SAN ANTONIO | Urban Core Development Thread

[miaht82]

Originally Posted by Keep-SA-Lame

Big news for the near east side. 262 units going in at the Merchant's Ice building on East Houston:

http://www.expressnews.com/business/...ng-5036186.php

http://ww3.hdnux.com/photos/25/13/53...3/rawImage.jpg

Awesome news. I hope they keep some street space off of Houston reserved for retail space.

Now we just need someone to pick off the huge lot at the corner of Cherry/ Commerce.

SKW... where's the updated scorecard???

[sirkingwilliam]

Originally Posted by miaht82

Awesome news. I hope they keep some street space off of Houston reserved for retail space.

Now we just need someone to pick off the huge lot at the corner of Cherry/ Commerce.

SKW... where's the updated scorecard???

Scorecard? I'm lost... lol

[cole world11]

Originally Posted by Keep-SA-Lame

Big news for the near east side. 262 units going in at the Merchant's Ice building on East Houston:

http://www.expressnews.com/business/...ng-5036186.php

http://ww3.hdnux.com/photos/25/13/53...3/rawImage.jpg

Right next door to Backstage Live! Awesome news! Awesome location! I definitely agree with having retail and restaurants at ground level. There's a lot of potential on the east side of 37. Go East Side!

[cole world11]

Originally Posted by Keep-SA-Lame

Big news for the near east side. 262 units going in at the Merchant's Ice building on East Houston:

http://www.expressnews.com/business/...ng-5036186.php

http://ww3.hdnux.com/photos/25/13/53...3/rawImage.jpg

Right next door to Backstage Live! Awesome news! Awesome location! I definitely agree with having retail and restaurants at ground level. There's a lot of potential on the east side of 37 and this may be the starter. Go East Side!

[sirkingwilliam]

I believe the new residential development will occupy the building backstage live is in

[sirkingwilliam]

Alteza sells largest penthouse for $3 million

Alteza Residences has sold the largest penthouse atop the Grand Hyatt Hotel in downtown San Antonio for $2.95 million.

Company officials say this is the most expensive condominium ever sold in San Antonio. Sharon Hull with The Marketing Directors sold the penthouse to an undisclosed buyer. Earlier this year, the second-largest penthouse in Alteza Residences sold for $2.4 million.

“We are honored to be part of such an important milestone in San Antonio real estate,” says Raymond McCall, executive vice president of TX Riverwalk Residences LP. “This sale is a definite indication of the rise of the condominium trend in the San Antonio market.”

The penthouse totals 5,668 square-feet-of-space across the 33rd and 34th floors. It has five bedrooms, six and one-half baths and provides a 180 degree view of San Antonio.

[cole world11]

Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam

I believe the new residential development will occupy the building backstage live is in

I should've clicked on the link and saw the rendering first before makin myself look dumb haha. I'm a little disappointed that backstage live won't be there anymore. That seemed to be the only place in SA that would book good rappers. Maybe the owners of backstage will move their business to another warehouse in the area.

[Runner]

So does anyone know what's going in at the old Target location near the airport. I see construction going on there?

[Keep-SA-Lame]

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantoni...of.html?page=2

It would be huge for downtown if Geekdom really did become a hub for new tech startups.

[UrbanTrance]

This story talks about Travis Park upgrades. Future residential development mentioned, again, but not much else.

http://www.expressnews.com/news/loca...ul-5093110.php

The plan comes as the circa-1909 St. Anthony Hotel, just south of the park, is undergoing a multimillion-dollar renovation. In addition, its owners are contemplating the construction of a residential high-rise on a parking lot east of the park.

The parking lot to the east, which Raney's company owns, likely will become a residential building of some kind, he said. His company, based in San Antonio, also builds and manages multifamily housing projects nationwide.

But that planning still is premature.

[jaga185]

As long as it becomes apartments and no condos. We need apartments apartments and yeah, apartments. I wouldn't mind a 10-15 story building there. It could definitely work with retail at the bottom, as always. Like the Vistana.

[sirkingwilliam]

San Pedro Creek moving forward with design

At their last meeting of 2013, a few weeks ago, Bexar County Commissioners approved a $17.2 million design and management contract for its sweeping San Pedro Creek project.

The design is expected to take 18 to 24 months. During this time, the county will look to procure property along the creek, a lot of it owned by the city of San Antonio, other pieces by private companies. The design process will dictate what land or right-of-ways will have to be handed over or purchased.

To pay for the project — which runs from the tunnel inlet behind Fox Tech High School down south to where it meets I-35 past Cevallos Street — the county estimates $125 million will be funded through certificates of obligation, a form of debt the county incurs.

About $30 million will come in the form of right-of-ways — both public and private — that the county expects to receive. The county still has to consider from where to draw the remaining $20 million. The San Antonio River Authority, the project’s manager, will likely set up a foundation.

St. Mary’s University professor Steve Nivin, who prepared an economic impact study, wrote in the report that the economic effects would likely be similar to those being seen along the Museum Reach of the River Walk. He expects a revitalized San Pedro Creek to bring residential development, thus contributing to the city’s goal of increasing the number of housing units downtown.

The project also would remove 41.8 acres from the FEMA flood plain along the creek.

[UrbanTrance]

I don't know how old or new this is, but I saw this W Hotel concept

http://www.groupstructural.com/

It's the building in the top left corner of the pictures. I would not mind seeing this building downtown. It says concept but also that it's on hold. Anywho, I like how it takes up a parking lot.

