SAN ANTONIO | Urban Core Development Thread

[texboy]

River Walk project meetings slated

Web Posted: 09/24/2007 11:08 PM CDT

Creighton A. Welch
Express-News Business Writer

Plans are under way for the 25-block mixed-use development project to revamp the River Walk north of downtown, appropriately called River North.

All this week, the design team is holding a charrette, or public presentations and discussions to create a draft master plan for the mixed-use project. The meetings are in the New Covenant Building at First Presbyterian Church, 404 N. Alamo St. They are free and open to the public.

On Monday, the team addressed the issue of transportation and the effect it can have on a development's success.

Rick Chellman is the transportation engineer for the project, and his ideal development is one utilizing a "park-once" plan. Residents and visitors of River North would be able to park in one spot and have everything within walking distance without driving again.

"Most planners use a five-minute walk radius," Chellman said. "That's about how far Americans will walk."

The five minutes is about one-fourth of a mile. The River North area is about three-fourths of a mile long and one-third of a mile wide.

Chellman said some streets would be added to the area to break up the larger blocks, and he doubts any streets would be removed. The plan also may call for expanding VIA Metropolitan Transit's trolley service throughout the area and improving sidewalks to make them more pedestrian-friendly.

"By designing places where you have the option of walking, we're enfranchising more people," Chellman said.

He also said that a more inviting transportation system would increase commercial activity in the area.

Stefanos Polyzoides is a partner at Moule & Polyzoides, a California architecture firm that is running the planning team. One of his hopes is that the area spawns a "regeneration of the great commercial block" where shops line the streets, and residents walk from place to place.

"It's really sad that folks today have to get in their cars to go take a walk," Chellman said. "Even folks who have great difficulty walking will do so in an environment that's conducive to it."

Traveling by foot was the subject of Monday's discussion. The rest of the week will address the economy, environment, architecture and zoning implications of the planned area. By the charrette's end, the planners will have a draft for the project, but this plan will not necessarily be the permanent design for River North.

[Paul in S.A TX]

Originally Posted by adtobias

would be nice if sa had more going for it d/t

Come on now, not to many cities in th U.S. have downtowns as active as San Antonio's.San Antonio's easily has one of the most vibrant in America.

[adtobias]

not really I travel a lot and sa d/t is kind of dead. 3 things missing. 1 good jobs 2 housing 3 people

[ryan5021]

Originally Posted by adtobias

not really I travel a lot and sa d/t is kind of dead. 3 things missing. 1 good jobs 2 housing 3 people

You may travel a lot but you obviously don't go to our downtown too often. How can you say our downtown is dead when on any given night there are thousands of people there. In case you didn't know the riverwalk is part of downtown and there are always people there.

Our downtown is probably one of the most active in the entire country. Have you ever been to cities like Houston, Indianapolis, Phoenix or Dallas. Unless there is a sporting event there aren't many people around which is not the case for SA.

[KevinFromTexas]

Certain areas of downtown San Antonio are very active, with extremely high pedestrian numbers, but others are deader than a door nail with almost no one around except vagrants. San Antonio is not alone in this category however.

Originally Posted by ryan5021

Have you ever been to cities like Houston, Indianapolis, Phoenix or Dallas. Unless there is a sporting event there aren't many people around which is not the case for SA.

Not the best examples of pedestrian hotbeds for downtowns. I'd pick some different ones to compare to for pedestrian purposes. Although I'm usually there on the weekend, and on Sunday, so that might explain it. But I have been during the week and it wasn't exactly booming. Fort Worth seems to know what's going on though.

[ydoc14]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Certain areas of downtown San Antonio are very active, with extremely high pedestrian numbers, but others are deader than a door nail with almost no one around except vagrants. San Antonio is not alone in this category however.



Not the best examples of pedestrian hotbeds for downtowns. I'd pick some different ones to compare to for pedestrian purposes. Although I'm usually there on the weekend, and on Sunday, so that might explain it. But I have been during the week and it wasn't exactly booming. Fort Worth seems to know what's going on though.

DT Fort Worth is only active around Sundance Square, outside of Sundance Square there was hardly no one on the streets when we were walking around.

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by ydoc14

DT Fort Worth is only active around Sundance Square, outside of Sundance Square there was hardly no one on the streets when we were walking around.

True, I've seen some slow areas. Every downtown has them. I just meant that Fort Worth is doing wonders at making their downtown livable and attractive to pedestrians and encouraging that type of development and sidewalk appeal to spread across downtown. While I love the vegetation of downtown San Antonio (I'm a plant nut), and the public art in Houston, Fort Worth has done a nice job with making their sidewalks favorable for pedestrians. Planters, nice shade trees, park benches. This is up and down just about every street in the heart of downtown.

[ydoc14]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

True, I've seen some slow areas. Every downtown has them. I just meant that Fort Worth is doing wonders at making their downtown livable and attractive to pedestrians and encouraging that type of development and sidewalk appeal to spread across downtown. While I love the vegetation of downtown San Antonio (I'm a plant nut), and the public art in Houston, Fort Worth has done a nice job with making their sidewalks favorable for pedestrians. Planters, nice shade trees, park benches. This is up and down just about every street in the heart of downtown.

Yes I agree with you.

[jaga185]

I need to go to Fort Worth, I've never been. But yeah, many parts of downtown are dead, especially at night...hopefully that will be changing in some areas though.

[maxus]

a few more future SA?

[IMG][/IMG][IMG][/IMG]

[maxus]

the broadway- hildebrand looking east

[IMG][/IMG]

[KevinFromTexas]

Chinese skyscrapers in San Antonio.

[ydoc14]

Originally Posted by maxus

a few more future SA?

I want a house on that street lol, which street is that?

[JACKinBeantown]

Nice Photoshop job.

[maxus]

Originally Posted by ydoc14

I want a house on that street lol, which street is that?

I forget the name of the street but it is in Inspiration Hills off of Hillcrest between Bandera and Babcock inside Loop 410. It used to be a makeout hill but the folks there are good about calling the cops whenever a car stops. You should see the view in the night.

[adtobias]

too bad the area is not nice.....nice views

[ydoc14]

Originally Posted by adtobias

too bad the area is not nice.....nice views

I was afraid of that

[westernmost]

sometimes it seems S.A.'s design/review commission is so against a new skyscraper ever coming to be, that if AT&T ever built one, they'd be forced to build a reverse skyscraper, one that goes 70 floors below the earth's surface, with one floor above ground, that seems to be the kind of dedication they have

[Paul in S.A TX]

Originally Posted by westernmost

sometimes it seems S.A.'s design/review commission is so against a new skyscraper ever coming to be, that if AT&T ever built one, they'd be forced to build a reverse skyscraper, one that goes 70 floors below the earth's surface, with one floor above ground, that seems to be the kind of dedication they have

I sent that review board a letter shortly after the change of the Grand hyatt and Vidorri.I think it was an old lady, she snapped back.Hopefully I knocked some since into the hag.Anyhow I read they downsized that dept. and taperd their influence a bit on what and what not can be built in downtown.

[westernmost]

I still have this sneaking suspicion that if there were ever something that surpassed 40 floors in S.A., they'd have those 40 floors built below ground sooner than they would above ground, even though it would seem like an impossibility