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  #1721  
Old Posted Jan 6, 2009, 3:54 PM
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I wasn't aware that the city had gotten everyone out of the annex yet. They have moved a lot of people to Municiple Plaza and other city buildings so that it can be taken down for surface parking (for now). This piece of land is the bread and butter for CoSA's growth downtown.

In other news, the Kmart site may not be the home of the future CoSA Police Department. The city is being told that the site is too small for what needs to be built.

I really hope that they can find a way to make it work. There is no property downtown that will meet their needs. I don't understand why they cannot build vertical (including a garage) instead of a sprawling campus with surface parking. It would be a shame if the Police department was moved outside of downtown.

I guess we will just have to wait and see.
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  #1722  
Old Posted Jan 6, 2009, 6:43 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by STLtoSA View Post
I wasn't aware that the city had gotten everyone out of the annex yet. They have moved a lot of people to Municiple Plaza and other city buildings so that it can be taken down for surface parking (for now). This piece of land is the bread and butter for CoSA's growth downtown.

In other news, the Kmart site may not be the home of the future CoSA Police Department. The city is being told that the site is too small for what needs to be built.

I really hope that they can find a way to make it work. There is no property downtown that will meet their needs. I don't understand why they cannot build vertical (including a garage) instead of a sprawling campus with surface parking. It would be a shame if the Police department was moved outside of downtown.

I guess we will just have to wait and see.
That is true; if they can't build vertical though I would rather them move to a location immediately out of the "inner loop." Perhaps around the Haven for Hope/ University Hospital area. We don't need any more surface lots.
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  #1723  
Old Posted Jan 6, 2009, 8:08 PM
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Great pics, Boquillas.
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  #1724  
Old Posted Jan 6, 2009, 11:03 PM
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Originally Posted by sakyle04 View Post
http://www.sanantonio.gov/historic/docs/HDRC_AGENDA.pdf pg 186

The city is getting permission tomorrow to demolish the City Hall Annex on Dolorosa.

There are big plans for the site. And this is the first step in that process.
Are these the same plans as the ones I PM you about a while back?
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  #1725  
Old Posted Jan 6, 2009, 11:05 PM
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Originally Posted by miaht82 View Post
That is true; if they can't build vertical though I would rather them move to a location immediately out of the "inner loop." Perhaps around the Haven for Hope/ University Hospital area. We don't need any more surface lots.
By Inner Loop, I think you meant Central Loop as 410 is considered the Inner Loop with 1604 being the Outer Loop.
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  #1726  
Old Posted Jan 7, 2009, 3:28 AM
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Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam View Post
By Inner Loop, I think you meant Central Loop as 410 is considered the Inner Loop with 1604 being the Outer Loop.
I usually think of 281/I-37 to the east, I-10 to the west, I-35 to the north, and US 90 to the south as being the inner loop. At least that it forms the greater boundary lines for Central San Antonio and downtown. I guess that could be wrong. Loop 410 definitely is the more prominent and actual loop.
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  #1727  
Old Posted Jan 7, 2009, 10:34 AM
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Howdy all. Seems I'm a bit late to the party. Glad to see the downtown thread didn't slow down a bit over the holidays. Now, on to business....

Quote:
Originally Posted by alexjon View Post
Mike Villareal put a funding bill for electric rail (LRT) apparently a few months back, and the city approved funding a study (read: rubber-stamped) for Wolff's pet LRT line from Camp Bullis past Downtown to Southtown/Fort Sam.

...

The problem, however, is that it looks like if Castro is the next Mayor or Hardberger gets to make the decision on the alignment, we can probably kiss a through-downtown alignment goodbye, since Castro is fond of transit centers (i.e. routes outside, but not through downtown) and Hardberger is trying hard to make downtown a gussied-up show pony for his own legacy.
Slow down a bit there Nostradamus. I'd also suggest you downsize your Venti cup of conspiracy to a Grande or a Tall.

Wolff, Hardberger, Castro, Cibrian, you, me, or anyone else for that matter wont have a say on the alignment. It was decided about 100 years ago when the existing tracks were put down. The plan calls for using the trackage UP will be abandoning in/near 2011. As it stands, that's the only way the plan makes any economic sense as the city/county won't have to make deal-breaking right-of-way land purchases (save for stations and other minor infrastructure projects). It was UP's pending abandonment of the line that brought LRT back from the dead.

