SAN ANTONIO │ Lone Star Brewery Redevelopment Thread

[JRG1974]

The Business Journal provides some more details. This is really exciting news. I hope that them leaving the Pearl area was so that they could go all in on Lone Star.

https://www.bizjournals.com/sananton...lone-star.html

First look: Houston firm, GrayStreet plan 'lifestyle destination' at former Lone Star Brewery

"A Houston real estate firm, along with a local development group, has revealed its plans for the former Lone Star Brewery site.

Named the Lone Star District, Midway and GrayStreet Partners said in a news release that they will revitalize the 32-acre Southtown site into a multi-phase, mixed-use development over a decade. This will include both redevelopment of the historic buildings and the development of 15 acres.

The first phase along Lone Star Boulevard will include 100,000 square feet of office; 50,000 square feet of retail, bars and restaurants; and 250 residential units as well as open-air plazas, pocket parks and outdoor programming. The site will be accessible to pedestrians and bikers from surrounding neighborhoods.

“Inspired by local context, history, natural amenities and the city’s energy, Lone Star District will be unique and differentiated from other local offerings,” said Don Quigley, vice president of investments and development for Midway. “By embracing and expanding the existing Southtown Arts District programming, Lone Star District will redefine the conventional mixed-use environment and deliver an experience rich of culture and vibrancy, complete with desirable retail options, an array of events, entertainment and dining choices.”

The project team includes master-plan designers Lake Flato Architects and OJB Landscape Architecture as well as civil engineer WGI Engineers.

The development groups said they will invite people to experience the site, inaccessible to the public for decades, through early-stage activations.

“Lone Star District will enhance the eclectic nature of its surroundings," Midway CEO Jonathan Brinsden said. "The project’s scale, density, sensibility and aesthetic have been meticulously planned to respect its context and ensure authenticity."

Midway has been in business for more than 50 years and has completed or developed more than 45 million square feet of properties including mixed-use projects, office, industrial and master-planned residential communities.

GrayStreet acquired the site for $14.45 million in May 2020. Previously, Lone Star Brewery Development Inc. planned a mixed-use redevelopment for the property until the group filed for bankruptcy in January 2020. Jones Lang LaSalle (NYSE: JLL) began marketing the abandoned brewery for sale last March under the jurisdiction of bankruptcy courts.

“Sharing the community’s cherished memories and longstanding ties to the former Lone Star Brewery and the historic Lone Star Buckhorn Saloon and Museums, we’re thrilled to honor the site’s historic legacy, the neighborhood and the people who have come before us, while also embracing change and generating excitement for what comes next,” said Kevin Covey, managing partner of GrayStreet. “Lone Star District will amplify what is best and irreplaceable about San Antonio: cuisine, history, arts and culture."

[aggie2008]

Their website is live! https://www.lonestardistrictsa.com/

Some things I noted:
1. Quite a bit of what was shown on the renderings was not a part of the initial phase (you can see the buildings highlighted as "future phase" on the Phase 1 portion of the site).
2. They are opening up additional parts of the overall development for others to come in and build which will be interesting. Hopefully it means that things look and feel a little different and aren't too master planned but still fit together.

I hope this comes to fruition. I would love to see this finally get done. I remember almost putting a deposit on the townhomes they were planning to build there in I think 2009/2010...

[Tornado]

Originally Posted by aggie2008

Their website is live! https://www.lonestardistrictsa.com/

Some things I noted:
1. Quite a bit of what was shown on the renderings was not a part of the initial phase (you can see the buildings highlighted as "future phase" on the Phase 1 portion of the site).
2. They are opening up additional parts of the overall development for others to come in and build which will be interesting. Hopefully it means that things look and feel a little different and aren't too master planned but still fit together.

I hope this comes to fruition. I would love to see this finally get done. I remember almost putting a deposit on the townhomes they were planning to build there in I think 2009/2010...

This definitely feels more real than anything I've seen in the past. Phase 1 will be fantastic, I'm pulling for GS to get this one complete. Having Midway involved gives me hope.

[aggie2008]

Originally Posted by Tornado

This definitely feels more real than anything I've seen in the past. Phase 1 will be fantastic, I'm pulling for GS to get this one complete. Having Midway involved gives me hope.

It's well done, for sure, but they also did something pretty similar with the east of Broadway development just with Gensler doing the master planning.

