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-   -   SA: Big Plans Instore for The Rim - IKEA, 5-6 Hotels (https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=139362)

sirkingwilliam Oct 12, 2007 4:57 AM

SA: Big Plans Instore for The Rim - IKEA, 5-6 Hotels
 
Growth seen for The Rim

Web Posted: 10/11/2007 08:27 PM CDT

Melissa S. Monroe
Express-News Business Writer
http://www.mysanantonio.com/business...m.2bf36de.html

The developer of the massive The Rim shopping center in Northwest San Antonio plans to open five or even six hotels there within the next few years and is working to lure retailers such as Whole Foods and IKEA.

Stan Thomas, founder and CEO of Atlanta-based Thomas Enterprises Inc., said his company has been attracting retailers and companies that once were eyeing downtown or North Central San Antonio.

The Rim center will include two Marriott hotels and an upscale boutique hotel and spa called The Stanbury. The Stanbury, also going in at a Thomas Enterprises development in Atlanta, is a luxury hotel that combines residences with hotel rooms.

Other companies exploring locating at The Rim at Loop 1604 and Interstate 10 include Dick's Sporting Goods and Staples, Thomas said.

Thomas was in San Antonio on Thursday for the opening of a Chick-fil-A restaurant at The Rim, which drew hundreds of customers.

That area of the city needs more hotels, said Marco A. Barros, president and CEO of the San Antonio Area Tourism Council.

"The area around The Rim shopping center is one of the fastest-growing areas in San Antonio, and more hotel rooms are needed to serve the demand created by Six Flags Fiesta Texas, the Westin La Cantera Resort, UTSA and other corporate businesses," Barros said.

"I foresee that area growing all the way to Boerne and offering various hotel brand names" for visitors to San Antonio.

Kimberly S. Gatley, director of market research for REOC Partners, a local commercial real estate firm, said both developers and retailers are seeing the value of the Northwest market.

"As a national developer, Thomas Enterprises recognizes San Antonio as being underserved," she said.

"From the start of the project, it's been successful. The development we are seeing at The Rim and The Shops at La Cantera are basically meeting the pent-up demand for retailers and services. We will continue to see the residential growth and expansion of more retail services."

She added she has heard that Whole Foods wants to bring another store here, and IKEA has expressed interest as well.

Developer Thomas said his company, which has centers in Georgia, Florida and California, has worked with Whole Foods in the past, and he hopes the retailer picks The Rim for another store.

However, a Whole Foods spokesman reached late Thursday said the company doesn't have plans to open another store in San Antonio.

Thomas said his company also is in active conversations with IKEA, and getting it would add more regional appeal to the center. IKEA recently opened a store in Round Rock.

Thomas said the second phase of the project, called The Village, is already under way, and he envisions the center being the future of San Antonio.

"One of the great things about this site is it's like Main Street," he said. "It's convenient and visible. It has a regional draw to it with the retailers that are here — and it still feels local."

Some anchors of the 800-acre site are Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, the Palladium theater, JCPenney, Best Buy and Target.

Thomas said both Bass Pro and the Palladium have been a regional attraction for shoppers, and the Palladium is considered the seventh-busiest theater in North America.

To complement the hotels, Thomas added that the center also is getting four restaurants new to the city that he chose not to identify.

His company also is working on convincing companies to locate their headquarters at the shopping center, which will combine residential units, upscale condos, an office complex and an auto dealership.

sirkingwilliam Oct 12, 2007 5:06 AM

The only thing I genuinely dislike is their strong lobbying for HQ's to relocate to The Rim.

kornbread Oct 12, 2007 5:15 AM

I'm not sure this needed it's own thread in addition to being posted in the suburban thread.:shrug:

sirkingwilliam Oct 12, 2007 5:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kornbread (Post 3107239)
I'm not sure this needed it's own thread in addition to being posted in the suburban thread.:shrug:

I know, I know, very redundant and I apologize but their is a reason for this. I feel like the Suburban Update thread is for the locals who want to inquire on what's happening and that a single thread in the main Texas section would be to inform the masses who won't/don't access the Suburban thread. Hopefully that ok with everyone, if not, again I apologize.

SAguy Oct 12, 2007 11:39 AM

sirkingwilliam-
I know, I know, very redundant and I apologize but their is a reason for this. I feel like the Suburban Update thread is for the locals who want to inquire on what's happening and that a single thread in the main Texas section would be to inform the masses who won't/don't access the Suburban thread. Hopefully that ok with everyone, if not, again I apologize.


No need to explain yourself sirkingwilliam. Thanks for the update.

Complex01 Oct 12, 2007 1:46 PM

After reading the article, i really am not convinenced by some of what it says. I really feel this is pulling away from the Urban Core. Specifically when stuff like this is said: "said his company has been attracting retailers and companies that once were eyeing downtown or North Central San Antonio."

