SAN ANTONIO | Urban Core Development Thread

[UrbanTrance]

Thank you all for the updates! The performing arts center looks really nice. That's one thing San Antonio is going to do right.

[car2004]

Originally Posted by miaht82

To keep the falling pieces close.

Is that a smartalec remark, or are you serious? If not, that is a lawsuit waiting to happen.

[wwmiv]

No, that wasn't sarcastic. Those coverings - the best example of which is on 1 World Trade Center currently - are meant to keep falling debris from hitting those below and to save the lives of those unlucky (or foolish) workers who fall.

[maxus]

Originally Posted by miaht82

It was, and the plan was to convert it to condos, and now a hotel.
I'm pretty sure it doesn't have any residences in it. It is going to be a complete gut out.

and as if we needed to see it again, it looks like 1221 had permits granted last week. Hopefully we finally see some work started there.

no details on your post... may be bogus.

[adtobias]

When on the riverwalk ext. a few days ago. I would love to buy a highrise condo right on the riverwalk ext. Very nice area

[miaht82]

Originally Posted by maxus

no details on your post... may be bogus.

What part?

South Texas (Central Trust) Building IS going to be an extended stay; the fact that all the windows are removed from the building led me to believe that nobody is living there (currently.) and that it was going to be gutted. Usually (in construction,) once the windows are removed, it is no longer "sealed" and when exposed to the elements, it usually means that everything, top to bottom, is going to be replaced. Plus, since WaMu left, the doors were sealed off in front and on the side. Pretty sure no one lived there.

From the HDRC July7th agenda; item 7:

REQUEST:
The applicant is requesting a Certificate of Appropriateness for approval to:
1) Apply for the ad valorem tax exemption (tax certification) for the renovation/conversion of a commercial
property to a hotel.

Also, sorry the link doesn't remain as the list of permits gets updated weekly, but when I posted it, the permits for 1221 and 1200 Ave. B (same project) were posted. If you want, go on the COSA Development Services site and see for yourself.

Application #: M1592460
Site Location: BLDG 1 1200 AVENUE B
SAN ANTONIO, TX 78215-0000
Application Type: COMMERCIAL SINGLE BUILDING
Application Description: RE-DESIGNING THE INTERIORS AND EXTERIORS OF THE APARTMENT BUILDINGS ON BLOCKS 466 AND 467;
THE SCOPE OF WORK ON BLOCK 466 ALSO INCLUDES CHANGING THE UNCONSTRUCTED PORTION OF THE 4TH FLOOR SHELL TO INCORPORATE A NEW STRUCTURAL STEEL FRAMING SYSTEM;

LANDSCAPING WILL BE INSTALLED THROUGHOUT BLOCKS 466 AND 467.
*****
REFER TO PPR #2930 FOR MEETING NOTES.
*****
*****03/19/2010 - PER THE ARCHITECT, BLDGS 1 THROUGH 9 UTILIZING ONE BUILDING CONCEPT AND BLDGS 10 THROUGH 19 ALSO UTILIZING ONE BUILDING CONCEPT. FOR ALL BUILDINGS (I.E., 1 THROUGH 19) TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION IS IB...J.GALLEGOS
*********************Special Inspections form and resubmittal submitted June 3, 2010 okay for review and approval, per PDSD Engineer Michael Shannon, see OLE for forms.**********


4-29-10--ELECTRICAL PE SEAL APPROVED...VLG


***** 06.28.10 NO C OF O TO BE ISSUED UNTIL THE STREET CONSTRUCTION PLANS HAVE BEEN REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY PDSD- LAND DEVELOPMENT DEPT. CONTACT JUAN RAMIREZ,P.E. 210.207.0281 *****

As you can see, I went through the trouble of finding it myself and posting it for you. I highlighted the dates so that you can see that when I posted that there was activity of resubmitting permits and such, there was (3 June and 28 June.) If you want to drive by and see for yourself, go ahead, you will see that the shell has been cleaned out (old mattresses and blankets, trash, etc.) and a bobcat is out there to continue the clean-up.

[maxus]

Thanks for the details. Very nice.

[kornbread]

Originally Posted by maxus

Thanks for the details. Very nice.

Talk about timing...

There's actually a mention of this in the Express-News Downtown Blog which talks about the opening of TownPlace Suites
http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblog...ns-tomorr.html

Add to the Houston Street mix the visible gutting of the South Texas Building and the conversion of it into a Hyatt Summerfield Suites, and Houston Street could get fairly crowded, fairly soon.

