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Old Posted Jan 13, 2007, 9:58 AM
TXlifeguard TXlifeguard is offline
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 170
Quote:
Originally Posted by swissspice View Post
Hi everyone, brand new board member here. I'm a resident of downtown SA, so I've got a definite interest in River North.

I think probably the best opportunity for something tall to be built in this area is close to the AT&T buildings at McCulloch and St. Mary's streets (in the southern part of the area). Right now, they're spread around in various buildings in downtown. I know several people who work there who point out how annoying it is to have to walk a nontrivial distance to another building for a meeting. They may well want to consolidate more into one campus. There is a good sized parcel that is currently vacant right next to one of their buildings. (Whether it's available, I don't know. I seem to recall some dilapidated housing (public?) being demolished there about 8-10 years ago.
I used to work for SAHA (San Antonio Housing Authority) back in the day and while I havent checked the tax rolls, I believe SAHA still owns that land. The employee association still sells parking spots there during fiesta events to raise money for its scholarship program, and I bought parking there from them this past April, so I'm sure that they still own it.

Those apartments were a senior residence. The initial plans were to rebuild a new senior development there; however after they were torn down, the government funding formula for new developments changed, as did federal maximum density limits for public housing. Basically, for a property that size, they'd be limited to putting 20 or 30 units, which dosent make sense for them. And the federal government is now all about putting developments (we couldnt call them projects) all over the community, not just concentrated in the urban core (anyone remember the Tala Vera issue a few months back - its the new regulations in action). SAHA had promised the seniors that they could come back as soon as the new property was built. Now that the federal funding dried up, they have a valeuable property, but only two options; either develop market-rate apartments/retail/office and become a regular developer, or sell the property for a buttload of cash and use it to supplement operations/develop new properties elsewhere.

I agree it would be a great place for AT&T's new HQ, but I like density, and think that there would be even better places closer-in downtown. Fill in some of those gaps you see coming into downton on 281.
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