SAN ANTONIO | Urban Core Development Thread

[KevinFromTexas]

Skylines look best shot from a park near downtown. I think if you can combine nature/green with urban than you're doing good.

Look at the skyline pages for Texas cities:

Fort Worth
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:F...asSkylineW.jpg
Dallas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:D...yline_2005.jpg
Houston
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Houston_Skyline.jpg
Austin (This one is new)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Milago.jpg
El Paso's
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ImageowntownEP.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:El_Paso_Skyline2.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:El_paso_city.jpg (this is the best)

[verbl]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Skylines look best shot from a park near downtown. I think if you can combine nature/green with urban than you're doing good.

Look at the skyline pages for Texas cities:

Fort Worth
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:F...asSkylineW.jpg
Dallas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:D...yline_2005.jpg
Austin (This one is new)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Milago.jpg
El Paso's
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ImageowntownEP.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:El_Paso_Skyline2.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:El_paso_city.jpg (this is the best)

great pic of Fort Worth. The Austin one looks great as well, all the pics have one thing in common and that is GREAT COMPOSITION. the pic of Austin uses the thirds concept to the T. ( lol my photojournalism class )

[ydoc14]

Ok here's what I've got so far. I haven't put it on Wiki yet because I want yall to read it and see if anything should be changed, added, etc.



Downtown San Antonio is the heart of the city’s culture and tourism. Beautiful, historic, and festive, downtown is home to the famous River Walk and The Alamo.

Bordered by I-10/U.S. 90, I-35, and I-37/U.S. 281, downtown is easily accessible from Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston, Laredo, and other cities throughout the state. Major streets, such as Broadway, East Commerce, Fredericksburg, South Flores, San Pedro, and West Martin, link downtown to the rest of the city.

The downtown skyline is most noticeably characterized by six prominent skyscrapers: Tower of the Americas, Marriott Rivercenter, Weston Centre, Grand Hyatt San Antonio, Tower Life, and Bank of America Plaza. Tower of the Americas, the tallest at 622’, is an observation tower, icon, and forty-year old landmark.

Downtown consists of several districts such as the Alamo District (home to its namesake, The Alamo), the Central Business District (known for the Weston Centre and Bank of America Plaza), the Convention Center District (home to the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center, along with two 1000+ room hotels – Marriott Rivercenter [with adjacent Rivercenter Mall] and Grand Hyatt San Antonio), the Houston Street District (known for its urban revitilization and the global headquarters of AT&T), the King William Historic District and La Villita District (home to some of the city’s original neighborhoods with La Villita dating back to the founding of San Antonio), the Market Square District (located in the western portion of downtown and is home to El Mercado [an outdoor shopping venue resembling the public markets of Mexico]), the River Bend District (the most visited district in downtown--home to the River Walk and its multitude of shops, restaraunts, and hotels), and River North & SoFlo (the two newest districts to undergo aggressive revitilization geared toward urban living).

Several celebrations are also held downtown throughout the year, with the largest being Fiesta. A river parade is also held annualy during the Christmas season to celebrate the lighting of the River Walk with thousands of Christmas lights. And, when the San Antonio Spurs win a NBA Championship, the city holds a river parade to celebrate.

[KevinFromTexas]

That sounds good.

[verbl]

^^^ I second that

[Boquillas]

Hey--I've nothing to say re: the content of the Wikipedia article. I'm only discussing the photo, which I don't have any issues with. Question my sense of aesthetics if you want, but I think there are more worthwhile things we as a community can put our energy into than concerning ourselves with a photo on an information website that casts the city in a less than flattering light according to skyscraper enthusiasts. Other visitors to the site have different priorities vis-à-vis what content is of import to them, and aesthetic considerations may be on a lower rung for the majority of visitors than it is for architecture fans.

[KevinFromTexas]

^ Agreed. Tourists may visit San Antonio and love the buildings, but I doubt many of them actually care at all about architecture or recognize quality architecture when they see it (read cheap hotel designs). They may love the street scape and the Riverwalk, but otherwise be repulsed by density. (I know people like this).

[kornbread]

Which is yours and which is original?

Is this to replace the downtown section? I think what's written sounds horrible.

There is really nothing useful at all written there. Some is really puzzling. For example:

...downtown is easily accessible from Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston, Laredo, and other cities throughout the state...

I'm not sure what this is trying to say. Because they share an interstate?

and

Downtown consists of several districts...

I've never referred to these places as districts, nor seen them referred to that way publicly anywhere. Convention Center district? If someone is standing by the Hilton waiting to cross Alamo, at what point do they cross from the River Bend district to the convention center to la villita district?

There's also details that don't really speak about city in a meaningful way such as the streets and skyline (Tower is the exception).

If you want to rewrite the downtown section, I would not use what's there as a starting point, I would look for examples elsewhere (see Fort Worth).

[ydoc14]

Originally Posted by kornbread

Which is yours and which is original?

Is this to replace the downtown section? I think what's written sounds horrible.

There is really nothing useful at all written there. Some is really puzzling. For example:

I'm not sure what this is trying to say. Because they share an interstate?

and


I've never referred to these places as districts, nor seen them referred to that way publicly anywhere. Convention Center district? If someone is standing by the Hilton waiting to cross Alamo, at what point do they cross from the River Bend district to the convention center to la villita district?

There's also details that don't really speak about city in a meaningful way such as the streets and skyline (Tower is the exception).

If you want to rewrite the downtown section, I would not use what's there as a starting point, I would look for examples elsewhere (see Fort Worth).

Yeah I think the whole FW page is good. I say forget just the downtown part of the SA page, the whole thing needs to be redone.

