SAN ANTONIO │ UTSA Development and Construction Thread

[The Model]

This area will be exciting for the next year watching the UTSA building going up next to the Continental Hotel project.

[SpiritofSeguin]

Whoever did the tech setup for the ceremony is never getting hired by the City again; not only did the microphones scratch and garble up when notably the Mayor and former Judge Wolff were speaking, but at the end the lantern balloons that were supposed to light up with colors when they were tossed into the creek never went off! It looked more like a littering convention than a symbolic act (of course they were fished out after). There was all the City Council and other UTSA officials looking at each other like "Was that supposed to happen?"...awkward for them but funny to watch.

[Onward]

Originally Posted by Spoiler

Originally they assumed the County would be willing to demolish its building on the south side of the block. The County said no. I want the preliminary design too because it created a green space between the creek and Casa Navarro, which is nice.

Thanks for that update, I must have missed it somewhere along the way. That's rather shortsighted by the County. Yeah I was really liking the original design as well.

[bosshaa5]

Originally Posted by Onward

Thanks for that update, I must have missed it somewhere along the way. That's rather shortsighted by the County. Yeah I was really liking the original design as well.

I think I remember reading somewhere that the county is renovating that building. So, it makes sense that they aren't demolishing it.

[Keep-SA-Lame]

I can't for the life of me find the article to cite but that's correct, it was deemed considerably cheaper than building a new structure elsewhere. Probably shortsighted but it is what it is.

[SAguy]

Originally Posted by CWalk99

There will be an official groundbreaking for San Pedro II this evening- couldn't find word on the estimated completion date but the final design does seem to be the 8-story building in the most recent renderings posted above.

https://www.bizjournals.com/sananton...expansion.html



Here is the link from UTSA:
https://www.utsa.edu/president/event...nPedro-II.html

The crane should be going up fairly soon.

[babysal]

[IMG][/IMG]

[SpiritofSeguin]

A tale of two towers!

[Spoiler]

This article in a nutshell: maybe we'll know something in May

UTSA targets new downtown site for ITC museum

https://www.bizjournals.com/sananton...ew-museum.html

Nearly four months after the University of Texas at San Antonio confirmed it would explore a downtown site near the Alamo as a potential home for a new Institute of Texan Cultures museum, the exploration of that acreage has become far more serious.

UTSA officials may have a better idea by May if such a move will work.

“That is our preferred site,” UTSA Executive Vice President for Business Affairs and Chief Enterprise Development Officer Veronica Salazar said during an exclusive interview.

The site under consideration is currently a parking lot. It’s immediately east of the Crockett Hotel, which sits footsteps from an Alamo area undergoing a more than $400 million transformation.

Because the real estate is within a historically designated zone, UTSA officials have already had some preliminary conversations with the Texas Historical Commission about potentially developing a museum on the site. Salazar says UTSA plans to provide an update to the commission during its next quarterly meeting.

Salazar says UTSA has also met with Kate Rogers, executive director of The Alamo Trust, which is spearheading the Alamo master plan, to gauge her groups needs, which could include parking and office space.

“We're still working through those details to see if we can all fit in that tight site and get as many of our needs met as we can,” Salazar said. “They have been very collaborative and cooperative with us in this diligence period.”

Based on preliminary numbers, a new museum could span roughly 80,000 square feet and cost upwards of $100 million to construct.

The University of Texas System Board of Regents voted on Feb. 22 to give UTSA conditional approval to exclusively discuss with the city of San Antonio a potential lease or sale of the current 14-acre ITC site at Hemisfair.

“As the as we continue to pursue a broader redevelopment strategy, which includes major venues like the convention center, the Alamodome and Hemisfair Park, this parcel presents an opportunity to create a focal point,” San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg told me.

Salazar said UTSA would need to secure a new home for the museum before moving out of its current structure or finding temporary space. But with the investment needed to repair the building and other challenges, such an exit is likely.

“We do need to find a new home for the ITC,” she said, noting the goal was to wrap up due diligence on the Crockett site by May. “That’s still our target.”

[Keep-SA-Lame]

Has it been said anywhere if the site would be both lots between Bonham and Bowie? Or just the lot directly behind the Crockett Hotel (about half the block)?

[bosshaa5]

Originally Posted by Keep-SA-Lame

Has it been said anywhere if the site would be both lots between Bonham and Bowie? Or just the lot directly behind the Crockett Hotel (about half the block)?

UTSA entered a Memorandum of Understanding with The Crocket Hotel for the new site. The Crocket owns most of that parking lot, but the River Center Mall owns the section abutting Bowie St.

So, I would wager that the new ITC would just be on the Crockett portion, but I hope I am wrong and they can get the whole parking lot.

[jaga185]

UTSA to move ITC museum to Frost Tower as it pursues permanent home

The University of Texas at San Antonio plans to move the Institute of Texan Cultures to Frost Tower as it formalizes plans for a permanent home for the museum.

