SAN ANTONIO │ City and Metro Off-Topic Thread

[texboy]

Originally Posted by JACKinBeantown

Alright... time to pull out the kangaroos.


https://i.makeagif.com/media/6-22-2014/ZvFLwC.gif

Can't access due to company internet rules, but I imagine this describes just how off topic (read: off the rails) this has become. lol

[theOGalexd]

Originally Posted by texboy

Can't access due to company internet rules, but I imagine this describes just how off topic (read: off the rails) this has become. lol

I guess you gotta talk about something when the rest of the sub is pretty dead

[CWalk99]

https://gis.sanantonio.gov/OHPSystemDocs...B90AB7D85-0000-C119-A7B5-03F0D5C6149B%7D

Managed to find a document on the upcoming Tower repairs everyone will likely appreciate - finally something that has some official heights listed!

[JACKinBeantown]

Originally Posted by CWalk99

https://gis.sanantonio.gov/OHPSystemDocs...B90AB7D85-0000-C119-A7B5-03F0D5C6149B%7D

Managed to find a document on the upcoming Tower repairs everyone will likely appreciate - finally something that has some official heights listed!

Awesome!

So the roof/top may be 623' 7-1/2". I say, "may be" because the plan marks that height slightly above the tophouse roof (p. 2). Is that just an inexact marking (which seems unlikely), or is is pointing to some plate where the antenna will be affixed (or something like that)? And the antenna is/will be 747' 4".

The shaft designs are quite elegant. (p. 5)

[CWalk99]

Just so everyone can see - here are some screengrabs from the Tower document that lists those heights

[JACKinBeantown]

My sister and her husband are considering moving back to SA from Austin. They're thinking about Southtown. They like that vibe and location. They want a house or condo, nothing fancy and not a high-rise. What other areas should they consider? Thanks!

[Keep-SA-Lame]

Originally Posted by JACKinBeantown

My sister and her husband are considering moving back to SA from Austin. They're thinking about Southtown. They like that vibe and location. They want a house or condo, nothing fancy and not a high-rise. What other areas should they consider? Thanks!

If hip is the desired vibe, then Dignowity Hill and Tobin Hill I think are good moves. Then there's like, hip adjacent spots like Beacon Hill, Mahncke Park, Alta Vista and Government Hill.

If they really love Southtown specifically, then the adjacent Lone Star area. Collins Gardens and Highland Park are cute areas adjacent to Southtown, but the neighborhoods themselves are emphatically not hip. I would definitely avoid Denver Heights to east. People who want to be near Southtown but need a budget option often wind up there, but it consistently rates as the highest crime zip code in the city. Not worth it imo.

[JACKinBeantown]

Originally Posted by Keep-SA-Lame

If hip is the desired vibe, then Dignowity Hill and Tobin Hill I think are good moves. Then there's like, hip adjacent spots like Beacon Hill, Mahncke Park, Alta Vista and Government Hill.

If they really love Southtown specifically, then the adjacent Lone Star area. Collins Gardens and Highland Park are cute areas adjacent to Southtown, but the neighborhoods themselves are emphatically not hip. I would definitely avoid Denver Heights to east. People who want to be near Southtown but need a budget option often wind up there, but it consistently rates as the highest crime zip code in the city. Not worth it imo.

THANK YOU! I will pass it on.

[Restless One]

Originally Posted by JACKinBeantown

My sister and her husband are considering moving back to SA from Austin. They're thinking about Southtown. They like that vibe and location. They want a house or condo, nothing fancy and not a high-rise. What other areas should they consider? Thanks!

Southtown is nice, but pricey. Depending on where in Austin they live, could be more or less, but still, it's pricey. The nice thing is, their investment should gain quite appreciably in that area.

North of DT, along St. Mary's, McCullough, or San Pedro has some nice areas too, but Southtown is probably closer to nightspots, dining, and is not too far from Chavez street, which has some nice retail coming in as well, (HEB Market is at Chavez and South Flores, Southtown Joe's is a newer bar that is looking to cater to the locals in the area, and few others).

Hell, if I could afford it, I'd put down stakes in Southtown.

[JACKinBeantown]

Originally Posted by Restless One

Southtown is nice, but pricey. Depending on where in Austin they live, could be more or less, but still, it's pricey. The nice thing is, their investment should gain quite appreciably in that area.

North of DT, along St. Mary's, McCullough, or San Pedro has some nice areas too, but Southtown is probably closer to nightspots, dining, and is not too far from Chavez street, which has some nice retail coming in as well, (HEB Market is at Chavez and South Flores, Southtown Joe's is a newer bar that is looking to cater to the locals in the area, and few others).

Hell, if I could afford it, I'd put down stakes in Southtown.

Thanks!

[AI0120]

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/3766...ft-lottery-right-draft-victor-wembanyama

Spurs won the NBA draft lottery and now have the chance to draft a generational player. Huge win for the Spurs and the city of SA. All the pieces seem to be coming together with what they had planned, from gaining a new fan base across Central Texas and Mexico to the new health facility at La Cantera, the value of the franchise can only go up if he becomes the player they are projecting him to be. Also means more national TV games, more media exposure, not only national but also international. Definitely a lot of excitement around the city.