[sirkingwilliam]

Originally Posted by Alice93

I don't know how old or new this is, but I saw this W Hotel concept

http://www.groupstructural.com/

It's the building in the top left corner of the pictures. I would not mind seeing this building downtown. It says concept but also that it's on hold. Anywho, I like how it takes up a parking lot.

Good find.

Before I clicked it, I figured it was the planned W Hotel for the parking spot next to the Kress building on Houston St. that was in the pipeline back in 2007. But it's not. This seems to be next to the Weston Centre. Could be something Graham Weston is involved with. I'll try and see what my sources know.

[UrbanTrance]

Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam

Good find.

Before I clicked it, I figured it was the planned W Hotel for the parking spot next to the Kress building on Houston St. that was in the pipeline back in 2007. But it's not. This seems to be next to the Weston Centre. Could be something Graham Weston is involved with. I'll try and see what my sources know.

That's what I was thinking. Since it's close the the Weston Center, Graham Weston might be behind it. Hopefully there is more info on it.

[jaga185]

I wouldn't be surprised if he was behind it. That thing looks taller than the Weston Centre. The description of it says it's on hold, though.

[Fireoutofclay]

Stunning hotel!!
That looks like the block on St. Mary's and Martin with the old and unfortunate San Antonio Real Estate Building and parking lot, the one with its original facade covered up. The bridge behind the hotel looks like the Augusta Street bridge. The Building to the right seems to be the Bank of America Plaza Garage. The building on the left seems to be the Wyndham San Antonio Riverwalk Hotel (old Crowne Plaza).
My boss told me a story a while back, something about that eyesore building being a huge turn off to potential Weston Centre tenants. He said that a company was given a tour of parking areas around the building, and although potential tenants were normally shown the two parking lots west of the building, the company officials went east. When they saw that building they said they could not ask their employees to park next to that eyesore.
Maybe the current owner of that land has commissioned this ambitious conceptual work to push the HDRC to cave and allow demolition of the old buildings on that lot. Now that a streetcar will going through there in the next few years, he may be reviving his plan for a hotel on that lot. He has said in the past that he has no interest in doing anything with those buildings. I think even the city was in favor of demolition, considering that they could not force the private owner to do anything with them.
The hotel looks a little too large to do well in that area. Or would the W's reputation and clientele be enough. I guess a Riverwalk location helps too.

[cole world11]

I remember when a W hotel was proposed a few years back. I really like this design, sleek and modern. Having a W would be nice for downtown.

On a side note, I'm watching the Spurs game on espn right now against the Mavs. Last time they played on espn a few weeks ago, i noticed when they were going to a commercial break, espn aired a shot of the Tower Life building and it still had the antenna on top, obviously meaning it was old footage. Tonight, Im pleased to report that the Tower Life has our beautiful American flag blowing nicely in the wind at its top.

[UrbanTrance]

Originally Posted by Fireoutofclay

Stunning hotel!!
That looks like the block on St. Mary's and Martin with the old and unfortunate San Antonio Real Estate Building and parking lot, the one with its original facade covered up. The bridge behind the hotel looks like the Augusta Street bridge. The Building to the right seems to be the Bank of America Plaza Garage. The building on the left seems to be the Wyndham San Antonio Riverwalk Hotel (old Crowne Plaza).
My boss told me a story a while back, something about that eyesore building being a huge turn off to potential Weston Centre tenants. He said that a company was given a tour of parking areas around the building, and although potential tenants were normally shown the two parking lots west of the building, the company officials went east. When they saw that building they said they could not ask their employees to park next to that eyesore.
Maybe the current owner of that land has commissioned this ambitious conceptual work to push the HDRC to cave and allow demolition of the old buildings on that lot. Now that a streetcar will going through there in the next few years, he may be reviving his plan for a hotel on that lot. He has said in the past that he has no interest in doing anything with those buildings. I think even the city was in favor of demolition, considering that they could not force the private owner to do anything with them.
The hotel looks a little too large to do well in that area. Or would the W's reputation and clientele be enough. I guess a Riverwalk location helps too.

The building is large, but a good portion could be residences. I might be wrong, but I believe most W Hotels are designed with a significant residential portion. At least more so than some other hotels.

[miaht82]

http://www.expressnews.com/news/loca...ns-4778141.php

A different spark

Real estate owner Ed Beck sees a different downtown project creating demand for hotels.

Beck is betting that the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts will be a bigger draw than the Convention Center.

He's looking to develop a $50 million luxury hotel — possibly with a residential component — along the San Antonio River, about a block away from the former Municipal Auditorium. His rationale is that performers and visitors attending shows will want to stay at a high-end hotel.

“There will definitely be, either by me or by someone else, something really nice built there,” he said. “It will be a hotel that's upper end because it's needed. Look what you see around there now.”

Beck didn't disclose a room count or firm construction timeline, but the retired U.S. Air Force colonel — who said he recently bought a hotel in Bulgaria — noted he's aiming to open a hotel by the time the Tobin Center opens late next year.

Also, not sure if this was ever posted on here and I don't recall if it was, but I saw this interesting tidbit on Lorenzo Gomez's "under construction" article on the Rivard Report...

http://therivardreport.com/wp-conten...Foundation.pdf