SAN ANTONIO BOTANICAL GARDENS TO UNDERGO MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR EXPANSION (http://www.therivardreport.com/san-antonio-botanical-garden-set-grow/)

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


The San Antonio Botanical Garden, the city’s urban oasis where people are connected to the plant world, is making plans for a dramatic expansion that will increase the Mahncke Park destination to 38 acres.

The seven-acre expansion will give the Botanical Garden even more green space, and a new main entrance and welcome center. A 2.5-acre Family Adventure Garden will include an acequia, and other water learning features for children. Nearby classrooms will be used for community and school programs. An outdoor events pavilion will include a professional kitchen and culinary garden.

“These Funston properties were acquired by the non-profit San Antonio Botanical Garden Society over the past 20 years and deeded to the City for future growth of the Garden.” said Bob Brackman, the Botanical Garden’s executive director. “The City’s 2012 bond appropriated $1.2 million toward the project. Right now we are still in the ‘quiet phase’ of fundraising. The capital campaign is focusing on foundations and private donors, and meeting goals to initiate the first phase of the project.”


http://i.imgur.com/dic5Z9l.jpg
RENDERING OF THE SAN ANTONIO BOTANICAL GARDEN'S FUTURE ENTRANCE



The San Antonio Botanical Garden, the city’s urban oasis where people are connected to the plant world, is making plans for a dramatic expansion that will increase the Mahncke Park destination to 38 acres.

The seven-acre expansion will give the Botanical Garden even more green space, and a new main entrance and welcome center. A 2.5-acre Family Adventure Garden will include an acequia, and other water learning features for children. Nearby classrooms will be used for community and school programs. An outdoor events pavilion will include a professional kitchen and culinary garden.

“These Funston properties were acquired by the non-profit San Antonio Botanical Garden Society over the past 20 years and deeded to the City for future growth of the Garden.” said Bob Brackman, the Botanical Garden’s executive director. “The City’s 2012 bond appropriated $1.2 million toward the project. Right now we are still in the ‘quiet phase’ of fundraising. The capital campaign is focusing on foundations and private donors, and meeting goals to initiate the first phase of the project.”


http://i.imgur.com/MMb11m6.jpg
RENDERING OF THE COURTYARD EXPANSION OF THE SAN ANTONIO BOTANICAL GARDEN



Finding seven available acres in the urban core would not be possible in most cities the size of San Antonio, but Funston Place ends in an empty block with no residences or street activity with Fort Sam Houston bordering it. The expanded Botanical Garden will become one more public amenity located on or near the Broadway Corridor. Patrons and visitors will enter the grounds on Funston, while the existing entrances will be integrated into the landscape.

Brackman didn’t put a price tag on the planned expansion, but a formidable professional team has been assembled, led by Christy Ten Eyck of Ten Eyck Landscape Architects, with offices in Austin and Phoenix. Ten Eyck’s portfolio of work includes the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. Here in San Antonio, the firm is working on the six-acres of grounds at the Do-Seum on Broadway across from Brackenridge Park, which is slated to open this summer, and on the green space that will front the Emma Hotel at the Pearl, also slated to open later this year.

“We are so excited about our work at the Garden, there’s going to be a beautiful entrance welcoming visitors, and there will be amazing ways to connect urban kids with the aquifer and nature,” said Ten Eyck. “The Family Adventure experience will allow kids to really frolic and play, but at the same time they’ll be learning the story of water and the South Texas landscape.


http://i.imgur.com/z02xGu3.jpg
RENDERING OF THE SAN ANTONIO BOTANICAL GARDEN'S FUTURE WELCOME CENTER VIEW



It’s a remarkable assembly of experience and talent. Brackman said a groundbreaking date will be announced soon. In the meantime, the Botanical Garden offers a very different South Texas winter experience for those who have visited only during warmer months.

“Our hilltop setting offers dramatic vistas, with views to downtown and west toward the Hill Country because the trees have shed their leaves,” Brackman said. “Now is the time to enjoy the details of the Garden – a handsome succulent garden at the entrance, sleeping bluebonnets getting ready for spring bloom, plants that thrive in cold and drought conditions, and the fallow beds of the children’s vegetable garden waiting for February planting.”

On chilly days, of course, there is always the Lucile Halsell Conservatory, which offers five glasshouses filled with exotic plants from around the world. The Kleberg Desert Pavilion features succulent plants from Mexico and South Africa. And the 65-foot Palm and Cycad Pavilion offers bi-level views of the Conservatory’s architecture.

Like many of San Antonio’s unique places, the Botanical Garden is built on the site of a former limestone quarry. It opened in 1980, but its roots date back to the 19th century. Your can read about the area history here. It also happens to be one of the most affordable destinations for families with children, couples, and seniors.



LOCATION
http://i.imgur.com/IhyDo4Y.png

http://i.imgur.com/NgW4E5s.png

This is the same community that I mentioned a few days ago as being the site of the new Santikos theater (http://i.imgur.com/fGqJYe5.jpg). It is also home to San Antonio's first In-N-Out burger (http://i.imgur.com/D4iVYwG.jpg), which opened in November.


ALAMO RANCH AMONG TOP-SELLING MASTER PLANNED COMMUNITIES IN THE U.S. (http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/blog/morning-edition/2015/01/alamo-ranch-among-top-selling-masterplanned.html)

ALAMO RANCH RANKED SIXTH IN THE NATION

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



ALAMO RANCH TIMELAPSE (2005-2014)
http://i.imgur.com/Wt2xDaR.gif


LOCATION
http://i.imgur.com/cVJf3bD.pngLooks like there are even plans for a significant expansion as well.

Looks like there are even plans for a significant expansion as well.

Oh yeah, it's an ever evolving master planned community that has only developed about 60-ish percent of its land in the 9 years since it broke ground. More towards the center, an HEB anchored shopping center is planned. Plus tons more housing and apartments.

Here's a map with the Alamo Ranch master plan outline.


http://i.imgur.com/O0mKrbt.jpg

On the map is a few highlights. The Santikos theatre. The In-n-Out. The HEB, Valero Corner Store, CVS all under construction. Plus two small shopping centers (1 (http://i.imgur.com/kWx1Xdr.jpg) and 2 (http://i.imgur.com/rcTlmAA.png)) under construction.

Yeah, I'm almost positive you posted it. I think it was numerous projects you had in one post and it was at the bottom of the list. I can't remember the name, but I think the street was outside of downtown area(sure that narrows it down for you ;P) and it had a FlatIron type building in one of the pictures.

Were these the renderings you were talking about? No flatiron building though.


GIF images of the before and after of the future 281 expansion which will begin construction sometime next year.



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).

Oh yeah, it's an ever evolving master planned community that has only developed about 60-ish percent of its land in the 9 years since it broke ground. More towards the center, an HEB anchored shopping center is planned. Plus tons more housing and apartments.

Here's a map with the Alamo Ranch master plan outline.


http://i.imgur.com/O0mKrbt.jpg

On the map is a few highlights. The Santikos theatre. The In-n-Out. The HEB, Valero Corner Store, CVS all under construction. Plus two small shopping centers 1 (http://i.imgur.com/kWx1Xdr.jpg) and 2 (http://i.imgur.com/rcTlmAA.png) under construction.It also seems they are going to expand that highway and run it through the development... is that the case?

Were these the renderings you were talking about? No flatiron building though.
No, it's not. I'll try and find it right now. I do love that highway project though! Keep us updated on that if you can. That is excellent quality highway engineering and unlike anything ODOT is capable of building. :/

Found it!!



One of my favorite pictures of San Antonio.

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

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

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

Also: All the streets shown as well as off camera in that area are under heavy construction at the moment as wider sidewalks are being added, utilities being buried as well as other improvements such as bike lanes and medians being added. This is all part of the Broadway/Hildebrand project (http://www.sanantonio.gov/dotGov/feb2013/broadway.aspx). I love this. For a massive city like San Antonio, this will probably go unnoticed, but here in OKC, this would be all over the news. I really wish they would do this more.