I'm sure minor adjustments to small segments of the existing track would be made at points (chiefly, the northern terminus into/at/around The Rim development/Camp Bullis and the southern/eastern terminus into Ft. Sam.)

A true 'downtown' stop/path (say Commerce at Alamo or Main) was never in the works. Only way that happens is if:
1. a white knight rolls up with a fistfull of cash to pay for downtown property acquisitions to allow the tracks to be laid (likely using more land for trains requiring large turning radii as these wont be the expensive, nimble trains capable of 1/2 block turns- this whole deal will be done on the cheap, or it won't happen at all) and station construction, and;
2. a political leader comes on scene who has charisma and endless supplies of xanax to: A) calm angry San Antonio drivers who are just about fed up with grand-scale road construction projects, even for the greater good, and B) calm the fears of downtown business owners who are still fuming over the tri-party construction nightmare of 20 years ago.

Quite simply, a 'core' downtown station wont happen as long as there is a single, old, crusty, complaining, jim's-loving, retiree, geezer alive in this town. If the plan comes to fruition, the 'Westside Multi-modal Transit Center' (by UTSA downtown) is where the downtown stop would be located as the existing tracks pass right through there. And for the purposes of self-disclosure, I'm no fan of the Castro brothers. I think they're both tools. But to be fair, a multi-modal transit center has been planned (in some form) for the near west-side since those boys were in diapers.

Don't misunderstand, I'm 100% for a stop in downtown 'proper' and beyond- I want a full system (none of this starter line nonsense), and I want it yesterday. But alas, most San Antonians are notoriously cheap and would be happy if their local government did nothing but provide fire and police services. With documented obesity on the rise in San Antonio, I don't see a thing wrong with hoofing it 10 to 15 blocks to catch the train. It would do us all a world of good.
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  #1728  
Old Posted Jan 7, 2009, 1:49 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam View Post
Are these the same plans as the ones I PM you about a while back?
same ones. still no details and nothing i'm allowed to share.
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  #1729  
Old Posted Jan 7, 2009, 3:48 PM
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Ah! All these secrets are making me go crazy! About when do you think you would be able to share kyle? Or are you already saying too much.
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  #1730  
Old Posted Jan 7, 2009, 3:51 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam View Post
By Inner Loop, I think you meant Central Loop as 410 is considered the Inner Loop with 1604 being the Outer Loop.
yeah; central loop or inner"most" loop.
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  #1731  
Old Posted Jan 7, 2009, 4:24 PM
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The big plans for the city-hall annex site are to build a building that will house most city departments under one roof, and a large parking structure. This is the pie in the sky plan last I heard, but nothing that will happen anytime soon. And nothing that has really gone farther than ideas and behind closed doors discussions.

For now it will be paved for parking. Somewhere between 320 and 350 spaces will be part of the parking lot. Nothing has been designed yet (not that it takes much to design a surface lot).

Demolishishing the Annex and creating parking is a way for the city to better utilize the space until plans for development are decided on.
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  #1732  
Old Posted Jan 7, 2009, 5:13 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jaga185 View Post
Ah! All these secrets are making me go crazy! About when do you think you would be able to share kyle? Or are you already saying too much.
would share more if i could...

Quote:
The big plans for the city-hall annex site are to build a building that will house most city departments under one roof, and a large parking structure.
...not A building.

Quote:
And nothing that has really gone farther than ideas and behind closed doors discussions.
These have produced renderings.
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  #1733  
Old Posted Jan 7, 2009, 8:50 PM
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Quote:
Quote:
And nothing that has really gone farther than ideas and behind closed doors discussions.
These have produced renderings.
Obviously the secrecy that you are going on about shows that it is something going on behind closed doors.
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  #1734  
Old Posted Jan 7, 2009, 10:39 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TXlifeguard View Post
Howdy all. Seems I'm a bit late to the party. Glad to see the downtown thread didn't slow down a bit over the holidays. Now, on to business....



Slow down a bit there Nostradamus. I'd also suggest you downsize your Venti cup of conspiracy to a Grande or a Tall.

Wolff, Hardberger, Castro, Cibrian, you, me, or anyone else for that matter wont have a say on the alignment. It was decided about 100 years ago when the existing tracks were put down. The plan calls for using the trackage UP will be abandoning in/near 2011. As it stands, that's the only way the plan makes any economic sense as the city/county won't have to make deal-breaking right-of-way land purchases (save for stations and other minor infrastructure projects). It was UP's pending abandonment of the line that brought LRT back from the dead.

