it’s more of a ditch — into a multi-character linear urban park while removing roughly 42 acres from the flood zone along the stretch.

The project — county funded, but executed by the San Antonio River Authority — runs from the tunnel inlet behind Fox Tech High School south to the confluence of the West Side creeks next to Interstate 35.

Of the $175 million, county leaders have said, $125 million will be financed via certificates of obligation, a form of debt the county incurs. The $50 million difference will come from a combination of public and private rights-of-way donations (land along the creek’s banks seen as crucial to widening the tributary), and city and private sector contributions.

The projects design began in March, and is expected to take two years to complete, SARA projects and planner supervisor Rudy Farias said. Construction is expected for completion by the end of 2018.


http://blog.mysanantonio.com/downtown/wp-content/blogs.dir/667/files/san-pedro-creek-study-spring-2013/sanpedro8.jpghttp://blog.mysanantonio.com/downtown/wp-content/blogs.dir/667/files/san-pedro-creek-study-spring-2013/sanpedro9.jpg

20 GROUPS INTERESTED IN CPS ENERGY'S NEW HEADQUARTERS (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/downtown/2014/08/many-interested-in-cps-energys-new-headquarters/)

http://energythoughtsummit.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/cps-energy-500x184.png


Though it’s still in an exploratory phase, CPS Energy has received interest from 20 groups for its potential new downtown headquarters — groups either offering an existing building, offering land for a new building, or offering to construct a new building.

Earlier this year, CPS Energy formed a seven-member advisory committee to explore the possibility of the public utility moving from its current riverfront headquarters at 145 Navarro St. The objective is to find a new home, but also remain in the central business district.

Most of the submissions CPS Energy received in its initial request for interest are Texas-based firms offering either real estate for a new building or offering to construct one, according to Cassidy Turley, the Washington, D.C.-based firm handling the search.

“What we’re looking at right now is a cross spectrum of Texas-based firms,” said Frank McCafferty, an executive managing director at Cassidy Turley.

CPS Energy has declined to release the list of parties who responded to the city-owned utility’s informal request for information. The utility did say that the submissions will be shared with the advisory committee later this month. A more formal request for qualifications will be issued Oct. 8, and a request for proposals on Nov. 26, CPS Energy spokeswoman Lisa Lewis said.

“Really what (an RFI) is is you’re asking someone to respond back to you,” CPS Energy spokeswoman Lisa Lewis said. “What the opportunity is, what they own, who the team would be. Are there any encumbrances? It’s an information gathering stage. So you can determine if that is a viable option to move to the request for qualifications phase.”

The short list of firms and groups will be compiled before the request for proposals is issued, and at that time the utility will release names, Lewis said.

Lewis said the utility is going to follow the process through, but that doesn’t necessarily mean CPS Energy will abandon its current digs.

“Even with proposals, we will evaluate the cost-benefit against staying put,” Lewis said.

In a meeting in spring, CPS Energy CEO Doyle Beneby told the San Antonio Express-News Editorial Board that he was adamant about keeping the new headquarters in the center city.

“Typically in major cities, (utility) headquarters are typically in the urban core,” Beneby told the Express-News in March. “So, I don’t think we should be any different. But that’s our preference, obviously. But certainly, I think, suburbia is off thetable.

“If we can ultimately make the best economic decision, in terms of our modeling, and at the same time … help the urban core, I kind of feel we should do that if we can.”

IF CPS Energy moved, it would free up prime real estate along the River Walk for potential redevelopment. Its current headquarters — two buildings consisting of roughly 200,000 square feet — houses 800 employees. It’s been there since 1954.

SUBURBAN NEWS

LUXURY APARTMENT DEVELOPMENT, AURA AT THE RIM, UNDER CONSTRUCTION ON FAR NORTHWEST SIDE (http://www.multihousingnews.com/cities/san-antonio/luxury-apartment-community-aura-at-the-rim-breaks-ground-in-san-antonio-3/1004105588.html)

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


Northwest of San Antonio, a new luxury apartment community has broken ground. Aura at the Rim is being built by Dallas-based developer Trinsic Residential Group LLC.