BTW, I'm moving to L.A. in May most likely and I'm going to detour down to San Antonio. SA actually looks to be much more impressive than Austin was and I am very excited to visit the city in a few months!

Here's a couple of other really cool things I found:

Hausman (http://www.sanantonio.gov/TCI/Projects/Hausman.aspx)

Blanco Rd. Project | by The City of San Antonio (http://blancordproject.com/)

South Alamo (http://www.sanantonio.gov/TCI/Projects/SouthAlamo.aspx)

Hausman (http://www.sanantonio.gov/TCI/Projects/Hausman.aspx)

and then there is this:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVj-3l2p1G4

WOW!!!!!!! That is crazy

so now it seems they are ensuring this never happens again: Barbara Drive Drainage (http://www.sanantonio.gov/TCI/Projects/BarbaraDriveDrainage.aspx#13853918-project-details)

It also seems they are going to expand that highway and run it through the development... is that the case?

Yes. Eventually, Alamo Ranch Parkway will become the access/frontage roads for 151 as it's extended westward over 1604 towards 211. Work is currently under construction on that.

Here's a couple of other really cool things I found:

Hausman (http://www.sanantonio.gov/TCI/Projects/Hausman.aspx)

Blanco Rd. Project | by The City of San Antonio (http://blancordproject.com/)

South Alamo (http://www.sanantonio.gov/TCI/Projects/SouthAlamo.aspx)

Hausman (http://www.sanantonio.gov/TCI/Projects/Hausman.aspx)

Here is a rendering of some of the Hausman project.


http://www.sundt.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/HausmanRd_atLeonCreek.jpg

A local saying here is that San Antonio is always under construction as there always seems to be large highway and street construction going on somewhere in the city. Construction never seeems to stop.

The image below should give you a bit of an idea.


http://i.imgur.com/fb4vX7T.gif


The areas in orange are freeways that currently have some type of construction going on. From lane expansion to entrance/exit lane realignment as well as completion of a freeway as is the case with Wurzbach Parkway (http://bexarwitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/blogger-image-17635032621.jpg), 3 and 4 on the map.

Here's a picture (http://www.ksat.com/content/dam/pns/ksat/news/2014/04/25/wurzbach-parkway-makes-major-progress.jpg) of how the completed section looks.

The blue is future construction on those freeways. Mainly additions of lanes or toll crossroads as well as stacked interchanges.

That's just freeway construction. Aye Yai Yai!

Duplicate post

Found it!!

I love this. For a massive city like San Antonio, this will probably go unnoticed, but here in OKC, this would be all over the news. I really wish they would do this more.


BTW, I'm moving to L.A. in May most likely and I'm going to detour down to San Antonio. SA actually looks to be much more impressive than Austin was and I am very excited to visit the city in a few months!

Congrats on the move to LA. That place, that place is truly massive.

But when you get to SA, I'd love to show you around if you have the time.

I can show you some of the urban areas as well as some of the neighborhoods in the suburbs. Just let me know when you'll be in town.

Congrats on the move to LA. That place, that place is truly massive. Thanks! I'm moving there to pursue a passion for acting. Very excited about it.


But when you get to SA, I'd love to show you around if you have the time.

I can show you some of the urban areas as well as some of the neighborhoods in the suburbs. Just let me know when you'll be in town.You know, I might just have to take you up on that offer. I was thinking of spending a couple hours in Houston, but I might just skip Houston entirely and spend a day in San Antonio rather than a couple hours. I'm here to save up more money while working for my father, but I plan to leave here on May 21st.

Here is a rendering of some of the Hausman project.


http://www.sundt.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/HausmanRd_atLeonCreek.jpg

A local saying here is that San Antonio is always under construction as there always seems to be large highway and street construction going on somewhere in the city. Construction never seeems to stop.

The image below should give you a bit of an idea.


http://i.imgur.com/fb4vX7T.gif


The areas in orange are freeways that currently have some type of construction going on. From lane expansion to entrance/exit lane realignment as well as completion of a freeway as is the case with Wurzbach Parkway (http://bexarwitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/blogger-image-17635032621.jpg), 3 and 4 on the map.

Here's a picture (http://www.ksat.com/content/dam/pns/ksat/news/2014/04/25/wurzbach-parkway-makes-major-progress.jpg) of how the completed section looks.

The blue is future construction on those freeways. Mainly additions of lanes or toll crossroads as well as stacked interchanges.

That's just freeway construction. Aye Yai Yai!

Toll roads not till crossroads! lol

DAVID WEEKLEY TOWNHOME DEVELOPMENT PLANNED FOR TOBIN HILL

http://i.imgur.com/7X3NVWf.jpg

Home builder David Weekley plans to build five urban townhomes on a small parcel of land in the Tobin Hill neighborhood called St. Mary's Place. This is one of two urban townhome developments planned by David Weekley, The other being Brackenridge Court in the Lower Broadway district.

St. Mary's Place will actually be across the street from a larger townhome development I posted about before, SOJO Crossing (http://www.okctalk.com/other-communities/35797-san-antonio-%7C-deep-heart-16.html#post847874).


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

Toll roads not till crossroads! lolGlad to see TxDOT put some money into that. Perhaps I'm off on this, but I've felt like TxDOT has neglected San Antonio and Austin and pretty much any city that isn't the DFW Metro or Houston. Is that the case? It just seems like they unfairly put waaaaay more effort than they should and left some of the other cities in the cold. Not sure if that is the case, but I've felt that way for some reason.

Glad to see TxDOT put some money into that. Perhaps I'm off on this, but I've felt like TxDOT has neglected San Antonio and Austin and pretty much any city that isn't the DFW Metro or Houston. Is that the case? It just seems like they unfairly put waaaaay more effort than they should and left some of the other cities in the cold. Not sure if that is the case, but I've felt that way for some reason.

That's a true assessment. DFW and Houston certainly get the two biggest slices.

But with regards to these toll roads, construction on them should have begun in 2006 but because of anti toll road groups filing lawsuit after lawsuit and causing environmental study after environmental study, funding dried up and only until recently did txdot find money to do the tolls.

H-E-B TO OPEN FIRST TWO STORY STORE IN TEXAS ON FRIDAY IN SAN ANTONIO (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/sashoptalk/2015/01/h-e-b-debuts-its-first-two-story-market-in-texas/)NEW TWO STORY H-E-B REPLACES OLDEST H-E-B IN TEXAS

http://i.imgur.com/AnAN0Ib.jpg


The new H-E-B store at 1601 Nogalitos St. will carry five times more craft beer than previously offered, 300 different wine labels, expanded produce and deli sections and a “travelator.”

As H-E-B’s first multilevel market in Texas, the Nogalitos store connects parking on the ground floor with shopping on the second via a slightly inclined escalator that uses a magnetic strip to lock specialized shopping carts in place. The locally based grocer tested the so-called travelators with a group of community residents Tuesday, in advance of the store’s grand re-opening Friday.


http://i.imgur.com/dZgXux6.jpg


The two-story market replaces H-E-B’s oldest operating store, which the San Antonio-based grocery chain closed and demolished last year. Construction crews retained part of the iconic facade and used it to surround a small courtyard in front of the new store.

H-E-B already operates several multilevel locations in northern Mexico and chose the format for the Nogalitos store because of the dense residential area surrounding it, said Unit Director Claudia Ornelas.

She oversaw the hiring of about 80 additional employees to staff the new store, which nearly tripled in size from its original footprint and now includes nearly three times the amount of grocery and general merchandise items, Ornelas said.


LOCATION
http://i.imgur.com/8YHNAVr.png

Some pictures I found online. Enjoy.


EAST DOWNTOWN SAN ANTONIO
http://i.imgur.com/UUE7uwg.jpg
Taken from the River North neighborhood


TOBIN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
http://i.imgur.com/pntsj68.jpg
Off the banks of the San Antonio River in the Museum Reach section of the Riverwalk


STONE OAK
http://i.imgur.com/ZBjphiV.jpg
Peaceful suburbia

An 18 story hotel is being proposed for downtown San Antonio.


