SAN ANTONIO │ Official Hemisfair Redevelopment Thread

[UrbanTrance]

Does anyone know if there is a maximum building height for this plan or at least a limit the public expressed?

[Paul in S.A TX]

Originally Posted by Alice93

Does anyone know if there is a maximum building height for this plan or at least a limit the public expressed?

I hope sky is the limit!

Madrid Spain...This would be nice.....
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4004/...982516fa_z.jpg



http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4072/...73d1783d_b.jpg

[Complex01]

Heaven...

[Keep-SA-Lame]

City Council approves HemisFair Park framework plan

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/loc...rk-1377426.php

HemisFair Park officials hope a grand opening for the new park could happen by 2018 — the 300th anniversary of the city's founding, and the 50th anniversary of HemisFair, the event that creation the park.

[Don Cajones]

For every one acre of high density, high rise rentals planned for HemisFair, San Antonians deserve two acres of green and cultural space. 15 acres of high Rise (equivalent of ITC Site) = 30 acres of park.

Of 92 the acre HemisFair Park site, only 6.9 acres of green is considered "dedicated park".

[miaht82]

That sounds like some ratio that suburban developers go by.

In the city, the streets and other "public" space counts as green/cultural space (as can be seen from the photos above or during NIOSA, Luminaria or NYE at Hemisfair.
I don't get what the opposition is to high density anything at Hemisfair when right across 37 there is low density nothing (sea of parking) and don't hear anyone mention "2 acres of green for every 1 acre of parking lot."

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam

We don't need anymore "tourist" attractions downtown. Downtown needs to stop going in that direction and go in the direction of attracting local residents to live, work and play.

Downtown for too long has catered to the tourist market and relied on tourists. Now is the time to catered to locals who want to live downtown or go downtown for "non-tourist" things to do.

This. It's what I've been saying for a long time.

The news yesterday mentioned gas prices and people were talking about how it's effecting their travel habits. Several people were saying they don't go on long trips anymore. I was talking with my mom about it and she made the comment that it'll hurt tourism. The first place I thought of was San Antonio and then the coast. Of course San Antonio will always be tops for tourism, but it is something to think about with how high gas prices are. I dream of a rail link between Austin and San Antonio. I'd be down there at least once a month or more if that happened.

Anyway, yes, a shift to living spaces would make San Antonio's downtown a lot more active.

[KevinFromTexas]

I've kind of been out of the loop on this project, so what sections of the convention center are they planning to demolish? Are they really going to do that?

[The Model]

I think they started demo already. I drive by everyday, and its fenced off. Wish I knew when they where going to start to do this so I could have taken more pictures of the old convention center, and show a before and after view.

[kornbread]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

The news yesterday mentioned gas prices and people were talking about how it's effecting their travel habits. Several people were saying they don't go on long trips anymore. I was talking with my mom about it and she made the comment that it'll hurt tourism. The first place I thought of was San Antonio and then the coast. Of course San Antonio will always be tops for tourism, but it is something to think about with how high gas prices are.

In a way it might actually help in that Texas residents that might normally drive to further destinations could actually stay closer to home.

[Paul in S.A TX]

[Paul in S.A TX]

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/downtow..._framework.jpg

[whatdoyouwantandwhy]

So is there any news on this project?

[sakyle04]

Originally Posted by whatdoyouwantandwhy

So is there any news on this project?

Heard Andres Andujar on the mysa downtown blog podcast.

Most interesting thing I heard was how Chicago's Milennium Park has 2500 parking spaces underneath the park itself. Andres said that they plan on using the basement of the to-be demolished convention center piece to place 1000 spaces underground here. Pretty amazing forethought - and honorable practicality from a man who loves the urban fabric but understands that San Antonio is ultimately tied to the automobile as well.

[UrbanTrance]

I saw him on TV and he basically talked about the same things. He mentioned Bryant Park and said they want a 4 acre park in the northwest corner to be like Millennium Park and two other smaller parks. He also stated that he wanted mixed use development in the park areas to make it safer and more lively and that there is potential for thousands of residential units. So nothing really new, but it's good to hear the potential for the area is looking great.

[Paul in S.A TX]

More info on redevelopment.

http://video.klrn.org/video/2009791358/

[sirkingwilliam]

Underground parking looks to be a vital component to Hemisfair Park redevelopment.

In the immediate future, 140 new parking spaces will be added between the Tower of the Americas and the Institute of Texan Cultures, because the demolition of the parking garage next to the tower is scheduled to begin toward the end of the year to make room for the Convention Center expansion.

HemisFair’s long-term parking needs is another animal altogether.

An underground parking garage at the northwest corner of the park (Alamo and Commerce streets) is in the works. The number of spaces are yet to be determined.

“We don’t know precisely because it was not really designed, but we hope that we can get between 500 and 1000 spaces,” said Andres Andujar, CEO of HemisFair Park Area Redevelopment Corp. “And a lot of it depends on if can we do one level or two levels underground.”

MYSA.com │The Downtown Blog

[miaht82]

Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam

Underground parking looks to be a vital component to Hemisfair Park redevelopment.

MYSA.com │The Downtown Blog

One level should be possible; two is the big question.

If I am not mistaken, the CC has underground tunnels for "service/staging" areas that eventually connect to the River level portions near the Grotto and the Grand Ballroom in the newest section is also underground, so from a drainage/flood standpoint, it has been proven as possible.

[KevinFromTexas]

http://www.ksat.com/news/mayor-julia...z/-/index.html

Mayor Julian Castro envisions Hemisfair Park as San Antonio's Central Park
Governor's signature on bill needed

Author: Brian Mylar, Reporter, bmylar@ksat.com
Published On: May 30 2013 04:57:48 PM CDT Updated On: May 30 2013 05:24:08 PM CDT

SAN ANTONIO - The San Antonio City Council on Thursday approved improvements to Hemisfair Park, but Mayor Julian Castro said the governor’s signature is needed on a bill to get a major transformation of the park underway

[WorldTexas]

More changes coming to the Hemisfair/Lavaca area!

It's disappointing that the Feds aren't giving up the office building. It could be demolished and replaced with a building with ground level retail to complement what's going to happen across the street.

More housing, retail in store for HemisFair area
Posted on March 5, 2014 | BY BENJAMIN OLIVO

From San Antonio, SAHA would receive the 0.95-acre Victoria Park, César E. Chávez Boulevard and Labor Street, with plans for more housing units and some retail. Though it’s too early to talk number of units and retail type, officials said.

In exchange, the city would gain a 1.95-acre parcel from SAHA at 440 Labor Street, just down the block, essentially doubling the parkland in the area. It also places the park more snug in the neighborhood, the city says.

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/downtow...emisfair-area/