The residential project stands four stories tall and encompasses 308 units; it is located within The Rim mixed-use development, near the intersection of Interstate 10 and North Loop 1604, providing proximity to shops, restaurants and entertainment, as well as surface parking and attached and detached garages.

“Northwest San Antonio is an area that is enjoying an exciting surge in commercial activity and employment opportunities,” said Adam Brown, managing director for Trinsic. “It’s got it all: premiere shopping venues The Rim and The Shops at La Cantera, major employers, world-class vacation destinations and more. Aura at The Rim is perfectly positioned to give residents easy access to the best of the region. The site is elevated nearly 50 feet above the rest of the development, so it will afford residents spectacular views of the Hill Country and distant downtown San Antonio.”

The residents will be given the choice of one- and two-bedroom apartments, featuring custom cabinetry, granite countertops with a glass linear backsplash, stainless steel appliances, faux wood floors and accent walls. Community amenities include a state-of-the-art fitness center with spin room and a stretching area for yoga, a full-service resident lounge connected to a resort-style pool, an outdoor fire pit, and grilling areas.

“We’re thrilled to be giving residents one of the finest luxury apartment options in the area,” added Brown. “Aura at The Rim will be a truly exceptional multifamily community.”

The Cellars Residential (10 St.) U/C

http://www.urbantonio.com/assets/the-cellars/cellars1.jpg

Home » Urbantonio (http://www.urbantonio.com)

Most of the time things like this are just owners trying to get leverage in negotiations with the city they are already operating in.

NFL owners have leverage; so does the cities...


https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608001703889342052&pid=15.1&P=0 https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608020318270982252&pid=15.1&P=0 https://sp3.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608026936822074399&pid=15.1&P=0
San Antonio with five Fortune 500 companies (Valero Energy Corp., Tesoro Corp., USAA Mutual Corp., NuStar Energy LP & CC Media Holdings Inc) is ready for the NFL. They possess the base criteria needed to bring the NFL to the Alamo City:

1. Population: MSA 2013 estimate, 2,277,550
2. Facility: Alamodome, 65,000
3. Ownership: (?)

The State of Texas would love to have a third NFL team. San Antonio's 65,000-seat Alamodome with upgrades could make a nice temporary home. New NFL stadiums now exceed $1 billion as the Minnesota Vikings have one under construction projected to open in 2016. The Raiders want a new stadium.

San Antonio has the population (2.3 million) to support NBA and the NFL. Can this city deliver on an NFL future stadium?

San Antonio should consult Nashville's former mayor:
Take a page from then Nashville's Mayor Philip Bredesen's playbook:

In an attempt to avoid Nashville being used for leverage, Mayor Brendesen took the negotiations with Oilers' owner Bud Adams into an exclusive agreement; this eliminated the potential bidding war between Nashville & Houston. You see, in 1987 Bud Adams played this game with Jacksonville and got $70 million in improvements made to the Astrodome.

Mayor Philip Brendesen played it smart. Nashville took note of what Adams wanted; the team initially played in Memphis' Liberty Bowl Stadium while an NFL stadium was being built in Nashville. The community of Memphis was interested in their own NFL team; they didn't like the idea of supporting a franchise headed to the cross state capital & arch rival Nashville. One year before the scheduled move, the Oilers left the 63,000-seat Liberty Bowl; they played at Vanderbilt University's 35,000-seat stadium before the new facility was opened in Nashville.

Los Angeles & San Antonio are favorites for NFL relocation: NFL: Potential Cities it Could Move or Expand To | Bleacher Report (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/844925-nfl-potential-cities-it-could-move-or-expand-to)

Are the Raiders serious about the possibilities of relocation? Let's see how San Antonio approaches its NFL suitor?

Best of luck, San Antonio!

Except this seems more genuine.

This was leaked to local San Antonio media weeks after the secretive meeting. If it were for leverage in Oakland, the meeting would have either be made public or the leak would have been to the Oakland media. The Raiders owner was keeping this quiet. That doesn't scream leverage.