The 2009/10 attempt was pretty good too. It was built out to the point that you could see where the townhome units were going to be and I'm 99% sure you there was a way to put a small deposit down to "reserve" one.

[Tornado]

Originally Posted by aggie2008

It's well done, for sure, but they also did something pretty similar with the east of Broadway development just with Gensler doing the master planning.

The 2009/10 attempt was pretty good too. It was built out to the point that you could see where the townhome units were going to be and I'm 99% sure you there was a way to put a small deposit down to "reserve" one.

I'm with you in that GS hasn't given us any reason to have faith that they will follow through after previous projects. My main hope is that they are offloading the SAISD land and have a partner who appears to be able to complete a project like this one.

[SAguy]

From SABJ:

Here's why developer says Lone Star project will reach the finish line

After previous unsuccessful attempts at redevelopment of the former Lone Star Brewery site in Southtown, San Antonians may be hesitant that the latest proposal for the property will materialize.

Midway — the Houston firm working with local group GrayStreet Partners on the proposed Lone Star District — frequently gets the question of whether the firm is worthy of the community’s trust when it comes to the former brewery, according to Don Quigley, the company's vice president of investment and development.

“We know we're not the first [developer] to advertise a great vision for this project,” Quigley said.

The development will begin on a smaller scale than other groups have proposed in the past. The first phase along Lone Star Boulevard is expected to cost roughly $100 million — not including site work. It will include 100,000 square feet of office; 50,000 square feet of retail, bars and restaurants; and 250 residential units as well as open-air plazas, pocket parks and outdoor programming.

Quigley said another advantage to this latest partnership of Midway and GrayStreet — who are 50/50 in the project — is that they own the property with zero debt, 100% equity.

“Our partnership has been established with a long-term mindset from day one,” Quigley said.
Midway is no stranger to completing similar master-planned developments. The company’s portfolio includes CityCentre in Houston, which it acquired in 2005 and since built into a 2.5-million-square-foot mixed-use community. It also developed Century Square in College Station, a partnership with Texas A&M University with office, retail, restaurants and entertainment.

“I mean, we've done it in Houston, we've done it in College Station, and we're looking at other opportunities in other markets, but one that I've been focused on for at least a year and a half to two years is the great market that is there in San Antonio,” Quigley said. “We're just really excited at the opportunity to do something impactful in Southtown, and I think the neighborhood has provided us a really great opportunity to deliver something that falls right in line with our core skill set.”

That does not mean redeveloping the former brewery will be an easy task. Midway expects to complete the first phase in 2025. Quigley said a lot of infrastructure improvements need to be done on site to the buildings to make them safe.

“Those buildings are pretty old, and they have been vacant for at least 20-plus years,” Quigley said. “And so, we have a lot of cleanup we need to do on site.”

While yet to have a hearing with the Historic and Design Review Commission, the developers have already had discussions with the Office of Historic Preservation over the last few months about saving the historic buildings.

“We are glad to see positive developments on this long-awaited project to transform the former Lone Star Brewery,” said Patti Zaiontz, president of the Conservation Society of San Antonio, in a prepared statement. “We look forward to seeing the revised plans and how they take advantage of the site’s historic structures and cultural legacy.”

[aggie2008]

Originally Posted by Tornado

I'm with you in that GS hasn't given us any reason to have faith that they will follow through after previous projects. My main hope is that they are offloading the SAISD land and have a partner who appears to be able to complete a project like this one.

Me too. I have been running a lot down there and I really think the area is ready for a large development like what they are proposing. It would be great to have more regular retail in the area as well.

The articles I'm reading keep alluding to the fact that Midway is involved makes this project a surer thing but fail to mention that Midway was also a partner for Broadway East....

[SAguy]

KENS 5 Podcast,

https://www.kens5.com/mobile/article...tag1=kensshare

[kingkirbythe....]

Firefighters work to extinguish still-smoldering Lone Star Brewery after late Saturday blaze

https://sanantonioreport.org/lone-star-brewery-fire/

Firefighters were still working Sunday to extinguish the remnants of a blaze on the former Lone Star Brewery property that started late Saturday.

Firefighters responded to a call at 10:53 p.m. at the property at 600 Lone Star Blvd. and battled the blaze overnight at the 32-acre former brewery purchased out of bankruptcy last year with plans for a mixed-use development.

[kingkirbythe....]