[ydoc14]

New Hyatt will not open as scheduled

Web Posted: 01/12/2008 12:51 AM CST

Stacia Willson
KENS 5 Eyewitness News

With 37 stories and more than a thousand rooms, the new Grand Hyatt Hotel won’t be ready on time.

Construction has fallen behind on the multi-million dollar hotel, and it won’t open in three weeks.

Just last week, employees at the Hyatt Regency said everything was on schedule for the hotel to open on Feb. 6. But today, the company sent a statement admitting things have fallen behind by at least three weeks.

Construction is in full swing at the newest location, but there is still plenty of work that needs to be done.

The statement says the final stage of construction is not yet “appropriate for customers” and that “it is more prudent to allow three more weeks to finish out the job.”


More coverage
KENS video: http://www2.mysanantonio.com/multimedia/video/NewsOnDemand/index.cfm?videos=50612



Last week, those representing Faulkner USA, the company handling the construction, issued a statement assuring the public that the keys would be handed over by next month.

Meanwhile, KENS 5 has learned that at least one event has already been cancelled. About 500 to 600 people planning on attending a gala at the Hyatt on Feb. 23 have been redirected to the Marriot River Center.

That is raising questions about additional reservations, including bookings for March Madness. The Hyatt Downtown is designated as the headquarters hotel for the Final Four college basketball championships.

Numerous calls to Faulkner were not returned.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Online at: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/met....13aa061b.html

[texboy]

I had a feeling that was going to happen...Im kind of shocked actually that it isn't later, with all the rain we had last year, its a wonder that thing isn't TWO MONTHS behind schedule!

[Complex01]

Very sad to hear...

Tragic to say the least...

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by texboy

I had a feeling that was going to happen...Im kind of shocked actually that it isn't later, with all the rain we had last year, its a wonder that thing isn't TWO MONTHS behind schedule!

That and that worker falling. In case anyone is wondering, I don't like Faulkner.

At least one of the residential highrises in Austin is about 45 days behind schedule. I would blame this also on the weather. With at least 13 inches of rain more last year than we're used to getting, it's no big wonder why it's behind schedule.

[matttwentyeight]

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/met...t.28fa49e.html

Hyatt implements backup plan

Web Posted: 01/12/2008 10:52 PM CST

Melissa S. Monroe
Express-News
Although the builder of the city's new convention center hotel insists it will be ready by Feb. 6, officials of the luxury Grand Hyatt San Antonio aren't taking any chances of a late opening.
City officials confirmed Saturday that Hyatt alerted the city this week that it's relocating meetings it had scheduled up to Feb. 25 to other hotels in the city — 19 days from when the hotel is supposed to be open.

But Grand Hyatt's general contractor, Austin-based FaulknerUSA, maintains it's going to be ready by Feb. 6, when penalties kick in.

"Hyatt prefers not to take a chance rather than deal with it at the 11th hour. They have already booked meeting space at the Convention Center," said Michael Sawaya, the city's director of convention sports and entertainment facilities.

The 1,000-room hotel in downtown San Antonio is owned by Hotel Investments LP, which includes partial owners of Hyatt and FaulknerUSA. The luxury-hotel project was plagued with an abundant amount of rain last year and legal disputes.

The $285 million hotel will boast about 90,000 square feet of meeting space and 147 residential condos adjacent to the Convention Center.

Despite its challenges along the way, FaulknerUSA's spokespeople maintain the hotel will be open early next month.

"FaulknerUSA is scheduled to turn the keys over to Hyatt on Feb. 6," said Bruce Kates, a spokesman for FaulknerUSA.

Hyatt officials could not be reached by deadline.

But Scott Lane, the Grand Hyatt's director of sales and marketing, previously said the hotel is booked to more than 70 percent occupancy in its opening month. He also said the hotel was on pace to have the highest amount of bookings for any Hyatt opening.

Sawaya said he wasn't sure which groups were being moved to other Hyatt and Marriott hotels.

One possibility is a retailing conference scheduled for Feb. 11-13 at the Grand Hyatt, which is supposed to lure 300 people.

Sawaya added FaulknerUSA hasn't alerted the city it won't open on time. He said the contractor could face monetary fines if it's not open by Feb. 6.

The project's challenges are not all bad news for some.

"We are ready to help with any of their customers," said Marriott's area general manager, Arthur Coulombe.

mmonroe@express-news.net

[KevinFromTexas]

One thing though is that the building doesn't necessarily have to be 100 percent finished before its grand opening. I doubt construction would be going on while hotel guests are present, but it wouldn't be unheard of to have even that happen. Some of the residential buildings in Austin that are still wrapping up construction actually have a handful of residents living in the building already. Basically they're there as guinea pigs to work out the kinks.

[arbeiter]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

One thing though is that the building doesn't necessarily have to be 100 percent finished before its grand opening. I doubt construction would be going on while hotel guests are present, but it wouldn't be unheard of to have even that happen. Some of the residential buildings in Austin that are still wrapping up construction actually have a handful of residents living in the building already. Basically they're there as guinea pigs to work out the kinks.

I've heard of this - I think hotels even offer special rates for that. I know they do when they're renovating an existing building.

[ydoc14]

Taken by jritch77 @ Flickr on 1/11



Not really an update picture, but still taken by the same person:

[KevinFromTexas]

What building is that infront of the Drury Plaza Hotel? It looks like it's under construction with that yellow skin.

[ydoc14]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

What building is that infront of the Drury Plaza Hotel? It looks like it's under construction with that yellow skin.

It's still the Drury Plaza - they built more rooms on top of the garage.

[J.Dskyhigh]

I was looking through some proposals and was just wondering if anyone knows the status of that 319 houston st. building? I saw the location and thought a 300 footer would look great in that area.