The Saints were supposed to go there too at one time.

But I believe it would work in SA though.

The Saints were supposed to go there too at one time.

But I believe it would work in SA though.

The Saints were never "supposed" to relocate to SA. It was talked about and city leaders at the time pushed for it. Tom Benson has businesses in San Antonio and a home here and his daughter wanted to badly relocate the team here and city leaders took the opportunity to try and make it happened but there was too much keeping it from happening including bad PR of the Saints abandoning New Orleans, Louisiana throwing lots of money to keep the team in Louisiana, the commissioner at the time not wanting the team to relocate, etc.

It just wasn't meant to be even though both parties, Saints and City of San Antonio, wanted it to happen.

Big news coming.

This is not the big news I mentioned on 8/12/2014, though this is definitely some big news for the east side.


http://i.imgur.com/DrAC3ou.png (http://www.expressnews.com/real-estate/article/Developer-chosen-for-Red-Berry-Estate-5689922.php)

http://i.imgur.com/gvHP2BW.png



The city is ready to give the job of redeveloping Red Berry Estate — an 84-acre site on the East Side — to a partnership consisting of national developer NRP Group, and Terramark Homes and Wallace-Bajjali Development Partners, both of Sugar Land.

The group is proposing a $149.8 million development that would include 600 apartments, 66 townhouses and more than 300,000 square feet of commercial space for medical offices, retail shops and restaurants.

It's also proposing a $2 million renovation of the historic Red Berry Mansion, improvements to a 12-acre man-made lake next to the mansion, and connecting the lake to the Salado Creek Bike Trail.

In 2012, the city purchased the property for $2.25 million.

If City Council approves the public-private partnership on Thursday, the group will begin design, and construction could start next summer. [Note: It was approved]

The developers plan to build on roughly 50 acres surrounding the mansion, 856 Gembler Road, with shops and restaurants accessible from Interstate 10 — the kind of development the AT&T Center was supposed to trigger when it opened in 2002.





LOCATION
http://i.imgur.com/jgLxVVw.png (https://maps.google.com/maps?es_sm=122&q=red+berry+mansion&biw=1600&bih=809&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&ei=_-vtU6XaJYmAygSdm4K4BA&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAw)

Not the big news I was talking about.


BIG CHANGES COMING TO SEA WORLD SAN ANTONIO (http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/SeaWorld-whales-get-undewater-treadmills-5691285.php#photo-6730759)

https://origin.ih.constantcontact.com/fs108/1105866148868/img/668.gif


SeaWorld Orcas, get your sweatbands ready.

SeaWorld 's announcement Friday that it is renovating and revamping the environments for the killer whales at their three U.S. properties includes a "fast water current" for them to swim against, acting somewhat as a whale treadmill.

The company's Blue World Project, an initiative to increase engagement and interaction, would nearly double the size of the whale's current environment.

The environment, with 10 million gallons of water, will stand 50 feet deep on 1.5 acres of surface area. The renovations also include a 40-foot-high viewing gallery for guests to look under and around the whales.


NEW KILLER WHALE EXHIBIT
http://i.imgur.com/Kn3tEbm.jpg

WILL INCLUDE A 40-FOOT VIEWING GLASS WALL
http://i.imgur.com/snSHa7b.jpg

NEW SEA LION EXHIBIT
http://i.imgur.com/y7mrxcK.jpg

NEW DOLPHIN EXHIBIT WILL ALSO FEATURE VIEWING GLASS WALL
http://i.imgur.com/vyFVWQ4.jpg

It looks like San Antonio now has a good chance of landing The Raiders.

Henry Cisneros is taking lead on San Antonio's discussions with Raiders - San Antonio Business Journal (http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/blog/2014/08/san-antonio-raiders-will-work-cisneros-says.html?page=2)

I said it before, San Antonio can hold an NFL team. The potential is there, and for Jerry Jones not liking it, well he needs to fix The Cowboys instead of gloating about his so called "place" aka AT&T Stadium.

