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-   -   SAN ANTONIO | City and Metro News Thread (https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=204101)

sirkingwilliam Mar 11, 2014 11:50 PM

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

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

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

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

Rynetwo Mar 12, 2014 9:41 PM
Carrier Air shows the south side love ....

Quote:
Bandera Ventures has purchased 135 acres of land out of the Southport Industrial Park. Bandera will develop a distribution center for Carrier Air Conditioning, according to Stephen A. Raub, president of local real estate firm Investment Realty Co. LC (IRC).
The first phase calls for building 542,000 square feet of distribution space — out of what could ultimately be a 2-million-square-foot complex for Carrier, Raub adds.
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantoni...ndustrial.html

sirkingwilliam Mar 13, 2014 8:28 PM

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

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

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

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

sirkingwilliam Mar 27, 2014 4:53 AM

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

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

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

sirkingwilliam Mar 27, 2014 5:00 AM
Needless to say, this would be a HUGE win for San Antonio.

Keep-SA-Lame Mar 27, 2014 2:08 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam (Post 6513881)
Needless to say, this would be a HUGE win for San Antonio.
Agreed, it would be like Toyota on steroids. :cheers:

I don't think we should read too much into this meeting, however. They're meeting with a lot of different places it sounds like, and SA still has a lot of things working against it. CPS would be a good partner for them for a lot of reasons, but we still suffer from a relatively low-skill labor force, which is doubtlessly a very important need for a high tech factory like this.

sirkingwilliam Mar 27, 2014 2:44 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Keep-SA-Lame (Post 6514162)
Agreed, it would be like Toyota on steroids. :cheers:

I don't think we should read too much into this meeting, however. They're meeting with a lot of different places it sounds like, and SA still has a lot of things working against it. CPS would be a good partner for them for a lot of reasons, but we still suffer from a relatively low-skill labor force, which is doubtlessly a very important need for a high tech factory like this.
I haven't read or seen any reports of other cities who have offered proposals being visited.

Also, it has been said that Tesla will do considerable training. Also, if you thought Toyota brought in people from across the country to apply for jobs, the Tesla application process will be insane.

Keep-SA-Lame Mar 27, 2014 4:53 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam (Post 6514211)
I haven't read or seen any reports of other cities who have offered proposals being visited.

Also, it has been said that Tesla will do considerable training. Also, if you thought Toyota brought in people from across the country to apply for jobs, the Tesla application process will be insane.
Fair enough, but I see a factory of this caliber needing a lot of highly qualified technical/engineering personnel. Tesla's preference will probably be a place (like Dallas or Austin) that already has a large qualified labor pool. Companies (Like Rackspace) seem to continually cite the difficulty of attracting talent to San Antonio as one of the negatives of doing business here. That said, it looks like San Antonio is definitely a contender for this (otherwise those two executives would not have made the trip here). Hopefully we'll hear some more good news soon, but I'm not holding my breath.

sirkingwilliam Mar 27, 2014 5:07 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Keep-SA-Lame (Post 6514447)
Fair enough, but I see a factory of this caliber needing a lot of highly qualified technical/engineering personnel. Tesla's preference will probably be a place (like Dallas or Austin) that already has a large qualified labor pool. Companies (Like Rackspace) seem to continually cite the difficulty of attracting talent to San Antonio as one of the negatives of doing business here. That said, it looks like San Antonio is definitely a contender for this (otherwise those two executives would not have made the trip here). Hopefully we'll hear some more good news soon, but I'm not holding my breath.
I don't think either of use really know the true qualifications a labor force will need or what Tesla will seek. So any speculation us just that, pure speculation.

However, if a large tech savvy workforce were really as important you assume, it's awfully odd that the four states vying for the plant are Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada.

You would think California and Washington would be in play.

