SAN ANTONIO | Hemisfair Residential Tower | 351 FEET | 28 FLOORS | Cancelled

[RobertS4]

I usually don't get this disappointed or frustrated on development but Wow is all I can say. I don't get why the city approves bland designs and always have issues with the better designs. I feel like we got a La Cantera style mixed used downtown. I'm always defending San Antonio vs. Austin but this stuff really gets me down.

[SproutingTowers]

New design.

https://sanantonioreport.org/hemisfa...tail-buildings

[texboy]

Originally Posted by SproutingTowers

New design.

https://sanantonioreport.org/hemisfa...tail-buildings

This is just ... so San Antonio. From the height being cut to the absolutely atrocious design right next to what is supposed to be a signature park for the city. just...ugh.

[JACKinBeantown]

Keep-SA-Lame needs to weigh in with an opinion about keeping SA lame.

[theOGalexd]

Originally Posted by texboy

This is just ... so San Antonio. From the height being cut to the absolutely atrocious design right next to what is supposed to be a signature park for the city. just...ugh.

yup. disappointing to say the least.

[SATX_Rover]

The City of San Antonio and Hemisfair may want to tone back their comparisons of Civic Park to Chicago's Millennium Park or New York's Central Park if they are going to approve a college dorm looking box of an apartment building to be the architectural center stage of the park.

[Rynetwo]

For all the people that hate this design they should have also hated the first one. It looked like a continued great wall of the Hyatt. They should build the hotel which I like and scrap the apartments all together until Main 300 shows the market needs more high-rise living downtown.

[theOGalexd]

Originally Posted by Rynetwo

For all the people that hate this design they should have also hated the first one. It looked like a continued great wall of the Hyatt. They should build the hotel which I like and scrap the apartments all together until Main 300 shows the market needs more high-rise living downtown.

You're not wrong, but the height would have been very very welcome.

I do agree they should just scrap the apartments completely for the time being and wait to see how 300 Main/Floodgate do. A 10 story box on that lot is a huge waste.

[futuresooner]

The HDRC is an absolute joke for allowing this type of development in what they want as a showcase location for the city. I'd expect something like this on the UTSA campus, not right smack beside Hemisfair.

[JACKinBeantown]

Originally Posted by futuresooner

The HDRC is an absolute joke for allowing this type of development in what they want as a showcase location for the city. I'd expect something like this on the UTSA campus, not right smack beside Hemisfair.

Maybe you should go to the next meeting and say that in a tactful way, so as to persuade and not offend. I'll join you if you pay for my airfare.

[futuresooner]

Originally Posted by JACKinBeantown

Maybe you should go to the next meeting and say that in a tactful way, so as to persuade and not offend. I'll join you if you pay for my airfare.

I've already got an email to give them an earful. You let this happen and also the ungodly atrocity that is The Floodgate (stupid name as well) yet have an issue with a residential high-rise being allegedly "too tall" and "not fitting in"? In addition to that massive wall that is the Grand Hyatt.

I mean, at least the renderings attempted the normal and boring SAT beige stone or colored concrete.

[Tornado]

The San Antonio Business Journal has a new article out where Andres Andujar says the height was brought down from 29 stories to 10 stories because had it stayed at 29 stories, it would have pushed the rental unit price per sqft over $4.

"There have already been some concessions made to keep the projects moving, including an extension of the deadline that was initially set for last November. Other changes have been made to address financial concerns, including shifting from a 29-story residential tower to the 10-story project recently approved by the Historic and Design Review Commission.

Andujar says the financing needed to construct a 29-story tower would have put per-unit rent costs north of $4 per square foot.

The fate of those projects is critical as Hemisfair officials look to pursue development opportunities for other areas of the former World’s Fair site, including real estate along Interstate 37 to the east and around the Tower of the Americas.

“If any of the projects delay or fail, it's going to have an impact on our ability to attract other parties,” Andujar said. “Everybody is going to be watching that progress. All eyes are on this.”

If it all goes as stakeholders hope, Hemisfair could undergo more dramatic change and attract additional investors looking to plant their flag in the heart of the Alamo City.

Andujar says he is cautiously optimistic that more big change is coming to Hemisfair."

[Spoiler]

Originally Posted by futuresooner

I've already got an email to give them an earful. You let this happen and also the ungodly atrocity that is The Floodgate (stupid name as well) yet have an issue with a residential high-rise being allegedly "too tall" and "not fitting in"? In addition to that massive wall that is the Grand Hyatt.