THE HOTEL │ 18 FLOORS │ PROPOSED

http://i.imgur.com/AQUkrIl.png (http://i.imgur.com/PFoqkEc.png)

http://i.imgur.com/Vyq0PMA.png (http://i.imgur.com/Q8CYPF1.png)

http://i.imgur.com/pSZHGOj.png (http://i.imgur.com/b1psvZi.png)

http://i.imgur.com/kRhv7Sa.png (http://i.imgur.com/wjae9Yj.png)

http://i.imgur.com/lXK7zOQ.png (http://i.imgur.com/XKRbowd.png)

http://i.imgur.com/x3ReZYb.png (http://i.imgur.com/BEGmZn4.png)

http://i.imgur.com/Q8uZ1D7.png (http://i.imgur.com/ttugJmI.png)

http://i.imgur.com/dDxIMfN.png (http://i.imgur.com/6Bj0aTx.jpg)

http://i.imgur.com/d2Sd0ul.png (http://i.imgur.com/l6EhRb6.png)

http://i.imgur.com/0b6kQlR.png (http://i.imgur.com/cf5B1ft.jpg)

LOCATION
http://i.imgur.com/8TciTBT.png

http://i.imgur.com/AvT9sK3.png

Just updating the Southtown Flats development with construction pictures I took today.

SOUTHTOWN LOFTS │ 5 FLOORS │ 230-UNITS │ UNDER CONSTRUCTION

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


CONSTRUCTION PICTURES

http://i.imgur.com/4NAVmm8.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/Kl1Mb1b.jpg)

http://i.imgur.com/AAKSdr9.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/EsI3Sda.jpg)

http://i.imgur.com/jZbMj5C.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/PzfutoJ.jpg)

http://i.imgur.com/texMtSj.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/kj2VERk.jpg)

http://i.imgur.com/7SJWbj3.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/bkRPfqr.jpg)

http://i.imgur.com/RgQhrel.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/S3xkvTA.jpg)

http://i.imgur.com/S9vh461.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/eYSyTLE.jpg)

LOCATION
http://i.imgur.com/vo0cntt.png (http://i.imgur.com/vSyis8Q.jpg)

What are some of y'alls opinions on the design of the proposed hotel?


An 18 story hotel is being proposed for downtown San Antonio.


THE HOTEL │ 18 FLOORS │ PROPOSED

http://i.imgur.com/AQUkrIl.png (http://i.imgur.com/PFoqkEc.png)

http://i.imgur.com/Vyq0PMA.png (http://i.imgur.com/Q8CYPF1.png)

http://i.imgur.com/pSZHGOj.png (http://i.imgur.com/b1psvZi.png)

http://i.imgur.com/kRhv7Sa.png (http://i.imgur.com/wjae9Yj.png)

http://i.imgur.com/lXK7zOQ.png (http://i.imgur.com/XKRbowd.png)

http://i.imgur.com/x3ReZYb.png (http://i.imgur.com/BEGmZn4.png)

http://i.imgur.com/Q8uZ1D7.png (http://i.imgur.com/ttugJmI.png)

http://i.imgur.com/dDxIMfN.png (http://i.imgur.com/6Bj0aTx.jpg)

http://i.imgur.com/d2Sd0ul.png (http://i.imgur.com/l6EhRb6.png)

http://i.imgur.com/0b6kQlR.png (http://i.imgur.com/cf5B1ft.jpg)

LOCATION
http://i.imgur.com/8TciTBT.png

I really like it. I wish developers along our canal would build ambitious developments such as this. I don't know why good canal interaction is such a foreign concept here. SA's canal looks beautiful and I can't wait to visit it in May!

_________________________________________

MARGARITAVILLE AT RIVERCENTER OPENING IN SPRING 2015


http://www.margaritavillesanantonio.com/templates/default/images/splash/banner.png

It is now confirmed that Margaritaville will open a location in Rivercenter Mall on the west side of the lagoon across from Fogo de Chao.

There is an official website (http://www.margaritavillesanantonio.com/) and job postings (http://ilovemyjob.iapplicants.com/searchjobs.php) for the new downtown restaurant.

please delete

DOWNTOWN NEWS

DOWNTOWN CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL GOES THROUGH MULTI-COLOR TRANSFORMATION (http://www.expressnews.com/entertainment/arts-culture/visual-arts/article/Santa-Rosa-making-transformation-to-children-s-6015164.php#/3)


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


Taking its color cues — purples, oranges and blues — from the adjacent nine-story “Spirit of Healing” mural by Jesse Treviño, the facade of Santa Rosa Hospital cheerfully is being transformed to better reflect its newest mission: the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio.

Colorful channel glass panels are being hoisted into place on the hospital’s south side facing Milam Park and El Mercado. Roughly 11 feet by 3 feet, there will be 300 of them when all is said and done.

Backed with LED lighting, at night they will glow like Christmas lights. During the day, the visually dynamic custom cast panels — lightweight to span large distances yet strong, durable and wind-resistant — mark the building as a special place.


http://i.imgur.com/IG95vPk.png


Inside the historic hospital, which was founded in 1869 by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, the liberal use of bright color continues. Whole floors follow bright color schemes ranging from Creamsicle orange to robin’s egg blue to lime green. Several floors are receiving young patients even as construction continues.

In April 2012, Christus Santa Rosa Health System announced its intention to turn its downtown campus into a children’s hospital. Its partners include the Baylor College of Medicine, which recruits and oversees physicians, and Texas Children’s Hospital, which provides consulting and clinical expertise.

Construction of the $135-million, 800,000-square-foot transformation, which encompasses expansion and renovation, began in 2013 and should be completed by the end of 2016, according to Bartlett Cocke General Contractors.

delete please

I made the gif below when the massing rendering came out for the new Frost HQ. I messed with it and added THE HOTEL 18-story development (blue building) to show its potential affect on the skyline.

This the skyline looking east from the UTSA campus. That is IH10 running north and south.


http://i.imgur.com/90MSB8H.gif
DISCLAIMER: THAT IS NOT THE EXACT PLACEMENT OF THE BUILDINGS IN THE SKYLINE BUT A CLOSE ENOUGH GUESS ON MY PART.

That and with the on going renovation at the downtown Children’s Hospital, San Antonio will have an awesome skyline.

And the new CPS HQ Tower, the Weston residential towers planned near the new Frost tower and Geekdom, the proposed Hemisfair towers and a rumored second Convention Center hotel across from the GH convention center hotel, plus some other exciting stuff I'm hearing about.

The future is very bright for the downtown skyline.

http://i.imgur.com/3FJjyF8.png

JASON DADY TO OPEN RESTAURANT NEAR THE PEARL IN LOBRO (http://blog.mysanantonio.com/food/2015/01/jason-dady-to-open-restaurant-near-the-pearl/)

http://i.imgur.com/tR2AGqD.jpg?1


Jason Dady Restaurant Group is slated to open a seafood spot called the Shuck Shack near The Pearl sometime this spring.

Menu items will include fish and chips, clam chowder, lobster rolls and raw and baked oysters. The bar will have a nice lineup of craft beer and wine plus there will be an outdoor play area for kids.

Shuck Shack will be located at 520 E. Grayson St.



SITE

http://i.imgur.com/zKMha65.png?1
http://i.imgur.com/Il2YFSh.jpg?1

LOCATION
http://i.imgur.com/td7T74C.png

http://i.imgur.com/3FJjyF8.png

PRELIMINARY DESIGN PLANS REVEALED FOR NEW SOUTHTOWN RESTAURANT


http://i.imgur.com/KvHoBzQ.jpg
ANDREW GOODMAN


Andrew Goodman, owner of popular Southtown eatery Feast (http://www.feastsa.com/), bought Fire Station No. 7 in Southtown last year with plans to convert it into an upscale Italian restaurant.

Preliminary design plans head to the HDRC this week and will get approval.

Plans call for three levels of dining. A first floor, second floor and rooftop. There will also be a wine cellar in the basement.

An interesting aspect of the transformation will be the installation of an elevator.

