SAN ANTONIO | Urban Core Development Thread - Page 300

Tornado · #**5981** Posted **Feb 11, 2020, 3:44 PM**

Unfortunate that the CPS project won't happen at the old power plant anymore. CPS plans to place it on the market soon.

https://www.tpr.org/post/san-antonio...box=1581369685

Sigaven · #**5982** Posted **Feb 11, 2020, 6:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by AwesomeSAView

Great article today on www.kens5.com on the population boom in SA and how 66 people are moving to SA every day.

why didnt you link to the article?

Dan In Real Life · #**5983** Posted **Feb 12, 2020, 3:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sigaven

why didnt you link to the article?

Pretty sure this is the article they were referring to: https://www.kens5.com/article/news/c...8-029071ca93f3

Spoiler · #**5984** Posted **Feb 12, 2020, 4:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tornado

Unfortunate that the CPS project won't happen at the old power plant anymore. CPS plans to place it on the market soon.

https://www.tpr.org/post/san-antonio...box=1581369685

This property, along with the adjoining Lone Star property:

https://www.expressnews.com/real-est...m_campaign=123

Quote:

At a creditors meeting Monday, attorney Thomas Rice said Lone Star is in the process of hiring commercial real estate firm JLL to sell the site before May 1, assuming the lender agrees.

Another option could be for Lone Star to find a partner to help redevelop the property and pay off the debt owed to BridgeInvest. Lone Star and Parkview would likely stay involved in the project, Rice said.

San Antonio needs just one more benevolent billionaire, a la Weston and Goldsbury, to buy these two properties and develop them in a way that captures their whimsy but maximizes their function and utility. Fingers crossed.

JACKinBeantown · #**5985** Posted **Feb 12, 2020, 5:58 PM**

Here's an interactive table showing all major US cities with populations by year from 2010-2018. If you click on "Population Change" San Antonio is #15.

http://proximityone.com/metros.htm#msa2020

(Scroll half way down.)

sirkingwilliam · #**5986** Posted **Feb 12, 2020, 7:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JACKinBeantown

Here's an interactive table showing all major US cities with populations by year from 2010-2018. If you click on "Population Change" San Antonio is #15.

http://proximityone.com/metros.htm#msa2020

(Scroll half way down.)

That link details MSA population change, not city change.

Restless One · #**5987** Posted **Feb 12, 2020, 8:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam

That link details MSA population change, not city change.

Yeah, I went to the site and figured that out for myself.

Of course, the "/metros.htm#msa2020" in the address of the link was a hint as well.

GoldenBoot · #**5988** Posted **Feb 12, 2020, 8:55 PM**

^^^Which is a better comparison metric anyway.

Restless One · #**5989** Posted **Feb 13, 2020, 3:11 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoldenBoot

^^^Which is a better comparison metric anyway.

I agree completely.

Another statistic that tells a story is density. As an example, as of 2018, San Antonio was roughly 50,000 or so behind Philly in population, (city, not metro), but Philly has north of 11,000 persons per square mile, while San Antonio was about 3,200 per square mile.

Definitely shows sprawl of San Antonio, and one wonders what DT might look like if not for the cheaper land outside of loopland.

While it's good to see DT becoming a place for San Antonio residents to come together, shop, and live, prices downtown still leave little room for citizens of this great city to shop, dine, and entertain in the DT core.

Yet, at the same time, for growth to come to DT, new developers have to see a profit, and these days, they want to see that realization of profit faster and faster.

That is the problem that we must face as a city. Downtown very much still caters to, and takes advantage of, tourists.

JACKinBeantown · #**5990** Posted **Feb 13, 2020, 1:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Restless One

I agree completely.

Another statistic that tells a story is density. As an example, as of 2018, San Antonio was roughly 50,000 or so behind Philly in population, (city, not metro), but Philly has north of 11,000 persons per square mile, while San Antonio was about 3,200 per square mile.

Definitely shows sprawl of San Antonio, and one wonders what DT might look like if not for the cheaper land outside of loopland.

While it's good to see DT becoming a place for San Antonio residents to come together, shop, and live, prices downtown still leave little room for citizens of this great city to shop, dine, and entertain in the DT core.

