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Posted Dec 27, 2023, 10:16 PM
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James
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: San Antonio, Tx
Posts: 2,470
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Local architects weigh in on potential ways to reconnect downtown, East Side
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After decades split apart, the city is starting to explore solutions for reconnecting downtown with the East Side, a part of San Antonio that has undergone disinvestment, public health inequities and is often a flashpoint for gentrification conversations.
In applying for a Department of Transportation grant, the city will commission a study of the most effective ways to reduce that barrier, hoping to settle on solutions that would require a second grant to partially fund. A lot of that will involve the developments at Hemisfair, the crossings around the Alamodome and Convention Center, and other entities that hold land in the area.
In light of that forthcoming study, the Business Journal asked four of the city's architects for their ideas on how that reconnection should work. Those conversations centered on a potential sports district, walkability, affordable housing and gentrification.
Jonathan Card, Principal, Card and Company Architects
In blogs written earlier this year, Card put forward a series of "what ifs" concerning transportation, affordable housing and downtown connectivity. In his fifth and final post, he proposed two pedestrian land bridges that would rise over Interstate 37, connecting Dignowity Hill and Hemisfair into a massive sports, housing and public park district.
As downtown stakeholders bounce around ideas on how to create district that's lively around the clock, he thinks walkability will play a huge part in any future success.
"One way to do it would be making a car-free environment where people can move freely across downtown, connect all of that and then supplement it with a sports district," Card said.
He thinks that San Antonio has a history of spreading itself too thin when it comes to developing walkable areas. This opportunity, he says, is a way to right the wrongs of the past.
"A primary principle of urban planning is understanding where you have dynamism and picking the right spot to use," he said. "In urban planning it's called 'nodes.' You have existing nodes, they may be 70 miles or seven miles apart, but they are places that energy has already gravitated. Now you have to find the right spot in between and you connect the dots."
Card thinks a natural change that coincides with reducing the I-37 barrier is providing higher density to the area. He name-checked the frequently empty Alamodome parking lots as prime locations for development, adding to the tax base and providing a number of uses to center city residents.
"It's an incredibly valuable site that sits empty about 80% of the time," he said.
Elaine Kearney, Landscape Architect and San Antonio Principal, TBG Partners
Kearney thinks that somehow deemphasizing the I-37 barrier is a natural step to creating a more cohesive downtown. One option would be to bury it underground, as Boston has done.
"I think that there would be pros to buying the freeway, because creating at-grade connections that feel seamless and smooth between the two probably goes a long way toward beginning to reconnect what was the original fabric of the city," she said. "When you spend time in Dignowity [Hill], you can see a lot of incredible architecture ... that, at one point in time, felt very close to downtown. Today, they almost feel like they're different worlds."
But she acknowledges that this would probably be the most expensive option. A cheaper way to handle the barrier is to do more to make the underpasses of I-37 pedestrian-friendly. She points to the recent sports amenities that were installed under I-10 near Market Square and Toronto's Underpass Park.
"Those are really more intentional crossings," she said. "Points where you can allow pedestrians to make a strategic crossing."
Whether land bridges are built over I-37 or the highway is buried, she sees positives in both solutions.
Around the highway, she thinks public-private partnerships that deliver affordable housing would be another key to energizing the area.
Ryan Marchesi, Design Director, Gensler
Marchesi also thinks that sports are the key to unlocking this connectivity.
"Across the country, sports venues are becoming anchors for lifestyle mixed-use districts, such as The Star in Frisco, that catalyze investment and engagement," he said. "As they become more integrated into urban cores, existing barriers that divide begin to dissolve and the urban fabric becomes more connected."
But more importantly, protecting the interests of current East Side residents is paramount to any decision on how to reconfigure and reduce the barrier.
"It is critical to engage these communities in all phases of the planning process to ensure their concerns and needs are heard and met," he said. "While any development will benefit the city as a whole, we need consistent engagement from the communities in order to maintain affordability, improve accessibility to downtown and create a shared amenity that celebrates the cultural diversity of the city."
In seeking design inspiration for these potential connectors, Marchesi thinks project leaders should look across the pond.
"When studying this scale of development, we look to cities like Barcelona with their pedestrian-focused city centers and then explore combining that with San Antonio's affinity for green reactions space to help expand and deepen the connection back to downtown."
Kris Feldmann, Owner and Design Principal, CREO Architecture
On top of the I-37 barrier, a priority for Feldmann â as someone who lives and works on the East Side â is solving for the railroad that runs parallel to the highway. He's advocated for a quiet zone as a start, but thinks the end result should be a diversion of the rail line out of the Dignowity Hill and Denver Heights neighborhoods.
"Everyone points to the freeways and there's some obvious issues with them and challenges for crossing, but at least it's elevated and you can go under it," he said. "When a train parks, it blocks you from Carolina Street to Iowa Street. That's cutting off all of Denver Heights from direct access to Lavaca and the downtown area."
He thinks it's a public health issue that limits growth in the area. While huge projects have been proposed for the East Side in the past, he's in favor of several smaller, mixed-use developments for smaller lots.
"I think that there are probably more creative ways to do mixed-use development that has some housing, some commercial spaces, but respects the scale that you step down to when you go to the East Side," he said.
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