FIRST FLOOR (http://i.imgur.com/ODNm2d0.png) │ SECOND FLOOR (http://i.imgur.com/wbAj63B.png) │ ROOFTOP (http://i.imgur.com/4GYyb8A.png)

http://i.imgur.com/jlCGjaA.png
http://i.imgur.com/cWeLW2p.png

http://i.imgur.com/dTMslxb.png
http://i.imgur.com/cYLqddL.png

http://i.imgur.com/BweB2Ig.png
http://i.imgur.com/Zy7wCtZ.png

LOCATION
http://i.imgur.com/9sCgcmB.png

B-CYCLE BIKE SHARE EXPANDS TO UTSA MAIN CAMPUS ON FAR NORTHWEST SIDE (http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/B-cycle-expands-to-UTSA-s-main-campus-6028159.php#photo-6238370)

http://ww3.hdnux.com/photos/27/63/02/6238370/3/622x350.jpg


Students and staff trying to get around the main campus of University of Texas at San Antonio will have a new option starting this week: B-cycle.

The bike-share nonprofit has installed two stations with a total of 22 bicycles at the campus for a five-month pilot program. UTSA students, faculty and staff can buy a $25 pass for access to the bikes for the pilot.

B-cycle has 55 stations, but until now, only one — the station at Mission Espada — has been located outside of Loop 410. It has plans for more than 20 added stations this year and intends to introduce a lighter model of bike.

The hope is that the pilot program at UTSA will make the campus more livable and accessible, said District 8 Councilman Ron Nirenberg, who helped get it off the ground.

“By doing more cycling than driving, I hope students will take advantage of the opportunity to save money, burn some calories and enjoy the beautiful UTSA campus,” Nirenberg said in a statement.

One of the stations is located near the Alvarez Residence Hall, while the other is near the Biosciences Building.

If the semester-long pilot is deemed successful, the two stations will likely become permanent and B-cycle may add more stations at the campus.


http://i.imgur.com/MxX6gHR.png

http://i.imgur.com/L3KnakV.png

Demo and design were just approved by the HDRC. Construction is a go.


An 18 story hotel is being proposed for downtown San Antonio.


THE HOTEL │ 18 FLOORS │ PROPOSED

http://i.imgur.com/AQUkrIl.png (http://i.imgur.com/PFoqkEc.png)

http://i.imgur.com/Vyq0PMA.png (http://i.imgur.com/Q8CYPF1.png)

http://i.imgur.com/pSZHGOj.png (http://i.imgur.com/b1psvZi.png)

http://i.imgur.com/kRhv7Sa.png (http://i.imgur.com/wjae9Yj.png)

http://i.imgur.com/lXK7zOQ.png (http://i.imgur.com/XKRbowd.png)

http://i.imgur.com/x3ReZYb.png (http://i.imgur.com/BEGmZn4.png)

http://i.imgur.com/Q8uZ1D7.png (http://i.imgur.com/ttugJmI.png)

http://i.imgur.com/dDxIMfN.png (http://i.imgur.com/6Bj0aTx.jpg)

http://i.imgur.com/d2Sd0ul.png (http://i.imgur.com/l6EhRb6.png)

http://i.imgur.com/0b6kQlR.png (http://i.imgur.com/cf5B1ft.jpg)

LOCATION
http://i.imgur.com/8TciTBT.png

PAX SOUTH IS THIS WEEKEND

http://i.imgur.com/tDLMiYw.jpg?1


Huge gaming event debuts in San Antonio this weekend. This is a game changer in a lot of ways, especally for the local gaming industry and community.

Resources:


10 MUST SEE PAX SOUTH PANELS (http://www.sacurrent.com/Blogs/archives/2015/01/21/10-must-see-pax-south-panels-this-weekend) [CURRENT]

PAX SOUTH WALK THROUGH (http://www.expressnews.com/lifestyle/article/Here-s-a-walk-through-for-big-gaming-convention-6027691.php#/0) [EXPRESS-NEWS]

I really like it. I wish developers along our canal would build ambitious developments such as this. I don't know why good canal interaction is such a foreign concept here. SA's canal looks beautiful and I can't wait to visit it in May!

Appreciate the kind words. You'll really enjoy your visit.

Be forewarned, no one here calls it a canal. lol

AIR FORCE HEADQUARTERS TO BRING 350 JOBS TO SAN ANTONIO (http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/Air-Force-headquarters-to-bring-350-jobs-to-S-A-6031170.php)

http://i.imgur.com/h696kAq.png


San Antonio has been selected as the home of a new facility that will bring around 350 military and civilian jobs here by fall, the Air Force said Wednesday.

The Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center will manage logistical functions for the service’s 11 major commands worldwide from Port San Antonio’s Building 171 on Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.

The city always had an edge over three other communities competing to host the organization, which is similar to the U.S. Army Installation Management Command on Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, because many of its workers already are here.

“Following site surveys at the four candidate locations, we ultimately selected (San Antonio) because almost 50 percent of (the center’s) subordinate unit personnel currently reside at the installation,” said Timothy Bridges, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations. “In fact, two of (the center’s) primary subordinate units will share the same building with the headquarters.”


LOCATION
http://i.imgur.com/LdQdU2O.png

HIGH-END GROCERY STORE PLANNED FOR FAR NORTHWEST SIDE


http://i.imgur.com/ALkfaUS.png (http://i.imgur.com/5SgtLoB.png)
CLICK IMAGE FOR LARGER SIZE

The above site plan image was taken from a sale package on the Reata Real Estate site. I looked into it, and it seems the grocery store going into this site is the one that requires a "whole" paycheck, as the joke goes.

The new grocery store will be part of a small retail center planned for I10 and Camp Bullis Road, which is directly north of Nustar's HQ (http://imgur.com/7OOMVM1) and The Rim. If you've driven by there, it's next to Wangchao that is currently being built. There also seems to be a residential development planned for the other side of the new street.



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

http://i.imgur.com/ZAi419N.png

Construction is nearing completion on the River House residential development in the River North neighborhood.


http://i.imgur.com/chxdBBT.jpg
Credit: WorldTexas

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

Cool picture of Eilan.


http://i.imgur.com/BrrfTN0.jpg

LOCATION
http://i.imgur.com/qzpJed4.png

Some pictures I've collected from the internet. These were all taken within the last two months. Enjoy!




TYPICAL WINTER SUNSET
http://i.imgur.com/S5oT8H8.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/oSGwl7n.jpg)

IT'S A CONCRETE JUNGLE OUT THERE
http://i.imgur.com/UMnzyqw.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/rhA7ElG.jpg)

DOWNTOWN LOOKING OUT
http://i.imgur.com/SR0TGnE.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/oTIba0I.jpg)
THIS HOTEL (http://i.imgur.com/SgKxyRp.jpg) IS PROPOSED FOR THE LOWER LEFT PARKING LOT


BEXAR COUNTY COURTHOUSE
http://i.imgur.com/dyoyjKn.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/2TcI9rR.jpg)


LIGHTS IN THE PARK
http://i.imgur.com/fuieCGx.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/Mf4fsrf.jpg)


SOUTHTOWN COMMUTING
http://i.imgur.com/IK6uGUD.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/2tlArZk.jpg)


RIVERWALK PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE IN SOUTHTOWN
http://i.imgur.com/obAQCeG.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/03C2fyc.jpg)


FALL COLORS IN SOUTHTOWN
http://i.imgur.com/5ZejQdi.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/vAfwxNW.jpg)


RIVERWALKING IN KING WILLIAM
http://i.imgur.com/oRra2EO.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/YpSVcox.jpg)


MUSEUM REACH IN THE PEARL DISTRICT
http://i.imgur.com/DcG4BFP.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/D6ZhzfH.jpg)


SUBURBAN HUSTLE AND BUSTLE
http://i.imgur.com/zQInJL3.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/1YNo3Yq.jpg)


THE "MIGHTY HILL" IN STONE OAK
http://i.imgur.com/6r1a1jQ.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/I6Bnlww.jpg)


FAR NORTH SIDE LIVING
http://i.imgur.com/B4e549R.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/3xRkqoW.jpg)


TOP OF THE HILL LIVING
http://i.imgur.com/3p8HLOz.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/Uk749ui.jpg)


FREEWAY FLYOVER
http://i.imgur.com/YBfvw88.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/piUQijl.jpg)

URBAN TOWN HOMES COMING TO TOBIN HILL NEIGHBORHOOD IN MIDTOWN (http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/news/2015/01/23/terramark-urban-homes-to-build-third-townhome.html)

http://i.imgur.com/5wyMMpI.jpg


Terramark Urban Homes executives have eyed the Tobin Hill neighborhood once again to build townhomes, due to the popularity of the River Walk, Pearl Brewery and new development up and down Broadway Street.

