It seems as so. Since it has been decades that no mention has come of it. I do not recall any speculation for those parcels. With so much going on in the middle of the city, you would think there would be some interest shown.

They can most certainly be sold and purchased.

Let me clarify for you again. They can be purchased, but why haven't they?

Because whoever owns them hasn’t sold them. It’s pretty much that simple.

If you’re going to ask me why they don’t sell, I don’t have an answer for you.

No. You do not have the answer. But the question posed is not to seek a dry answer. There are those whom repeatedly offer colorful replies. To get back- HRC is wanting to top the Joskes Building. Why might no one try for the other properties mentioned? Are they not prime real estate as well?

You’re asking questions that there are no answers to. But what I was questioning was your statement that those parking lots couldn’t be sold. That was what piqued my ears, because you stated it as fact when it most certainly wasn’t and was untrue for that matter.

I can’t tell you why those lots haven’t been developed, but they haven’t. Also, JMJ obviously want to build onto of the Joske’s. I thought they want to have to buy a surface parking lot that will be incredibly expensive when they can simply build atop a structure.

There is also the Alamo Viewshed Protection district, VP-1, which extends in an arc eastward from a point at the front of the Alamo and limits structures that would rise up behind the Alamo. Development in the parking lots behind the Alamo to the east are seriously constrained by this viewshed district.

http://www.esri.com/~/media/Images/C...alamo_4-lg.jpg
(Image from Esri)

I do not know how much flexibility by way of waivers and grandfathering is allowed within the viewshed protection overlay district, but I suspect it is not enough to sway Hard Rock or many other developers that they can be successful proposing major development within its coverage area. This is too bad, as a sweltering sea of ugly parking lots extending to I-37 is its own urban blight that hardly ennobles the Alamo or strengthens the vitality of downtown.

^^ Another way to look at it (a positive way) is that this provides an excellent opportunity to create a rather large urban park where those parking lots are. All it would take is some money. The city could easily afford it and it would be very beneficial for tourists and downtown residents. The question is: does anybody with the power to make it happen care about doing something that's not immediately fiscally profitable, but would be over the long term? The name writes itself: Alamo Park.

I had the same thought and fully agree. Just imagine if the Alamo garden could be extended eastward as a park all the way to I-37 and be given detailed treatment similar to the courtyards and arcades of the current garden. An Alamo Park would completely change the image of that area and rehabilitate that sector of downtown. For want of a single parking garage, a city park and a large swath of downtown are being lost.

There was official concern during the Joske's Tower proposal of the impact of the tower on the beauty and historical integrity of the Alamo as a World Heritage Site, but hardly a peep about the oil-saturated, concrete and asphalt heat island already behind the Alamo.

Suggestions have been made to use the parking lot area for the planned Alamo museum rather than gutting the Crockett Block of historic buildings facing the Alamo across Alamo Plaza. That can be okay, but a park would be better, and the museum would be better placed inside current Federal building at the north end of Alamo Plaza.

SKW,

Just to be fair...can you back the following claim up with "facts:"

Quote:

Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam (Post 8265897) Hard Rock is the epitome of touristy brand.

Just curious. I'm not quite disagreeing with you. But, the word - epitome - is (can be) quite subjective.

Hey, I too am one which believes the Hard Rock would fit in great with the Ripley's Believe it or Not/Tomb Raider 3D/Guinness Book of World Records Museum AND Texas' beloved Alamo Mission.

I simply meant with regard to hotel brands. It’s a themed hotel brand. I can’t think of any other themed hotel brands at this moment. The only ones I am think of are at theme park themselves, like the Nickelodeon hotel in Orlando. I’m also not talking about resort hotel brands like great wolf or gaylord.

Did not think of this, HINDENTANIC.

I can:

https://exp.cdn-hotels.com/hotels/10...80270de4_z.jpg
https://exp.cdn-hotels.com/hotels/10...80270de4_z.jpg

Boston Common has underground parking. It's also one of America's "four unique cities."

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Bo...!4d-71.0680711

It doesn't seem like many want this hotel for downtown San Antonio. I do. I love how colorful San Antonio downtown when dark. San Antonio downtown has a great nightlife, and this area of town would be great for this type of hotel. I have said it many times, San Antonio downtown needs more high end hotels, but this area is not a realistic area for such a high end hotel, as someone pointed out. So, a hard rock is quite fitting for this mall and area.

While I want to see this built, I still would rather a design along the second iteration in 2013.

What I've seen of this current design, while not final, is atrocious. The Hard Rock brand can do better.