[JACKinBeantown]

Originally Posted by AI0120

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/3766...ft-lottery-right-draft-victor-wembanyama

Spurs won the NBA draft lottery and now have the chance to draft a generational player. Huge win for the Spurs and the city of SA. All the pieces seem to be coming together with what they had planned, from gaining a new fan base across Central Texas and Mexico to the new health facility at La Cantera, the value of the franchise can only go up if he becomes the player they are projecting him to be. Also means more national TV games, more media exposure, not only national but also international. Definitely a lot of excitement around the city.

I only get to see two Spurs games a year... each time the play the Celtics. Looking forward to watching a very promising young team play more nationally televised games.

[SproutingTowers]

Originally Posted by JACKinBeantown

I only get to see two Spurs games a year... each time the play the Celtics. Looking forward to watching a very promising young team play more nationally televised games.

If Victor Wembanyama turns out to be the next Tim Duncan, then could motivate the taxpayers to pay for a new arena.

[bosshaa5]

Originally Posted by SproutingTowers

If Victor Wembanyama turns out to be the next Tim Duncan, then could motivate the taxpayers to pay for a new arena.

I tend to agree, Golden State got the new Oracle Arena after they started winning a lot. Success leads to higher ratings, more ad revenue, etc.

It will still be heavily subsidizes by tax payers....

[JACKinBeantown]

Originally Posted by bosshaa5

I tend to agree, Golden State got the new Oracle Arena after they started winning a lot. Success leads to higher ratings, more ad revenue, etc.

It will still be heavily subsidizes by tax payers....

Instead of building another new arena, how about spend the money to greatly improve the transit options to get to the relatively new one they already have?

[Keep-SA-Lame]

Originally Posted by JACKinBeantown

Instead of building another new arena, how about spend the money to greatly improve the transit options to get to the relatively new one they already have?

Well, let's price this out, what's a new NBA arena cost (assuming they could build it at the Dome and don't have to pay out the — for land)? Like $300-400 million? Guess it's hard to say for sure, but we know the AT&T Center cost $182m in 2002, so that's about $300 million today. But it seems like standards for NBA arenas have risen since then, so maybe tack on another $50m for bells and whistles (purely talking out of my — here). And who knows what percentage of that the Spurs would put up...

So let's just simplify and say we have a budget of about $300 million to build transit to the Arenas. From the front door of the AT&T center to Alamo Plaza is 3.5 miles. LRT is like... $150-200m a mile these days for an at grade system? So maybe you could use that $300m to leverage Federal dollars to get it built from the Arenas through downtown, but not past downtown. So, all that's to say, definitely worth it imo. A transit line of any kind is way more valuable than a new stadium downtown.

Meanwhile the new ART system is more like $26 million a mile. So for $300m, you could build a whole new ART line from the Arena to like, idk, Lackland or somewhere way out there. Or, build two 6 mile lines that terminate at the Arenas! Stepping out of fantasy land for a minute, the good news is that Via is planning on building BRT to the Arenas eventually. That, plus maybe if the City/County redeveloped some of the parking lots as garages and built some housing and retail around the Arenas, I wouldn't be so mad about the dumb location of the AT&T center.

[bosshaa5]

Originally Posted by JACKinBeantown

Instead of building another new arena, how about spend the money to greatly improve the transit options to get to the relatively new one they already have?

Personally, I think transit would be a better investment, but it is sort of a chicken vs. egg conundrum.

Before mass transit becomes a VIAble alternative in SA, we need to change our land use patterns. The AT&T arena clearly did not spark the kind of development that people thought it would, because it is in a bad location. Arena districts are becoming vogue in other cities, where they are centrally located around a lot of amenities.

To my understanding the Spurs' lease is up in 2032. The time to start thinking about a new arena is approaching.

[theOGalexd]

Originally Posted by bosshaa5

Personally, I think transit would be a better investment, but it is sort of a chicken vs. egg conundrum.

Before mass transit becomes a VIAble alternative in SA, we need to change our land use patterns. The AT&T arena clearly did not spark the kind of development that people thought it would, because it is in a bad location. Arena districts are becoming vogue in other cities, where they are centrally located around a lot of amenities.

To my understanding the Spurs' lease is up in 2032. The time to start thinking about a new arena is approaching.

Yeah the AT&T Center location was a bad call. I wouldn't be surprised if a new arena ended up out by Retama Park or by La Cantera where the new practice facility is.

Either way, getting Wemby is HUGE for the city. I haven't heard the Spurs mentioned this much in years and the draft isn't even official yet

[jkill34]

What about investing into building up retail, office, and living in that area? I mean I hardly know where to grab a drink after a game. It needs to become a place where people can go and hang out before and after an event.

[Keep-SA-Lame]

Originally Posted by jkill34

What about investing into building up retail, office, and living in that area? I mean I hardly know where to grab a drink after a game. It needs to become a place where people can go and hang out before and after an event.

Yeah, turn lots 1, 2 and 3 along Houston into housing and retail, then make lot four into like a five story parking garage. Bam. This will literally make the County money too. It's such a no brainer, which is why we'll never do it.