Terramark Urban Homes will build 12 multilevel single-family homes at 225 W. Laurel, just south of San Antonio College. The developer bought the 0.4 acre property in 2012.

The developer already has two other projects right by the campus, including Uptown Modern and Ogden Modern.

The developer's newest project will be called City View Modern, with each house being roughly 1,470 square feet. The homes will be three stories high, with the ground floor for the garage, living space on the second floor and bedrooms on the top floor.

Charlie Turner, CEO of Terramark Urban Homes, said the homes are meant for buyers who want to live near downtown but still want a place of their own. The developer's investment in San Antonio's urban core also gives variety to the local housing market, as the downtown area already has a lot of for-rent apartments.

Terramark Urban Homes has built many townhomes in San Antonio's urban core. The developer also built Cherry Street Modern on the East Side, and Westfort Villas, which is near Broadway Street — among other projects.

City View Modern homes will range between $262,900 to $267,900. The homes are expected to be on the market by May.


http://i.imgur.com/hfcDAMp.jpg
GROUND BROKE ON CITY VIEW MODERN THIS MONTH

LOCATION
http://i.imgur.com/4oIqeOc.png

Pretty awesome Express-News column discussing development along the Museum Reach of the Riverwalk in both the River North and The Pearl neighborhoods just north of downtown.


BOOMING MUSEUM REACH DEVELOPMENT REPLACING BLIGHT (http://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Booming-river-development-replacing-blight-6038196.php?cmpid=enpromo#/4)

http://i.imgur.com/S8LZYkM.jpg?1
RENDERING: RIVER HOUSE DEVELOPMENT CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION




By Benjamin Olivo

Newlyweds Marcus Leming and Lena Carpenter recently sidled up to the bar for after-work pints at GS 1221, an upscale beer bar on Broadway. The 30-something couple love the convenience. They live at 1221 Broadway — industrial-style apartments with retail space that includes the bar.

They also live a block from the Museum Reach — a 1.3-mile stretch of the San Antonio River between Lexington Avenue and Josephine Street — where Carpenter jogs regularly.

A few years ago, this stretch of the river was nothing more than a bleak trash-strewn ditch lined with old industrial buildings and gravel lots. In the mid-2000s, $72 million in public money was pumped into this segment of the river. It was transformed into a linear park of landscaped paths and public art, creating a more pleasant urban environment that city leaders hoped would spark construction of apartments and condos, coffee shops and bars — a River Walk for locals.

It took a couple of years after the Museum Reach’s completion in 2009, but development started to bud. Since 2011, nearly 1,000 residential units — mostly apartments — have sprung up in the area. Another 737 units are under construction and likely will be occupied by year’s end.

The total value so far: $254 million in private investment, with an assist of about $25 million in incentives.

“When you talk urban revitalization, this is what it is, and I think to do it so quickly (in this area) speaks a lot,” Carpenter said. “Obviously there is a big appetite for it.”

There's potential for even more development.

Twenty acres of vacant or semi-vacant land in the Museum Reach area is owned by developers with a history of building in the area, including big-hitters James Lifshutz and David Adelman. The area also has drawn interest from outside the city — Austin, Dallas, Indianapolis and Boston.

“I don’t even know who they are,” said Katie Luber, director of the San Antonio Museum of Art, which owns 7 acres of mostly vacant land along the stretch. “Realtors call and say 'I have a developer … I have a national developer who wants to come to San Antonio.’”

But as the area continues to blossom, some critics say the infrastructure isn’t keeping pace — the $72 million in river upgrades was a nice start, but what about streets and sidewalks?

Others, meanwhile, warn that the area is developing into a neighborhood accessible only by the upper class.

Most rents are as high as $2 a square foot (the downtown average is about $1.50) — yet occupancy rates hover in the mid-90 percent, indicating a strong demand for the booming area. City officials and developers say they want more diversity in housing, but there’s no signal yet that shows lower rents are coming from the private sector.


http://i.imgur.com/Depy0ID.jpg?1
CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES AT THE RIVERA, A 300-UNIT APARTMENT PROJECT AT
THE 1100 BLOCK OF BROADWAY NEAR THE MUSEUM REACH OF THE SAN ANTONIO
RIVER WALK.




Blossoming neighborhood

Around the time the Museum Reach was completed in May 2009, this stretch of the river included some residents, but not many. A condo here, a motel there. At the Pearl, still in its inchoate state, about 20 residential units existed.

A ghost town of concrete slabs — a multifamily project started in 2003 by developer George Geis, but abandoned because of legal troubles — stood ruinous for five years on Broadway just south of Interstate 35. Developer Ed Cross took ownership of the eyesore in 2006 and, along with Adelman, later fleshed out the lattice with 307 apartments. The area’s first big development piece, 1221 Broadway opened in 2011.

Soon after, the Pearl started to take off, eventually adding another 300 units in 2012 along with a flurry of restaurants and shops. Along the river and Broadway came more apartments, a hotel, an office building, and the recycling of an old warehouse into office and restaurant space.

The ditch and dealership row started to look like a neighborhood.

Behind the scenes, the deal-making continues for even more apartments. Word has spread beyond the Texas border about the area’s fertility.

“There is momentum and people seem to like the area,” said Steve Bodner, president of SCB Bodner Co. Inc. of Indianapolis, which is close to purchasing property along the reach. “Pearl looks to be a great developer and (it is) creating some excitement in the community, far and wide.”

In the middle of the reach, Bodner, a third-generation developer, is close to signing a deal for a 1.7-acre riverside parcel once home to the Turner bowling alley. He wants to build 200 apartments there.

“We’re statistically motivated in the development of our projects,” Bodner said. “We looked at a bunch of analytical information that pointed us to San Antonio. We like the River Walk area; it has unfulfilled potential.”

It seems like every parcel — either vacant or not — in the area holds some potential.

“A lot of developers have offered to buy our property,” SAMA director Luber said. The museum’s board has been adamant about preserving its 7 acres, across Jones Avenue from the museum, as green space featuring a sculpture garden.

Dallas developer Alamo Manhattan has plans to build a six-level apartment building on 1.3 acres surrounded by SAMA’s properties. Lifshutz, owner the Blue Star Arts Complex south of downtown, also owns this property, but deflected questions about the project toward Alamo Manhattan, which did not return interview requests.

Lifshutz did confirm he wants to eventually build residential and commercial on 2.5 acres he owns a block east, the former dealership that faces Broadway between Jones and 10th Street.

Just west of the Turner site, Adelman said he wants to build 300 apartments on a 3-acre swath south of the river between Eighth and Ninth streets. On property on Avenue B, behind the KLRN studios, he’s closer to beginning construction on 107 “micro” apartments — smaller, more efficient units.

Without getting specific, Glenn Huddleston, a developer who specializes in commercial space in Alamo Heights, would like to build some kind of residential development on a square block he mostly owns across from the lock and dam.

“It’s been overlooked, the lock and dam,” Huddleston said. “I’d like to come up with a project that really takes advantage of that … it would be mixed-use project with a residential component.”

North of I-35, Pearl developer Silver Ventures owns all of the riverfront property west of the river — from Newell Avenue to West Grayson Street — and said in an email the group continues to explore development options, but has no concrete plans.