I'm sure minor adjustments to small segments of the existing track would be made at points (chiefly, the northern terminus into/at/around The Rim development/Camp Bullis and the southern/eastern terminus into Ft. Sam.)

A true 'downtown' stop/path (say Commerce at Alamo or Main) was never in the works. Only way that happens is if:
1. a white knight rolls up with a fistfull of cash to pay for downtown property acquisitions to allow the tracks to be laid (likely using more land for trains requiring large turning radii as these wont be the expensive, nimble trains capable of 1/2 block turns- this whole deal will be done on the cheap, or it won't happen at all) and station construction, and;
2. a political leader comes on scene who has charisma and endless supplies of xanax to: A) calm angry San Antonio drivers who are just about fed up with grand-scale road construction projects, even for the greater good, and B) calm the fears of downtown business owners who are still fuming over the tri-party construction nightmare of 20 years ago.

Quite simply, a 'core' downtown station wont happen as long as there is a single, old, crusty, complaining, jim's-loving, retiree, geezer alive in this town. If the plan comes to fruition, the 'Westside Multi-modal Transit Center' (by UTSA downtown) is where the downtown stop would be located as the existing tracks pass right through there. And for the purposes of self-disclosure, I'm no fan of the Castro brothers. I think they're both tools. But to be fair, a multi-modal transit center has been planned (in some form) for the near west-side since those boys were in diapers.

Don't misunderstand, I'm 100% for a stop in downtown 'proper' and beyond- I want a full system (none of this starter line nonsense), and I want it yesterday. But alas, most San Antonians are notoriously cheap and would be happy if their local government did nothing but provide fire and police services. With documented obesity on the rise in San Antonio, I don't see a thing wrong with hoofing it 10 to 15 blocks to catch the train. It would do us all a world of good.
Why not a street car system for downtown "proper" instead of light rail running through? I mean, I think it's more logical to have the street cars than one line going east to west and another going north to south. Imagine getting dropped off at the WSMTS or maybe even a East Side Station and then catching the street car to Hemisfair or to River North, etc.
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  #1735  
Old Posted Jan 7, 2009, 10:40 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by STLtoSA View Post
Obviously the secrecy that you are going on about shows that it is something going on behind closed doors.
I think what he's getting at is that it's bigger than you'd presenting it and farther along than you think it is.
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  #1736  
Old Posted Jan 8, 2009, 6:16 AM
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Innovation is Needed

PRT Would be cool for downtown.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epiiPy9kAho




It would be......
~cheaper to run (maybe)
~less pollution (for sure)
~convenient (probably)
~create more muscle for the tourist industry
This would make San Antonio even more unique and fun!

For those who have political ties, please consider it.
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  #1737  
Old Posted Jan 8, 2009, 2:02 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam View Post
Why not a street car system for downtown "proper" instead of light rail running through? I mean, I think it's more logical to have the street cars than one line going east to west and another going north to south. Imagine getting dropped off at the WSMTS or maybe even a East Side Station and then catching the street car to Hemisfair or to River North, etc.
Isn't the River North streetcar supposed to provide at least some of that connectivity?
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  #1738  
Old Posted Jan 8, 2009, 9:07 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam View Post
I think what he's getting at is that it's bigger than you'd presenting it and farther along than you think it is.
I understand what he meant. I never said that the city didn't have big plans with the site. I said that the plans that the city has for the site are for future City growth and relocation of staff. It doesn't take anything to make a rendering. All a rendering does, is show vision. How many times do you see renderings change as projects actually come into the design and planning stage. That is because when it starts out it is just a concept.

I am not underestimating the site at all.

I don't know anything for certain, but I guess SAKyle does. I'm not trying to trump any information. just trying to give some of my own.

SAKyle typed "A" boldly, I guess implying that multiple buildings will be built on the site.

Lets hope so, but mostly what I have heard from unnamed sources at the City say Parking Lot, then Garage and new City Building.
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  #1739  
Old Posted Jan 8, 2009, 10:13 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by oldmanshirt View Post
Isn't the River North streetcar supposed to provide at least some of that connectivity?
North to South and only in River North.
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  #1740  
Old Posted Jan 8, 2009, 11:33 PM
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I thought it went as far south as the convention center.
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