SAN PEDRO CREEK: SAN ANTONIO'S NEXT LINEAR PARK (http://www.therivardreport.com/san-pedro-creek-san-antonio-linear-park/)

http://therivardreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/san-pedro-creek-aerial-map-character-areas.jpg
San Pedro Creek project area map. Courtesy SARA.


More than 120 creative spirits and engaged citizens gathered Saturday morning to help design the $175 million redevelopment of San Pedro Creek through downtown San Antonio.

It was the first of many public workshops planned for the project, which will transform a long-ignored ditch (see video below) into a linear urban park while advancing flood mitigation, revitalizing ecology, and sparking cultural and economic development along its path.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdo4IXX5R8I


Armed with coffee and refreshments, “energized” is a good description of the conversations participants were having. The din of the design process often caused citizens to lean across tables to better hear ideas, concerns, and questions – a good problem to have at a public planning meeting, especially on a Saturday at 9 a.m..

Think of the Mission and Museum Reaches of the San Antonio River, but shorter and quite narrow in some sections. The two-mile stretch of San Pedro Creek is often crowded by commercial buildings, flanked by parking lots, and hidden from pedestrian and vehicle view. Project leaders expect to draw commercial and housing investments to the area, similar to investments now being made on the Mission and Museum Reaches.

“Although this project is downtown, it’s more about connecting the community. Connecting our Westside and our Southside to our downtown and vice versa,” Scott said of San Pedro Creek’s role in the larger Westside Creeks Restoration Project. “The city has invested more than $10 million in linear creekway connections.”


http://therivardreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/westside-creekway-projects-map.jpg


To tackle the complicated terrain of the project, the creek has been divided into six segments or “character areas.” Each area has unique features and urban landscape, so divvying up the design will help engineers and architects – HDR, Inc. and Muñoz & Company, respectively – incorporate assets and address challenges for each character area.

Each table at the meeting was assigned a character area. Citizens then moved to the table that most interested them. At the Canal Principal/Main Channel table, participants focused on how to restore the narrow, paved-over sections of the creek to a more natural state. One such section is flanked by hotels and residences with little to no access to the actual creek.

“We need to take this ditch and turn it into something for people,” said Tony Cantu of the San Antonio River Oversight Committee.

He and the other planners at the table emphasized the importance of creating a multi-modal pathway that restores the ecology of the area – a place for humans, water, and wildlife. Signage and pathways to and from the creek will be a crucial part of this section. But designers will have little to work with.


http://therivardreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/san-pedro-creek-2014-current-ditch_sara.jpg
A section of San Pedro Creek as it exists today. Photo courtesy of SARA.


“Maybe an elevated pathway, like High Line Park in New York?” proposed Nita Shaver. The table was excited about this idea.

“That’s a wonderful suggestion,” said Michael Guarino of Ford Powell & Carson Architects, facilitator of the table discussion.

Guarino was furiously taking down notes as the table occupants talked, laughed, and pointed out troublesome areas of the map. He was pleasantly surprised with the turnout and impressed with community feedback. His notes will be added to dozens more, notes on all the section maps will be analyzed – including the note about protecting turtles in the Canal Principal – and designers will come back in November to present the mashup of ideas to the public at another public workshop.


http://therivardreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/san-pedro-creek-artisitc-rendering_sara.jpg
An artist’s rendering of what San Pedro Creek could become. For visualization purposes only, this is not a design. Photo courtesy of SARA.


“The key will be making it an inviting, walkable place for people,” said Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff as he watched the workshop. “There’s a lot of congestion along the River Walk around the bend. This may alleviate that.”

Much of the design stage is scheduled to be completed by February. Scott said the goal is to schedule construction over two years, with completion by San Antonio’s 300th anniversary in 2018.

Bexar County has committed $125 million so far, Scott said. The unfunded remainder likely will be filled by various public and private investments from area businesses and downtown development initiatives. The “right-of-way” costs and complications of acquiring or using surrounding properties downtown will be one of the main hurdles.


http://blog.mysanantonio.com/downtown/files/2014/08/rsz_sanpedrocreekmap.jpg


“Private property rights are extremely important and we don’t want to assume anything at this point, so we’re going to continue to work with property owners,” she said, adding that SARA will seek property donations. “I think that many of them see that it could be financially beneficial – obviously the value of their land and the opportunities of their land could be enhanced (by the redevelopment) but also they’re concerned about parking and access – rightfully so. We need (business and property owners) at the table.”