Yet, at the same time, for growth to come to DT, new developers have to see a profit, and these days, they want to see that realization of profit faster and faster.

That is the problem that we must face as a city. Downtown very much still caters to, and takes advantage of, tourists.

A big hurdle is also the lack of rail or dedicated bus lane rapid transit. People relocating from other cities are accustomed to the convenience and smart option of subways and good bus systems. Philly has it, so do Boston, New York, Chicago, and even Houston and LA are pretty far along in developing theirs now. San Antonio has been voting it down for decades and it's time people realize that it's necessary. It needs to be approved now because it takes several years to build that infrastructure.

Spoiler · #**5991** Posted **Feb 13, 2020, 3:27 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JACKinBeantown

A big hurdle is also the lack of rail or dedicated bus lane rapid transit. People relocating from other cities are accustomed to the convenience and smart option of subways and good bus systems. Philly has it, so do Boston, New York, Chicago, and even Houston and LA are pretty far along in developing theirs now. San Antonio has been voting it down for decades and it's time people realize that it's necessary. It needs to be approved now because it takes several years to build that infrastructure.

Unfortunately, in 2015 San Antonians passed a charter amendment requiring that any rail transit system must be put on the ballot to be voted on by the citizens, meaning VIA can't just decide to start building it. Current transit plans treat rail is if it's a dirty word, and the politicians are afraid to associate themselves with it. This is one of the times when San Antonio has really shot itself in the foot.

San Antonio's development has resulted in a paradox. It needs much greater density for rail to be effective, but it can't have greater density without a rail-like system in place. The Rivard Report recently published a good article about increasing density. It calls for rezoning the commercial corridors to include high-density residential. This may be our only successful way forward.

https://therivardreport.com/one-map-...for-all-of-us/

Here's a good op/ed published last month in the Express about the benefits of light rail in SA:

Opinion: San Antonio can ‘future-proof’ mobility with light rail

https://www.expressnews.com/opinion/...f-14963311.php

JACKinBeantown · #**5992** Posted **Feb 13, 2020, 5:30 PM**

^^ like button

The Model · #**5993** Posted **Feb 14, 2020, 4:16 AM**

[IMG]

San Antonio Skyline by Raul Medina III, on Flickr[/IMG]

JACKinBeantown · #**5994** Posted **Feb 14, 2020, 3:33 PM**

^^ like button

Too bad it blocks BofA from the angle, but at least it adds another 300-footer to the skyline.

KevinFromTexas · #**5995** Posted **Feb 20, 2020, 3:45 PM**

^Yeah, I was just gonna say, too bad about the Bank of America Plaza being covered up. It's one of my favorite San Antonio buildings day or night, and I've always liked that view of it. I wish I could move the Thompson Hotel about an inch to the right.

KevinFromTexas · #**5996** Posted **Feb 20, 2020, 3:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattdmoreno

Changes in plans to the near east-side food-truck park

https://news4sanantonio.com/news/loc...ETZdsyrgZk5orM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spoiler

Wow, a pretty wacky design.

Here's my favorite rendering with the building in the middle of wilderness with an unfamiliar skyline in the distance. Please note the power lines are included.

So, any updates with this? Where is this exactly? I hadn't added it to San Antonio's list yet and meant to get around to it, but I just realized I have no idea where they're planning it. lol

The Model · #**5997** Posted **Feb 20, 2020, 4:24 PM**

The food truck park is right off on the east side of IH 37, between the highway and train tracks. Near the Hayes Street bridge. I believe there is a triangle like block with no development that it is supposed to be in.

Spoiler · #**5998** Posted **Feb 20, 2020, 4:34 PM**

I believe it's the block bordered by Brooklyn, Austin, Hays, Chestnut, and Burnet.

JACKinBeantown · #**5999** Posted **Feb 20, 2020, 6:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spoiler

I believe it's the block bordered by Brooklyn, Austin, Hays, Chestnut, and Burnet.

It will do an awesome job of blocking the view of downtown from the bridge.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/He...!4d-98.4804211

Sigaven · #**6000** Posted **Feb 20, 2020, 9:25 PM**

Obviously in the middle of Brackenridge Park. Lol