“All options are on the table right now,” Bill Shown, Silver Ventures’ managing director, said in an email.


http://i.imgur.com/AzovgW5.jpg?1
TREES ARE MARKED BEFORE DEVELOPMENT BEGINS AT AN EMPTY LOT AT
111 WEST JONES AVENUE ALONG THE MUSEUM REACH OF THE SAN ANTONIO RIVER WALK.




Will incentives last?

Aside from the Museum Reach, the city’s incentives policy is credited with the area’s rebirth.

Most of the area’s developments received an Easter basket of incentives that at the time included cash. The downtown-wide policy was revamped in 2012 — partly because of criticism over the grants, partly to streamline the process — and the Center City Housing Incentive Policy was born.

The CCHIP doles out property tax reimbursement grants in 10-to-15-year increments, city and San Antonio Water System waivers, among other carrots.

When it was announced, city officials described the program as a kickstarter. Someday, they said, incentives will not be necessary because the market would reach a point where it’s less risky for banks and other investors to loan money.

Some developers, however, say “don’t stop at 1,700 units.” That number is a smidgen of the 10,000 units the Museum Reach needs to become a true neighborhood.

“We’re not there yet,” Adelman said. “Our community will get the development that you sort of push for, and a big component of what the incentive does is it redirects the interest from the sprawl that we’ve experienced into the inner city.”

The program expires in June 2016. In a couple of months, the city’s Center City Development Office will look at the market to determine whether to strengthen, leave as is, scale back or zap parts of program.

“Until we have a San Antonio study to show us the market rate and whether or not we hit the tipping point, we don’t want to make any major amendments,” CCDO director Lori Houston said.

Whether that means the incentives for the Museum Reach will be scaled back, because it’s doing far better than any other downtown district, will depend on the results of the study. Of the three projects in the works — by Alamo Manhattan, SCB Bodner and Adelman — none has yet applied for incentives, Houston said.

“The assessment will look at each target area and provide an analysis that shows the revised financial gap based on the rents, construction cost, land values, and other market conditions,” Houston said.

The river has plenty of vacant parcels left that could be developed. Beyond the river in all directions are even more parcels and older buildings that could be repurposed. Adelman said 10,000 units in the area will begin to draw the attention of a grocer, the sign of a real neighborhood. It’s an amenity the area’s current residents say is lacking.

It will be easier to drive to Central Market on Broadway, some residents say, than traverse downtown proper to get to the store H-E-B is in the process of planning on South Flores and East César E. Chávez Boulevard.


http://i.imgur.com/JvoQXmP.jpg?1
VIEW OF THE MUSEUM REACH IN RIVER NORTH FROM A HILTON HOTEL



Streets, sidewalks

What’s also lacking, developers say, is infrastructure. The $72 million spent on the Museum Reach was catalytic, but few public dollars have been spent on streets and sidewalks.

Broadway remains a race track, and the ancillary streets and sidewalks still flood.

Part of the city’s plan is to turn Broadway, from Third Street up to Cunningham Avenue, into a pedestrian-friendly street.

“You’re turning it into more of a neighborhood street as opposed to a major thoroughfare,” said Pat DiGiovanni, president and CEO of Centro San Antonio. “Not to be confused with a local street, like you’re in a single-family neighborhood. The right-of-way remains the same, but you’re introducing wider sidewalks, introducing trees, places for bikes, places for parking, for transit as well.”

DiGiovanni estimates that project alone could cost $15 to $20 million. Broadway should work in tandem with the Museum Reach in order for the area to reach its full potential, he said.

“If you go out and look, there’s a great deal of infill development,” DiGiovanni said. “There’s a lot of developable land there that could shatter the 10,000-unit goal. But public infrastructure has to keep pace with the private investment.”

One misstep in the area’s planning has been the execution of the tax increment reinvestment zone, DiGiovanni said.

In a TIRZ, revenue generated from the rise in property taxes is collected and put back into the area. Tax abatements, however, neuter this funding mechanism. Such is the case with the area’s residential projects, which produce no revenue because of the abatements.

DiGiovanni, a former deputy city manager, suggests the city float bonds to pay for the Broadway upgrades now. Such a move would amplify the rate of development, he said. When the tax abatements expire — many of which will in about 10 to 12 years — the revenue can be used to pay back the debt.

City officials say they aren’t investigating the strategy, at least for Broadway.

“We had looked at some of that a few years back and it didn’t seem to work at that point in time,” said Ben Gorzell, the city’s chief financial officer. “One of the challenges you have, particularly in that area — once they issue the debt on Day 1, we start incurring interest costs.”

Houston said other funding options include taking a slice from the 2017 bond program.


http://i.imgur.com/kXdF34m.png
MAP OF THE THREE AREAS IN QUESTION.

1. RIVER NORTH
2. THE PEARL
3. LOWER BROADWAY



Costly rents

At 1221 Broadway, Marcus Leming and Lena Carpenter, who reverse commute to USAA where they both work, pay about $1,400 a month for a one-bedroom, 1,000-square-foot apartment. Carpenter said she probably could afford to live there alone, but would have to forgo some of the area’s restaurants and bars.

The same goes for Lori Martinez, 34, a Rackspace support technician who looked briefly at the Museum Reach before deciding on an apartment in Monte Vista.

“It's great, if you can afford it, definitely,” said Martinez, who says she visits the area about twice a month for festivals at the Pearl or to eat at a restaurant. “It has parking. Everything’s within walking distance. Nice neighbors. Everything is clean, brand new. Yeah, it’s awesome. It’s probably not something your average San Antonian would be able to afford.”

While there are gradations of rents in the area — there are some around $1.50 a square foot — the area still is unaffordable for most San Antonians. Developers say high construction costs play a huge part in determining rents. But they also agree that the area would be better served if there were rent options.

“I do agree that healthy neighborhoods over the long term have diversity of options,” Lifshutz said. “They have a diversity of building types, a diversity of when buildings were built. So they’re built over a long period of time and implicit in that is a range of rents … it is concerning to me a little bit.”

The area also is in high demand.

“These projects are 90- to 95-percent leased, so there’s clearly a market for the rents,” DiGiovanni said. “Having said that, I think there needs to be alternative housing options whether it’s workforce or transitional housing or even affordable housing. We want to be smart as a community that we keep that diversity of housing. It’s the best recipe for a successful neighborhood and that’s been proven time and time again throughout the country.”

Rehabilitating older buildings into dwellings is one option, DiGiovanni said.

Another is the San Antonio Housing Authority, which owns 2.5 acres just north of the river between Brooklyn Avenue and Eighth Street. The agency said it plans to build on the site some level of housing, but did not specify whether it would be subsidized or affordable.

For private developers, there are a wealth of noncity incentives out there than can reduce project costs and therefore make rents more affordable, but they’re often highly competitive, said Christine Drennon, Trinity University Professor of sociology and anthropology.

Just as developers get incentives to build, Drennon wonders if people who live in surrounding neighborhoods — whose property taxes may be effected in the coming years as development begins to push out to Tobin Hill to the west and Government Hill to the east, for example — should get incentives, too, to rehabilitate aging homes.

“Developers get incentives. Well, that’s terrific,” Drennon said. “So do I, as a home owner or someone buying a deteriorated house also get incentives then to fix up my house? It seems only fair.”



http://i.imgur.com/KXzxOy8.png


MUSEUM REACH
http://i.imgur.com/HvMkQhE.png?1

SAN ANTONIO AND METRO AREA REACH FULL EMPLOYMENT (http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/blog/morning-edition/2015/01/bexar-and-surrounding-area-have-reached-full.html)
METRO UNEMPLOYMENT DROPS TO 3.7%

http://i.imgur.com/kmgbH5l.jpg



Mike W. Thomas

Bexar County reached full employment in December, based on the standards used by most economists.

The unemployment rate for the area fell to 3.8 percent, Workforce Solutions Alamo reported.

That was slightly higher than the 3.7 percent average for the 12-county area covered by Workforce Solutions Alamo, which includes Atascosa, Bandera, Comal, Frio, Gillespie, Guadalupe, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Medina and Wilson counties.