[miaht82]

Originally Posted by jaga185

^^^ HDRC approved, *GASP* demolition of the old building for a new, small, medical complex. From the look of the renderings, it should greatly improve the area, and I'm glad Audrey's is going. I heard he is opening somewhere else, as he is getting a good settlement for selling.

Well....
Audry's is officially history. It was demo'd sometime in the last few days.
Also, the O'Krents (300 San Pedro) is set to be demo'd once they clean it out.

[sakyle04]

O'Krents may be the bigger piece there.

That is a great location on what might one day be a very nice stretch of density up towards SAC and into Monte Vista. Wouldn't mind seeing something medical added there as well.

Sort of along the same lines (future spots of interest), I wonder what the 20 year outlook is on Fox Tech... If it ever gets closed, you will have a large area of DT land for....? Stadium? Residential cluster? Consolidated Children's Hospital?

[kornbread]

Originally Posted by sakyle04

O'Krents may be the bigger piece there.

That is a great location on what might one day be a very nice stretch of density up towards SAC and into Monte Vista. Wouldn't mind seeing something medical added there as well.

Great location, but didn't they want to build a storage facility there?

[miaht82]

Originally Posted by kornbread

Great location, but didn't they want to build a storage facility there?

I thought that was the plan too, however, a couple of months ago, at a city council meeting (at the hearing to deny historical findings,) the owners gave a presentation showing a mixed-use building similar to the Full Goods. I could never get my hands on the rendering, and I've tried to find it elswhere.... no luck. That could just be what they were telling the council so they could side with them.

On a different note:

http://www.mysanantonio.com/business..._98557269.html

St. Anthony Hotel set for auction block
By Elizabeth Allen - Express-News

The century-old St. Anthony Hotel is set for the auction block Aug. 3.
The troubled 352-room hotel, which has been in receivership since February, is indebted for almost $50 million, while the property itself is valued in appraisal district records at $19 million.

In the February court filings, then-trustee Wells Fargo Bank said the owner's failure to maintain the St. Anthony would cause it to lose value. Its financial situation had deteriorated so much at that point that it narrowly avoided having its power cut off.

The hotel continues to operate and take reservations, and employees Thursday had not heard of the foreclosure listing.

Read more......

It's a shame that it is so mismanaged, however, I see a chance for someone to make it much, much better than it is. The timing (with about 700 rooms coming online on Houston St.) could be right for the right buyer to come in and convert it to residential. It's unlikely given the meeting space at the hotel but even with new management it could do more for Travis St. than it currently is.

[sakyle04]

Originally Posted by miaht82

The timing (with about 700 rooms coming online on Houston St.) could be right for the right buyer to come in and convert it to residential.

Um,

[Fireoutofclay]

I've always felt that the St Anthony, the Telephone Building, and the Milam Building would make excellent dwellings. With the Milam by the river, the St. Anthony by Travis "Park" and the Telephone by the Municipal Auditorium and river. I think its a great idea to turn the St. anthony into a residential building.

[necropolis]

So I did find this rendering of university health center-downtown while browsing flickr...
c/o of universityhealthsystem

http://www.flickr.com/photos/univers...7624290474660/

[miaht82]

nice......

[necropolis]

So I was driving thru downtown and figured I'd snap a couple of photos of the new hotels going up...up to 6 floors now

[necropolis]

So I know we already saw a rendering of the Broadway Bank Professional Building but figured I'd post a wider shot of it.
c/o rlworth.com



According to mysa.com once half of the building is pre-leased constuction will begin, finishing up by the end of next year

http://www.mysanantonio.com/business..._99660689.html

[miaht82]

There's going to be a decent amount of activity in that area near 35; this, the medical offices on Camden (now that Audry's is gone), and Edwards Aquifer Authority adding 32,000 sq. ft. of space to their building, plus nearly 500 units between the Pearl and 1221, and we should have some pretty decent momentum to pull in some new announcements for River North.

[miaht82]

Texas de Brazil made the HDRC agenda for approval of their signage.



For those that want to see some pics of the new Towneplace Suites, there is a photo gallery on their website. Check it out.

Also, according to the DTblog, Hip Dingo is opening up on Houston St. near Hotel Indigo.

No one single project will cause the upward spiral to take off, but the slow addition of things like all of these add to the momentum.

We need to continue adding more rental units.