WorldTexas Mar 27, 2014 5:19 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam (Post 6514211)
I haven't read or seen any reports of other cities who have offered proposals being visited.
That is because the local economic development community is terrible at keeping secrets and the Express-News doesn't help. Often times projects of this size and caliber are worked confidentially until a final site is selected. Take a look at Google Fiber as an example of one that worked and that Japanese aerospace project as one that crashed and burned.


Quote:
Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam (Post 6514211)
Also, it has been said that Tesla will do considerable training. Also, if you thought Toyota brought in people from across the country to apply for jobs, the Tesla application process will be insane.
That is very true. But importing talent is never as good as having a ready supply. If you know your business needs Xtalent you want to be near a place that already produces a steady supply.


Quote:
Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam (Post 6514487)
However, if a large tech savvy workforce were really as important you assume, it's awfully odd that the four states vying for the plant are Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada.
Fair point. There are a lot of moving parts in this one, so labor shortage could be trumped by more important items. There are some things you can't change like geography. I believe for this one they need a very large flat tract of land for the plant and where they can also produce renewable energy (solar or wind). On top of that it needs to have direct transport access to their car production facility in Norther Cali. Those geographic needs point pretty well at the Southwest.


Quote:
Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam (Post 6514487)
You would think California and Washington would be in play.
It's been well reported that regulatory issues in CA have removed it from the list. I have no idea if WA could be a contender.

SAguy Mar 28, 2014 3:05 AM
Here's hoping SA lands the Tesla plant.

Schertz1 Mar 28, 2014 4:29 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Keep-SA-Lame (Post 6514447)
Fair enough, but I see a factory of this caliber needing a lot of highly qualified technical/engineering personnel. Tesla's preference will probably be a place (like Dallas or Austin) that already has a large qualified labor pool. Companies (Like Rackspace) seem to continually cite the difficulty of attracting talent to San Antonio as one of the negatives of doing business here. That said, it looks like San Antonio is definitely a contender for this (otherwise those two executives would not have made the trip here). Hopefully we'll hear some more good news soon, but I'm not holding my breath.

Not too sure about Dallas, but reports say over 100 people move to Austin each day. I am guessing it is the hope of getting a high paying tech job that brings them. In short, the same reason will bring them to San Antonio.

sirkingwilliam Mar 28, 2014 5:55 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Schertz1 (Post 6515636)
Not too sure about Dallas, but reports say over 100 people move to Austin each day. I am guessing it is the hope of getting a high paying tech job that brings them. In short, the same reason will bring them to San Antonio.
As per the latest census figures for San Antonio, as of July 2013, some 117 people a day move to San Antonio.

295 people a day move to the DFW area and 378 people a day move to Houston.

JoninATX Mar 28, 2014 6:53 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam (Post 6515706)
As per the latest census figures for San Antonio, as of July 2013, some 117 people a day move to San Antonio.

295 people a day move to the DFW area and 378 people a day move to Houston.
Pretty impressive. San Antonio is no slough when it comes to population growth and it's still remains that 7 more people actually move to The Alamo City than to Austin each day. :cool:

GoldenBoot Mar 28, 2014 11:06 PM
Regarding the $5B Tesla plant...a recent Business Journal report indicated the Reno area was the place to beat. Looks like the State of Nevada is rolling out the red carpet of incentives to secure the deal.

:(

sirkingwilliam Mar 29, 2014 1:14 AM
According to other sources, New Mexico is the sure lock.

There's too much speculation to even get a real handle of the situation.

GoldenBoot Mar 30, 2014 10:47 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam (Post 6517052)
According to other sources, New Mexico is the sure lock.

There's too much speculation to even get a real handle of the situation.
Very true!

sirkingwilliam Apr 1, 2014 6:14 AM

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

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

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

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

sirkingwilliam Apr 5, 2014 12:53 AM
AT&T Eyeing San Antonio for High Speed Internet Known as Gigapower



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

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

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

sirkingwilliam Apr 12, 2014 6:38 PM
Huge gaming and convention news!


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

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

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


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