Unemployment in Texas falls to lowest rate in more than six years
Gillespie County had the lowest unemployment rate in December among the counties at 2.5 percent, while Bexar and Medina counties had the highest rates at 3.8 percent, which is still considered full employment.

The Texas unadjusted unemployment rate was 4.1 percent in December, down from 4.6 percent in November. The nation's unadjusted unemployment rate was 5.4 percent in December, down from 5.5 percent in November.

http://i.imgur.com/3FJjyF8.png

RUTH'S CHRIS TO OPEN THIRD SAN ANTONIO LOCATION (http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/news/2015/01/26/transaction-action-ruths-chris-steak-house-to-open.html)

http://i.imgur.com/lohXS0N.jpg?1


Ruth's Chris Steak House leased 7,820 square feet at Eilan (http://i.imgur.com/BrrfTN0.jpg) at 17101 La Cantera Parkway. Angela Rinehart of CGC Texas represented the tenant. Price Onken with Reata Real Estate represented the landlord. The restaurant has two other locations in San Antonio, one on the River Walk and another near the airport.


LOCATION
http://i.imgur.com/J5yu8bk.png

DAVE & BUSTERS, H&M FILE PERMITS FOR DOWNTOWN LOCATIONS (http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/news/2015/01/26/dave-busters-h-m-projects-in-rivercenter-malltake.html)
WILL BE PART OF RIVERCENTER MALL EXPANSION

http://www.daveandbusters.com/images/dave/DnB-logo.png http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/H%26M-Logo.svg/180px-H%26M-Logo.svg.png

Last week I posted that Margaritaville is also opening at Rivercenter Mall in the lagoon area.

This will be the second SA location for both Dave & Busters and H&M.



Sergio Chapa
San Antonio Business Journal

Plans to bring a Dave & Busters and an H&M clothing store into downtown San Antonio have taken a step forward.

Building permit filings show that two projects will finally proceed after months of delays.

Entertainment venue Dave & Busters first announced it planned to move into the old Joske's Department Store in Rivercenter Mall in January 2013.

After more than two years, a building permit filing shows that the $2.79 million renovation project could be completed by August.

Another filing shows that clothing giant H&M will open its second San Antonio store inside Rivercenter Mall. The $1.75 million clothing store is also expected to be open by August.

Rivercenter General Manager Chris Oviatt could not immediately be reached for comment.

Nevertheless, the mall's website reported that crews are "pouring columns and raising steel in the demolished interior of the Historic Joske's and the progress continues."


LOCATION
http://i.imgur.com/FSQnv6r.png

TESLA TO OPEN SHOWROOM ON THE FAR NORTH SIDE (http://www.news4sanantonio.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/tesla-plans-san-antonio-showroom-19884.shtml)
WILL BE LOCATED IN THE STONE OAK AREA

http://i.imgur.com/3HGuuku.png



Emily Baucum
News 4 San Antonio

Tesla Motors, the maker of luxury electric cars, is once again setting its sights on San Antonio with plans to open a showroom on the city's far north side.

Last year, the company passed the city up as the location of its first battery factory which would have brought thousands of jobs to town.

A showroom would not bring nearly as many jobs but it would be a local presence. Tesla is a notoriously secretive company. Not even some top local leaders knew about the plan until News 4 started asking questions.

Tesla is asking the city to re-zone five acres off East Sonterra and Highway 281 for a showroom for its high-performing, high-dollar electric cars.

News 4 found the proposal in Wednesday's agenda for the city's planning commission. Not even leaders who previously wooed Tesla to town know much about the company's plans.

"It doesn't take a lot of room to show their car," Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff says.

He explained the location would be a showroom only, not a dealership. Texas law prohibits manufacturers like Tesla from selling cars directly to customers - so drivers could come kick the tires, but couldn't drive off in a new car.

Judge Wolff believes there is an economic upside. "I think it's positive to have their showroom in San Antonio," Judge Wolff says. "Shows that San Antonio is up with technology, blends with other efforts that we're doing with solar power."

And perhaps the showroom is a sign of bigger things to come. Two weeks ago, Tesla's founder tweeted he wants to build a test track for a high-speed rail system "most likely in Texas."

City council will have the final say on if the land gets re-zoned. The showroom would be in Councilman Joe Krier's district. He tells News 4 he supports the showroom and hopes Tesla makes it the start of a larger presence.


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

DAY AT THE PEARL
http://i.imgur.com/GSPc11I.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/L3KnakV.png

Demo and design were just approved by the HDRC. Construction is a go.

Dig the hotel! And very impressed with the developments going on in SA.

SEXOLOGY INSTITUTE AND BOUTIQUE OPENS IN SOUTHTOWN (http://www.kens5.com/story/news/local/2015/02/03/sexology-institute-boutique-sex-toys-education/22832533/)

http://i.imgur.com/K8DUlGE.jpg


A store opening in [Southtown] is offering intimacy and sex education...all under one roof.

The Sexology Institute and Boutique offers lingerie, sex toys, lotions and sensual art. It also offers an antique sex toy collection from the 1920s to 1960s.

"Some of them are crazy," said Melissa Jones, owner. "We keep adding to that collection, so people can come and see that. If any tourists on the Riverwalk want a unique experience."

Jones is also, a sexologist.

She's practiced in San Antonio since 2010. And Jones said what really sets the boutique apart is its education center. She offers educational workshops geared towards couples who want to talk candidly about sex.

"We wanted people to feel like they're sitting in their own living room," said Jones.

Customers can sign up on the Sexology Institute's website for the workshops.

"They could come and feel empowered. Learn about sexuality in a positive environment," said Jones. "I think that we're doing a better job of having a good dialogue about sex but there's definitely room for improvement."

A few streets down from the boutique is Bonham Elementary School. Eyewitness News spoke with several employees and mothers who said they don't have a problem with the boutique as long as the business isn't offensive with its store front.

"Texas is still very conservative. There's nothing wrong with that but everybody has a right to do what they want you know? And as a business, they have a right to be in the area," said Tressa Gonzalez, mother.

The Sexology Institute and Boutique in southtown is hosting its open house on Friday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.


LOCATION
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CITY TO PARTNER WITH LOCAL MOBILE FARMERS MARKET 'TRUCKIN' TOMATO' (http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/news/2015/02/03/truckin-tomato-to-sell-fresh-produce-to-downtown.html)

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James Aldridge
San Antonio Business Journal

City of San Antonio officials want to help downtown employees eat healthier through a new partnership with produce truck company, Truckin' Tomato.

Through a new program called Farm to Work, downtown employees and local residents will be able to buy fresh produce and other healthy foods every other Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Truckin' Tomato food truck parked on the corner of South Main and East Houston to sell bundles of produce that were sourced from Texas farms and local merchants. The packaged goods had a starting price of $16.50.

Feb. 3 was the first day the program was available.

The City of San Antonio's Office of Sustainability is administering the program. Farm to Work is just one component of the city's employee health and wellness program, which is also open to the public. While food trucks typically sell a range of freshly prepared cuisine, Truckin' Tomato specializes in selling fresh veggies.

More information can be found at truckintomato.com (http://truckintomato.com).


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RIVERCENTER MALL JOSKE'S REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT ON SCHEDULE FOR LATE SUMMER COMPLETION
WILL ADD 750,000 SQUARE FEET OF RETAIL TO DOWNTOWN

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To the casual passerby, the historic art-deco exterior of [the Joske's building] looks the same along Alamo Plaza.

But on the inside, a massive multimillion-dollar construction project is moving at a fast pace to reinvent the downtown destination.

Work crews have already gutted the historic Joske's department store. The four-story building's exterior facade is being preserved, but the roof has been removed and the interior has been completely hollowed out.

Dave & Busters, a two-level H&M clothing store, Starbucks and Johnny Rockets are among the planned tenants.

The project could be finished by late summer or early fall, Rivercenter Mall General Manager Chris Oviatt said.

"We are reinventing this building, which has great bones, and positioning it for the next 100 years," Oviatt said.