I mean, at least the renderings attempted the normal and boring SAT beige stone or colored concrete.

You're one of the few who hates the Floodgate, and you're mistaken about the HDRC having an issue with the original plan being too tall and not fitting in. That was the Conservation Society. The HDRC was fine with the height.

[theOGalexd]

Originally Posted by Tornado

The San Antonio Business Journal has a new article out where Andres Andujar says the height was brought down from 29 stories to 10 stories because had it stayed at 29 stories, it would have pushed the rental unit price per sqft over $4.

"There have already been some concessions made to keep the projects moving, including an extension of the deadline that was initially set for last November. Other changes have been made to address financial concerns, including shifting from a 29-story residential tower to the 10-story project recently approved by the Historic and Design Review Commission.

Andujar says the financing needed to construct a 29-story tower would have put per-unit rent costs north of $4 per square foot.

The fate of those projects is critical as Hemisfair officials look to pursue development opportunities for other areas of the former World’s Fair site, including real estate along Interstate 37 to the east and around the Tower of the Americas.

“If any of the projects delay or fail, it's going to have an impact on our ability to attract other parties,” Andujar said. “Everybody is going to be watching that progress. All eyes are on this.”

If it all goes as stakeholders hope, Hemisfair could undergo more dramatic change and attract additional investors looking to plant their flag in the heart of the Alamo City.

Andujar says he is cautiously optimistic that more big change is coming to Hemisfair."

At this point they might as well just wait for the market to settle if that's the case. Get the hotel done before the Final Four (if that's even possible at this point) and don't make Hemisfair a giant mess over a half assed 10 story Texas donut. By then the economy should be in better shape and there will be existing projects that prove the market.

[futuresooner]

I've only lived here since January, but the more I read on the Hemisfair redevelopment, it just seems like on misstep after another. The biggest now being that it will not be done until AFTER the damn Final Four, a bastion event for the city to host.

Also, thanks to Spoiler for the correction on who had issue with the height. I'll be emailing them as well.

[Keegan-B-SATX]

Originally Posted by futuresooner

The HDRC is an absolute joke for allowing this type of development in what they want as a showcase location for the city. I'd expect something like this on the UTSA campus, not right smack beside Hemisfair.

100% agree the HDRC is a joke. I was once a student of architecture at SAC, one of the professors there was on the HDRC board(Professor Conner). We once sat through one of these review meetings and i was appalled by Professor Conners and the entire board's behavior. A developer wanted to build a simple 4 story apartment building and spent years jumping through hoops and red tape. Professor Conner shut them down All based on personal preferences not by the will of the city. The developer was so pissed and upset and i was right there with them.
From that moment on I've been against the HDRC. They are unelected officials who have way too much of a say in our cities development. Just a bunch of old geezers holding our city back 😡😡😡😡😡

[The Model]

What a waste of space! I rather have nothing built there then a 10 story apartment building that looks like it belongs in the medical center. This spot needs to be saved for something really special! This is just settling! Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[viruez777]

Originally Posted by JACKinBeantown

Keep-SA-Lame needs to weigh in with an opinion about keeping SA lame.

I COMPLETELY AGREE. I wish someone would look into what kind of deal the city had with developer Zachry. They were granted the projected and yet they held off for 5 years until the city pushed them to start on renderings and break ground. They proposed a 29 floor tower to wait another 9 months and say that materials and interest rates went up so now they are deciding to build a 10 floor cheap dorm looking box and the city agrees? PATHETIC!!!

[JACKinBeantown]

Here's a design that I think most of us would be happy to see go in this lot. Ye Olde Joske's Tower.

http://i.imgur.com/6W3uhoa.png

It would complement the soon-to-be-built Hemisfair Hotel nicely too.

https://www.mysanantonio.com/busines...P-CP-Spotlight

[Restless One]

Originally Posted by JACKinBeantown

Here's a design that I think most of us would be happy to see go in this lot. Ye Olde Joske's Tower.

http://i.imgur.com/6W3uhoa.png

It would complement the soon-to-be-built Hemisfair Hotel nicely too.

https://www.mysanantonio.com/busines...P-CP-Spotlight

Yup, I'm still angry about the Joske's tower never getting off the ground, so to speak.