It’s a landmark decision that comes after years of community engagement and recognition that the current site, constructed in 1968 for the World’s Fair, needs significant repairs.

“We must proceed on a thoughtful path forward to maximize current opportunities that will allow us to properly preserve the museum’s current exhibits while building a new museum that will serve and educate visitors for decades to come,” UTSA President Taylor Eighmy said.

UTSA plans to house the museum on the first floor of the Frost Tower for roughly five years. That will allow university time to identify a site where it can construct a new permanent home for the ITC.

UTSA's preferred site for a new Institute of Texan Cultures museum is near the Alamo.

As I have previously reported, UTSA’s preferred site for a new museum is land to the east of the Alamo near the Crockett Hotel. University officials said that site could house a 65,000-square-foot, multistory museum as well as a parking structure and various “engagement spaces.”

UTSA is also considering an alternative site next to the university’s Southwest Campus.

There will be a transition period as museum officials move archives to storage and build out the space at Frost for the ITC collection. The museum is expected to close at the end of May and reopen at its temporary home in early 2025.

“Our goal is to provide an updated experience to reconnect with the community and connect with new visitors,” said Monica Perales, associate vice provost for the Institute of Texan Cultures.

In 2021, UTSA launched a community engagement and visioning campaign to evaluate long-term options for the museum that’s led to this decision.

In February, the University of Texas System Board of Regents voted on to give UTSA conditional approval to exclusively discuss with the city a potential lease or sale of the ITC site. UTSA officials said consultants have determined that to accomplish highest use of the land will require removing the Texas Pavilion that currently houses the museum.

“The ITC site is in the heart of downtown San Antonio. As we continue to pursue a broader redevelopment strategy … this parcel presents an opportunity to create a focal point and maximum flexibility,” Mayor Ron Nirenberg told me.

[JACKinBeantown]

^^ Hopefully that parking garage will be as ugly as the original ITC, with no ground level retail, parking entrances and exits that go over the Houston Street sidewalk as to interfere with pedestrians, and absolutely no thoughtful design whatsoever.



And why on earth would they put the garage on the side facing the mall and closest to the Alamo entrance? The garage and museum should switch places. In fact, the museum should wrap around the garage as in so many 5-over-1 apartment buildings.

[AwesomeSAView]

Originally Posted by JACKinBeantown

^^ Hopefully that parking garage will be as ugly as the original ITC, with no ground level retail, parking entrances and exits that go over the Houston Street sidewalk as to interfere with pedestrians, and absolutely no thoughtful design whatsoever.



And why on earth would they put the garage on the side facing the mall and closest to the Alamo entrance? The garage and museum should switch places. In fact, the museum should wrap around the garage as in so many 5-over-1 apartment buildings.

As with everything, I am sure the architects, developers, and designers have their reasons for this layout. Moving the ITC to this location is an excellent idea!!! It is a win-win for everyone involved!!!

[SproutingTowers]

Perhaps build the new arena on this site (in yellow). Probably get rid of Bowie St connecting it to the ferris wheel (in red). It would be closer a closer walk to the downtown hotels and restaurants.

[JACKinBeantown]

Originally Posted by AwesomeSAView

As with everything, I am sure the architects, developers, and designers have their reasons for this layout.

Maybe they made a deal with the Crockett Hotel for guest parking. That's the only plausible reason I can think of.

[The Model]

I do a lot of work with the Menger Hotel and some of my pictures are on display in the lobby and that parking lot is also used for Menger Hotel guest and valet. So maybe the garage will serve both Menger and Crockett Hotel.

[Keep-SA-Lame]

Originally Posted by JACKinBeantown

^^ Hopefully that parking garage will be as ugly as the original ITC, with no ground level retail, parking entrances and exits that go over the Houston Street sidewalk as to interfere with pedestrians, and absolutely no thoughtful design whatsoever.



And why on earth would they put the garage on the side facing the mall and closest to the Alamo entrance? The garage and museum should switch places. In fact, the museum should wrap around the garage as in so many 5-over-1 apartment buildings.

I think you could equally argue that East Houston is the "front" of the lot, especially because it appears they might be getting rid of the little parking lot behind the Alamo (though the two images are contradictory on that). So it's possible that it would be pretty well connected to the pedestrianized segment of Houston

[JACKinBeantown]

Looking on Google Maps I see the Ralston Family Collections Center, which seems to be an Alamo museum, and was under construction in 2022 so it's very new. So I guess having the front next to that makes sense. I guess I stand corrected.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ra...5gqc?entry=ttu

It apparently houses an Alamo collection from Phil Collins, of all people.
https://www.thealamo.org/support/ala...ections-center

[Spoiler]

Originally Posted by JACKinBeantown

It apparently houses an Alamo collection from Phil Collins, of all people.
https://www.thealamo.org/support/ala...ections-center

Are you not yet aware of The Phil Collins Collection? It's been the impetus for the whole Alamo Plaza redevelopment.