Once complete, the ambitious project will provide about 720,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space to one of the city's busiest areas.

"It's a lot of space in a downtown, urban area where land is tight," Oviatt said.

The San Antonio Business Journal got a first-hand look at the construction Wednesday afternoon.

Work crews are busy reinforcing the building's structure, adding elevators shafts and designing a three-story atrium that will serve as the mall's main entrance from Alamo Plaza.

H&M and Dave & Busters are each expected to occupy 30,000 square feet.
The H&M store will be split between two levels, while the interior of Dave & Busters will span two stories to give the venue a high ceiling height.

Oviatt said work crews are laying down a strong enough foundation to add a 24-story building on top of the existing Joske's Building structure, but those plans remain pending.

Dave & Busters announced that it planned to move into the old Joske's Department Store in Rivercenter Mall in January 2013, and the project started moving forward in late 2014.

Mall management is not disclosing the full price of the massive renovation project, but building permits reveal some cost projections.

Filings show that the Dave & Busters project alone is expected to cost $2.79 million while the H&M will cost at least $1.75 million.

Shopping malls traditionally use department stores are anchor tenants, but Oviatt said Rivercenter is different.

"We are not a traditional mall," Oviatt said. "We are a mixed-use urban center. We have more food and fun than a traditional suburban mall."


AERIAL
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LOCATION
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TWO LEVEL H-E-B NOW VERSUS BEFORE

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As you can see, they kept some of the facade and incorporated it into the new design.


LOCATION
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Josh, are there any cool camp site you would recommend? When I come down to SA, I think it would be a cool city to camp somewhere. I still might take a hotel for the night, I just haven't decided. I do love camping though!

Josh, are there any cool camp site you would recommend? When I come down to SA, I think it would be a cool city to camp somewhere. I still might take a hotel for the night, I just haven't decided. I do love camping though!

Government Canyon for sure.

WITTE MUSEUM BEGINS PHASE I OF $100 MILLION DOLLAR EXPANSION (http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/news/2015/02/04/witte-to-begin-work-on-next-phase-of-extensive.html)

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W. Scott Bailey
San Antonio Business Journal

The Witte Museum will break ground next week on the next phase of a $100 million transformation of the nearly 90-year-old Broadway campus. The extensive makeover will move the Witte into an elite class of museums capable of handling more marquee exhibitions.

"It's a huge transformation for the Witte and for the entire cultural corridor," museum President and CEO Marise McDermott said. "It's a big paradigm shift for us."

The first phase of the project, which cost roughly $20 million, included the transformation of the former Pioneer Hall into the Robert J. and Helen C. Kleberg Foundation South Texas Heritage Center, and nearby office space into the Witte Research Center.

On Feb. 9, crews will begin work on the second phase of the renovation and expansion campaign. The $60 million project, which has been branded the New Witte, will include significant changes to the museum's main building, as well as the construction of the Mays Family Center, which will house special exhibitions and events.

"We will be a top-tier museum," McDermott said.

The changes will better connect the Witte with the San Antonio River immediately to the west and with a Broadway corridor to the east that is also undergoing significant change, with the addition of new urban housing and a relocated children's museum.

McDermott said the improvements will also enable the Witte to install a permanent dinosaur gallery.

A third phase of improvements is also planned. That $20 million project will include the development of a new Center for Rivers and Aquifers.



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LOCATION
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SAN ANTONIO RANKS SECOND IN HUFFINGTON POST'S '5 BEST AMERICAN CITIES TO VISIT IN 2015' LIST (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/08/americas-best-cities-2015_n_6599042.html)

1. PORTLAND 2. SAN ANTONIO 3. RALEIGH 4. ALBUQUERQUE 5. DENVER

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A RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT AND AN OFFICE DEVELOPMENT PLANNED FOR NEAR EAST SIDE (http://www.expressnews.com/business/article/Near-East-Side-due-for-more-apartments-possibly-6074000.php#/1)
THREE PROJECTS BRING RECENT INVESTMENT ON NEAR EAST SIDE TO MORE THAN $240 MILLION

I've posted about the Merchant's Ice Lofts before, but the other two (residential, office) were just announced on Wednesday.

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RENDERING OF THE 268-UNIT CROCKETT STREET URBAN LOFTS



More than $240 million in private and state money could be pumped into the near East Side in the form of new apartments and office space.

Two multifamily projects — the $42.8 million Crockett Street Urban Lofts and the $40 million Merchant’s Ice Lofts — will get closer to beginning construction if a new wave of incentives, totaling $1.5 million, is approved by the City Council on Thursday.

Meanwhile, state Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon, D-San Antonio, on Tuesday filed House Bill 1255, which proposes up to $162 million for the refurbishing of the state-owned GJ Sutton Complex, 321 Center St., and possible new construction on the site.

The Crockett Street Urban Lofts, 243 Center St., is a project by developer NRP Group and a division of Zachry Corp., the property owner. The apartment project would consist of 268 units in four-story structures wrapping around the Vidorra condo midrise.

Located just north of St. Paul Square, the project is slated to receive an incentive package of $1 million. Of that amount, a loan worth $500,000 is being pulled from the Inner City Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, which encompasses a large swath of the East Side and parts of downtown. The project also is eligible for waivers on city and San Antonio Water System fees. The Inner City TIRZ incentive is being voted on by the council Thursday.


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MASSING MODEL OF THE 262-UNIT MERCHANT'S ICE LOFTS


NRP Group Vice President Dan Markson said the project is intended to capture workforce renters, including some of the students expected to populate St. Paul Square, where the University of Houston is planning to put its hospitality school branch campus.

“If we don’t get some housing done there, we’re at risk that (the students) will all go to apartment land on (Loop) 1604 North,” Markson said. “It’s important we provide the housing immediately.”

Markson said construction could begin in the fourth quarter of this year and be completed in two years.

Just east of the site across the tracks sits the GJ Sutton complex and a 181,000-square-foot parking lot, both owned by the state. Rep. McClendon’s bill presents concepts for the vacant building and property, including the proposal for $162 million to be used for upgrades and possible new construction. Last year, more than 220 government workers were moved from the complex because the buildings were deteriorating.


http://i.imgur.com/joI0q1K.jpg?1?2947
GJ SUTTON BUILDING


The Merchant’s Ice Lofts, 1305 E. Houston St., located a block north, is due to receive $950,000 from the Inner City TIRZ, as well. That funding also is part of what the council will vote on Thursday. The total incentive package for the old warehouse is $1.7 million. Developer Herman & Kittle Properties of Indiana hopes to begin construction in the fourth quarter of this year and be finished in 12 to 14 months.

“We are currently working with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality on a thorough environmental review of the property due to the site’s history and close proximity to the railroad tracks,” Stacy Kaplowitz, Herman & Kittle Properties’ development director, wrote in an email.


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CURRENT SITE


MAP
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LOCATION
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CITY > NEAR EAST SIDE > DIGNOWITY HILL > URBAN DEVELOPMENT NEWS



CITY COUNCIL APPROVES TWO NEAR EAST SIDE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS (http://news4sanantonio.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/city-council-approves-east-side-housing-projects-20515.shtml)
530 TOTAL UNITS PLANNED BETWEEN THE TWO PROJECTS




SAN ANTONIO -- Today, city council approved two housing projects to help revitalize the east side.

The mixed income apartment projects include the "Crockett Street Urban Lofts" and the "Merchant's Ice Lofts." Half of the 530 lofts would be for people who make $50,000 or less a year.

The city says it would bring an affordable place to live near Downtown, as well as much needed changes to the East Side.

“All of these projects are going to be catalysts to fight this economic segregation that we have in San Antonio," explained District 2 Councilman Alan E. Warrick. "To get the people with mixed incomes down here, so we can improve our schools and not just have pockets where it's just poor people or just wealthy people in the area. So, we want that diversity in the neighborhoods."

The city has a goal of building 7,500 housing units in San Antonio by the year 2020. So far, they've reached half of their goal.

The NRP Group is heading up construction, which is expected to begin within the next 6 to 12 months.


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