Lone Star developers Midway, GrayStreet Partners seek $24M in city subsidies

https://saheron.com/lone-star-develo...ity-subsidies/

The Texas-based developers of the Lone Star Brewery are seeking $24 million in subsidies from the City of San Antonio for the cost of infrastructure and other public upgrades in and around the long-abandoned site.

The $709 million project would resuscitate the former brewery, which has sat vacant 1½ miles south of downtown for 25 years, with

[sirkingwilliam]

Rendering of the overall site plan.

[wwmiv]

I actually preferred the smaller scale retro industrialism of the prior development iteration.

[JACKinBeantown]

Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam

Rendering of the overall site plan.

Looks like a lot of five over ones. Hopefully they have a different exterior design than the thousands of other five over ones around the country.

[Spoiler]

I'm interested in that pedestrian bridge over the river in phase 3. It will have to be pretty long. I hope the design is nice.

Also interested in possible outcomes for the Newell property to the west and the city (county?) owned property to the south that's connected to the Mission power plant site by a currently unused bridge.

Also:

"Here is what is planned for each phase of the site's redevelopment, as outlined Tuesday by Verónica Soto, director of the Neighborhood and Housing Services Department:

Phase 1, 2021-2025:
301 multifamily units
1,187 parking spaces
133,729 square feet of office space
5,914 square feet of retail, food and beverage space
38,312 square feet of other commercial space

Phase 2, 2024-2027:
199 multifamily units
1,560 parking spaces
225,323 square feet of office space
44,560 square feet of retail, food and beverage space
186 hotel rooms
25,456 square feet of market space

Phase 3, 2025-2030:
782 multifamily units
1,422 parking spaces
14,746 square feet of retail, food and beverage space"

https://www.bizjournals.com/sananton...r-project.html

[JRG1974]

Originally Posted by JACKinBeantown

Looks like a lot of five over ones. Hopefully they have a different exterior design than the thousands of other five over ones around the country.

It really looks like the imagination on this project shrinks as it goes from North to South.

Granted the north end has a lot of the original structures that they are incorporating, but by the time they build phase three it just looks like a density desert. Basically a place that people go to because they live or work there, but is useless to everyone else.

I really liked the previous concept. With the fires, the use of existing structures may be limited and made the previous design obsolete. Also to make the financial numbers work, they are probably trying to pack a lot more density onto the land. I am disappointed that they are not going to preserve the "lake". I had fond memories of it from when I was a kid. But a water feature next to a water feature was probably a little redundant and not worth the cost.

One thing does come to mind when I see this new design concept is Houston City Center. At least the south end. Which would make sense seeing as that Midway developed that project as well.



It is a great area, but once again it is a lot of density and not a lot of organic feel. There are places I have been there, but I never really felt the need to explore the area on foot or interact with the space in general. I am hoping that Midway has learned a thing or two since then. Some of their more recent developments lends me to feel that they have.

In all, I am glad that Midway is involved. Do I think what they show here is perfect? No, but at least I feel a lot better that this thing might actually happen. A couple more fires by homeless people looking for warmth and shelter, and we may lose this beautiful and historical structure forever. There have been so many starts and stops on this site, I would love from someone to finally pull it across the finish line.

[jaga185]

"The board of directors of the Inner City Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone on Friday unanimously approved $24 million in tax rebates over 15 years for the redevelopment project."

From the SA Report's FB post. https://www.facebook.com/sareport/po...42832959124847

[kingkirbythe....]

Lone Star restart: Council passes agreement to fund infrastructure costs

https://sanantonioreport.org/lone-st...ructure-costs/

The owners of the vacant Lone Star Brewery have overcome a significant challenge to what they consider the hardest part of any development: getting started.

City Council on Thursday approved unanimously an agreement that will reimburse Lone Star District developers GrayStreet Partners and Midway

[SproutingTowers]

Next step is for the city to start making plans to renovate Roosevelt Park.

[aggie2008]

I really hope this happens but the exact same group got incentives for "Broadway East" and then abandoned the project. I'm hoping that gets picked up by someone else and continues on as well but definitely not holding my breath.

[jaga185]

Originally Posted by aggie2008

I really hope this happens but the exact same group got incentives for "Broadway East" and then abandoned the project. I'm hoping that gets picked up by someone else and continues on as well but definitely not holding my breath.

I was just thinking about this. But I think they abandoned it for this. At least I am hoping they did. lol

From the Bizjournal article, they stated dirt supposed to start turning in the 4th quarter of this year.