But what can you do.......... :shrug:

arbeiter Oct 12, 2007 4:35 PM

I was all excited for IKEA coming to SA when I realized that it hasn't actually happened.

sirkingwilliam Oct 12, 2007 4:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arbeiter (Post 3107813)
I was all excited for IKEA coming to SA when I realized that it hasn't actually happened.

It's just a matter of time. IKEA has been looking for the right location to select. They had it with Regal Hills until plans changed (now the much much better The Landmark). It seems they won't venture too, just across 1604.

Mopacs Oct 12, 2007 5:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam (Post 3107858)
It's just a matter of time. IKEA has been looking for the right location to select. They had it with Regal Hills until plans changed (now the much much better The Landmark). It seems they won't venture too, just across 1604.

Good location for IKEA. I never thought it to be a coincidence that they searched out the northern end of the Austin metro area for the new store (ended up in Round Rock), expecting an eventual store in San Antonio (and hence a reasonable distance buffer).

sirkingwilliam Oct 12, 2007 5:35 PM

I believe IKEA either wanted to either build one between the metro areas or build one in each, but it seems they (IKEA) always preferred the latter of the two never really given much thought to the idea of just one store.

sirkingwilliam Oct 12, 2007 5:37 PM

As you can see by the site plan for The Rim, the red cluster of large buildings on the far south side of The Rim that border 1604 would be the likely destination for the stores mentoned in the article.

http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/2...overallqt2.jpg

BigBird9 Oct 12, 2007 5:45 PM

What is IKEA? And why is it such a big deal?

sirkingwilliam Oct 12, 2007 5:47 PM

It's a swedish furniture store that provides ultra modern furniture for a very low price. It's a very popular store because of style of furniture they offer.

LouisianaRush Oct 12, 2007 7:35 PM

Ikea is cheap crap. You get what you pay for. I have no clue why everyone is so wild about it. They are building one in Ft. Lauderdale and everyone up in Broward is all excited. :koko:

sirkingwilliam Oct 12, 2007 7:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LouisianaRush (Post 3108199)
Ikea is cheap shit. You get what you pay for. I have no clue why everyone is so wild about it. They are building one in Ft. Lauderdale and everyone up in Broward is all excited.

For the same reason Krispy Kreme has camp outs for every grand opening. :koko:

KevinFromTexas Oct 12, 2007 8:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam (Post 3107263)
I know, I know, very redundant and I apologize but their is a reason for this. I feel like the Suburban Update thread is for the locals who want to inquire on what's happening and that a single thread in the main Texas section would be to inform the masses who won't/don't access the Suburban thread. Hopefully that ok with everyone, if not, again I apologize.

That's fine. Also, if a project is announced that creates a lot of discussion about it, then it's perfectly fine to have a separate thread about it. This is so that the discussion can happen there, instead of jumbling up the update thread with 10s of replies. The update thread should be a compilation of projects. It'll be a great reference for people who only visit the forum about once a month or so and who want to keep up to date on projects, both new ones being announced, and construction progress.

Also, some developing events may grow into a lot of discussion clogging up the update thread. An example of this was in Austin when we had 3 controversial highrises that were planned near the river. The planning commission shot it down, well anyway, it created a lot of discussion from both sides, either for or against it. It went to 35 replies, so I moved those posts out of the update thread into their own thread where it could be talked about without clogging the update thread.
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=139318

kornbread Oct 12, 2007 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam (Post 3107206)
Thomas was in San Antonio on Thursday for the opening of a Chick-fil-A restaurant at The Rim, which drew hundreds of customers.

The fact that this guy was in town for the grand opening of a Chick-fil-a kind of puts this article in perspective. There are a lot of "maybes" about "so whats". It really doesn't say anything definate or new. With the exception of the Stanbury hotel (the former Talavera?).

But hey...there's a new chick-fil-a in town:banana:

ScizzoTX Oct 13, 2007 1:04 AM

^^^ Hey man, don't knock Chic-fil-a openings. The first 100 customers through the door get free Chic-fil-a for a year (really it's just 52 free meal coupons). I went to 4 opening in college - they helped me get through my junior year.

...sorry for the off topic post!

BigBird9 Oct 13, 2007 3:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam (Post 3107984)
It's a swedish furniture store that provides ultra modern furniture for a very low price. It's a very popular store because of style of furniture they offer.

Aha, well good news for SA I guess.

alexjon Oct 13, 2007 3:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LouisianaRush (Post 3108199)
Ikea is cheap crap. You get what you pay for. I have no clue why everyone is so wild about it. They are building one in Ft. Lauderdale and everyone up in Broward is all excited. :koko:

Have you been to Ikea?

I've had plenty of rowdy sex on an ikea bed, and not a single screw has come loose. I have a battery operated LED lamp that I got for pennies and it hasn't even needed a replacement in months.

You fail to understand the simple economic concept, that's for sure-- but what's the real reason you hate Ikea?

Is it because you hate FREEDOM?


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