The San Pedro project should benefit from the successful and well-received completion of the Museum and Mission Reaches of the San Antonio River. People now understand the benefits of bringing a moribund waterway back to life, both for aesthetic reasons and as an economic development initiative.

“We have a recent example of how public investment can spur economic development. It’s not a pipe dream or something that we don’t know about,” Scott said. “And if people appreciate their waterways more, they’re going to want to protect them. They’ll become more curious about storm water, trash, flora, fauna. It’s an opportunity to change the narrative about our creeks.”

A four story urban designed apartment complex, with a separate townhouse development, is planned for 840 E. Mulberry St. in Midtown.

HDRC is set to approve (https://sanantonio.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=3237268&GUID=BA3FB544-BA4C-447A-B36F-AC205C91992F) The Eight Forty development.


http://i.imgur.com/DW63CBI.png

602 ROOSEVELT AVENUE TOWNHOMES SET DEVELOPMENT SET TO BE APPROVED (https://sanantonio.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=3237251&GUID=8052AB21-90EE-49B0-9483-640BBD93D6A0)

It looks like The Park at Lone Star (http://www.theparkatlonestar.com/) is getting company in the form of eight 4-story townhomes in a new development called 602 Roosevelt Avenue Townhomes.

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

http://i.imgur.com/a0OxZub.png

http://i.imgur.com/t2K10PB.png

http://i.imgur.com/N2iT13X.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/TcyXY2K.png

For those unfamiliar, this development as well as The Park at Lone Star are both located in the area South of Southtown, also known as the portmanteau SoSo. I know, I'm not a fan of such gimmicky names either.


http://i.imgur.com/bv030LU.jpg

NEAR EAST SIDE TO LOSE HISTORIC BUILDING, GAIN LARGE SCALE MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT


Seems as though the is plan to demo all but three buildings of the historic Friedrich Building on the near east side to make way for hundreds of apartments, retail, office and possibly a hotel component. Developers plan to integrate the three buildings into a new mixed-used development. To be built in two phases with the second phase being towards the back and containing nearly 300 apartments in a five story building.


http://i.imgur.com/YlkLSS5.png

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

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

LOCATION
http://i.imgur.com/Et1d5fX.png

DESIGN SET TO BE APPROVED FOR FIRST TWO (NEW) STREETS PLANNED FOR HEMISFAIR REDEVELOPMENT (https://sanantonio.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=3237253&GUID=9402525D-C2B0-4086-A690-707EAD88115A)
WATER STREET AND EAST NUEVA STREET




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


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http://i.imgur.com/uJRcI59.png


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http://i.imgur.com/saVP4GN.png


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http://i.imgur.com/2Mih3OI.png

NEW RENDERINGS OF THE SCORPIONS' TOYOTA FIELD EXPANSION


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

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

http://i.imgur.com/OxBpHO0.jpg

NEW RENDERINGS OF THE SCORPIONS' TOYOTA FIELD EXPANSION


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

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

http://i.imgur.com/OxBpHO0.jpg

TopGolf construction on pace to open early 2015 in San Antonio

http://ww3.hdnux.com/photos/31/77/35/6813550/3/622x350.jpg

TopGolf construction on pace to open early 2015 in San Antonio - San Antonio Express-News (http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/Topgolf-construction-on-pace-to-open-early-2015-5733961.php#photo-6813550)

City Vista Progress

http://www.bexarwitness.com/wp-content/plugins/duable-trust-framework/resizer.php?src=http://www.bexarwitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/rendering.jpg&h=400&w=680&a=c

http://www.bexarwitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/photo-61-1024x764.jpg

UNDER CONSTRUCTION: City Vista |Bexar Witness (http://www.bexarwitness.com/under-construction-city-vista/#.VAoYdH1OloN)