SkyscraperPage Forum - SAN ANTONIO │ Hemisfair Development │ 18 FLOORS, 12 FLOORS, 6 FLOORS │ Approved

SkyscraperPage Forum (https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/index.php)

- San Antonio (https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=447)

- - SAN ANTONIO │ Hemisfair Development │ 18 FLOORS, 12 FLOORS, 6 FLOORS │ Approved (https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=226930)

SAN ANTONIO │ Hemisfair Development │ 18 FLOORS, 12 FLOORS, 6 FLOORS │ Approved

18-STORY HOTEL │ 12-STORY RESIDENTIAL │ 6-STORY OFFICE

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

Quote:

City Council unanimously approved a public-private partnership Thursday that will allow for a $200 million development on five acres at Hemisfair.

A Zachry Hospitality affiliate company will sublease the land from Hemisfair Park Area Redevelopment Corporation (HPARC) and build a hotel, office building, parking, and retail space on the northwest corner of what will become the nine-acre Civic Park. City Council also authorized a tax increment reinvestment zone for the Hemisfair district that will allow the nonprofit government corporation to collect increased taxes in the area for programming and maintenance for the second largest urban park in San Antonio.

“Additional revenues that come to Hemisfair will stay in Hemisfair,” said HPARC Director of Real Estate Omar Gonzalez, meeting the goal of making the area self-sustaining so it doesn’t become a burden to taxpayers.

“Improving downtown is part of that big picture to address workforce development and housing opportunities,” said Mayor Ivy Taylor before Council’s vote. “In order for us to be a competitive city, we have to have a competitive downtown and the Hemisfair project is an amazing opportunity for us to continue the momentum we have seen in our city.”

The NRP Group, a multifamily housing developer, also has plans for the park’s northwest corner, where it will build a 380-unit apartment building. According to an agreement with HPARC, 10% of those units will be relatively affordable, workforce housing. The other 163 residential-unit project in the southeast quadrant by AREA Real Estate will have 50% workforce housing.

http://i.imgur.com/nUFpJ2C.jpg?1

Quote:

Lease payments from Zachry and NRP Group as well as other tenants in the park will likely increase over time and will go directly towards Hemisfair staffing and programming. Zachry will pay $1.92 million for the first two years of the contract’s 50-year term. In the third year, that base payment will drop to $1.45 million, but Hemisfair will take an additional cut of revenues expected to total more than $500,000 and increase as the park’s popularity grows and retail becomes more established.

The five-to-six-story office building increases Zachry’s initial overall budget from $165 million to $200 million. The new addition is an answer to the increasing demand for more downtown office space, Hemisfair officials said.

The building will more than double the amount of office space in the entire project, bringing it to between 60,000-120,000 sq. ft. About 60,000 sq. ft. of office space had been included within the 200-room boutique hotel.

There will be approximately 50,000-70,000 sq. ft. of ground-floor retail space for restaurant and small-shop tenants.

http://i.imgur.com/83zQJUW.jpg?1

I hope the architecture gives these a more modern design...

But all in all, this is exactly what i was hoping for!!! I'm so excited!!!

Is the park going to be done by the tricentennial?

This looks pretty great. I'm excited for Hemisfair.

I like it. I like the way it encloses the park and makes it feel like an intimate place. The designs fit together nicely. I really like that tower.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas (Post 7699410)

I like it. I like the way it encloses the park and makes it feel like an intimate place. The designs fit together nicely. I really like that tower.

I agree. I know the drawings are only conceptual at this time but I hope it closely resembles this when it is finally completed.

It definitely looks nice but I wonder if the enclosed aspect of the park will pull people away from downtown and keep people funneled to this area only. In other words it could have the same impact as the River Walk. The River Walk is beautiful but it pulls people away from street level and keeps them on river level. I fear enclosing this Civic Park space too much is going to keep people off of Downtown streets and keep them enclosed in this general area. The renderings make it seem disjointed from the rest of downtown as if almost to serve as an escape from downtown. Again, I'm thankful for the new development and investment but I hope this space and downtown feel cohesive.

Quote:

Originally Posted by necropolis (Post 7700280)

WOW on your comment.
In the renderings, you can see expansive walkways connecting the downtown streets to Civic Park. I'm sure the planners thought of your concern.
This Hemisfair development is exactly what this part of downtown needed! :cheers:

If the height of the rendering is to scale next to the Hilton, it will be roughly the same height as the current Frost building or the old Marriott, and fill in a little bit of space in the skyline from a few angles. From this angle it will stick up right behind the Hilton.

http://i33.tinypic.com/30jmadh.jpg
http://i33.tinypic.com/30jmadh.jpg

Quote:

Originally Posted by necropolis (Post 7700280)

I hear you, necropolis. Looks like priority has shifted from making this park open and accessible to making it profitable, which I totally get. I've said before that this is prime real estate, and the city should explore ways of maximizing profitability on that space. And since the park will be enclosed, I think the park's focus will be shaped to serve the needs of park's new tenants, and offer a great new option for outdoor convention space. IMO It's a very smart idea. I'm more confident that we'll get a cohesive feeling when the new streets are completed and physically connect to the downtown grid.:tup:

I hate to be that guy, but I would like to see the 18 story proposed building to be on the other side of the park off Market Street. I feel kind of bad for Hilton Paso Del Rio getting blocked from the park. The Hilton isn't a pretty building, but it was build for Hemisfair back in 1968, I think it is bad to cover it up. Those balconies on the Hilton provide a front row seat for guest to see the fireworks off the Tower of the America's.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Model (Post 7731903)

OMG me too! I also enjoy the view of the tower from Commerce and Losoya, especially during the New Year's celebration. Hopefully, the hotel itself will be something to look at.:fingerscrossed:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fireoutofclay (Post 7732351)

OMG me too! I also enjoy the view of the tower from Commerce and Losoya, especially during the New Year's celebration. Hopefully, the hotel itself will be something to look at.:fingerscrossed:

You can see in the renderings above that the view corridor will stay intact so that's fun.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaga185 (Post 7732944)

You can see in the renderings above that the view corridor will stay intact so that's fun.

Yeah, but I also saw the tiny writing on the bottom left corner. I will certainly bottle your optimism my good amigo, and administer it regularly. :tup:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fireoutofclay (Post 7732957)

Yeah, but I also saw the tiny writing on the bottom left corner. I will certainly bottle your optimism my good amigo, and administer it regularly. :tup:

True it could change... But I have positivity it won't! I'll hope for both of us. Lol

Luminaria to shine in Hemisfair

Seems only right that Liminaria will be in Hemisfair Park again this year. It's a good chance to spotlight the transformation taking place there.

https://therivardreport.com/luminari...h-anniversary/

Luminaria was created by former Mayor Phil Hardberger in 2008 and began downtown. Last year’s festival took place on the historic Eastside. This year’s main event at Hemisfair will take place on Nov. 10 from 7 p.m. to midnight, with additional special, ticketed events throughout the Nov. 9-11 weekend.

Festival events will take place inside galleries and theaters within the Instituto Cultural de México, the San Antonio campus of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, and the Magik Theatre. Other venues in the Hemisfair district include front porches of historic homes, Yanaguana Garden, and portions of East Nueva Street.

“Hardberger envisioned gifting San Antonio with an arts festival of international stature inspired by Nuit Blanche in Paris,” Luminaria Board Chair Liz Tullis said Tuesday during a press event at the Instituto. “Ten years strong, Luminaria has held that vision: spotlighting art as a critical component to our city’s soul and our evolution.”