SAN ANTONIO | City and Metro News Thread

[Spoiler]

Originally Posted by JACKinBeantown

Is the Hays Street Bridge one of the other six?

Apparently one of the spans is a Phoenix Whipple truss. But it was built as a railway bridge originally, not a roadway bridge, before being relocated where it is now in 1910. I don't know if that distinction makes a difference.

https://historicbridges.org/bridges/...as/haysstreet/

[JACKinBeantown]

Originally Posted by Spoiler

Apparently one of the spans is a Phoenix Whipple truss. But it was built as a railway bridge originally, not a roadway bridge, before being relocated where it is now in 1910. I don't know if that distinction makes a difference.

https://historicbridges.org/bridges/...as/haysstreet/

Thanks. And wow, that's a pretty informative site.

[kingkirbythe....]

Massive bowling and entertainment center Pinstack racks up first San Antonio location

https://www.mysanantonio.com/enterta...g-16838708.php

San Antonio can pin their hopes on a new bowling alley. Pinstack, the Dallas-based bowling and entertainment center, will open its first San Antonio location at the Park North Shopping Center, near North Star Mall.

After striking out for two years due to the pandemic, the bowling alley is expected to open to the public in the third quarter of 2022, according to the company. The local location will mark Pinstack's fifth, with others operating in Plano, Las Colinas, Allen, and Austin.

[kingkirbythe....]

Originally Posted by kingkirbythe....

Castle Hills residents worry a 300-unit apartment complex would mean bad traffic for small city

https://www.expressnews.com/news/loc...d-16969355.php

A 300-unit apartment complex proposed for the city with a population of nearly 4,500 has residents worrying about the traffic it would bring and the city’s participation in the project.

Residents voiced concerns and questions about the project, Lofts at Castle Hills, during a recent special meeting of the Castle Hills City Council.

At the meeting, officials from Vaquero Multifamily Inc., the project developer, presented their plans for the proposed $63 million, multifamily apartment complex. It would include 300 residential units within a four-story building, a parking garage containing 451 spaces, and amenities on a 4.7-acre tract bounded by Northwest Military Highway, Winston Lane and Lockhill-Selma Road.

The project also would add sidewalks and lighting along Winston Lane and Lockhill-Selma Road. There would be a main entrance into the complex, off Winston Lane, with a secondary entrance for emergency vehicles.

‘Fly-by-night’ project dies: Castle Hills rejects 300-unit apartment complex amid public backlash

https://www.expressnews.com/news/loc...x-17003680.php

A proposed 300-unit apartment complex has been rejected by City Council after public opposition that centered on money and traffic.

In a unanimous vote at its March 8 meeting, the council decided to end talks with the controversial project’s developer, Vaquero Multifamily Inc., which had proposed building a $63 million, four-story, multifamily complex on a 4.7-acre tract bounded by Northwest Military Highway, Winston Lane and Lockhill-Selma Road.

The Lofts at Castle Hills would have included 300 residential units consisting of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, averaging 800 square feet, and a parking garage with 451 spaces.

The council vote ended five months of discussions between Vaquero and the city on the proposed project.

“We gave this project a fair shake, and in my mind, that’s a step forward for the city of Castle Hills,” Mayor JR Trevino said before the council vote. “We had conversations, we asked questions, and we sought feedback.”

Public opposition to the project focused on the city’s participation in it and the amount of traffic it would bring to the city of nearly 4,500 residents.

[kingkirbythe....]

Overnight fire destroys planned Eastside San Antonio townhome project

https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/lo...P-CP-Spotlight

A fire near downtown San Antonio destroyed what was to be the next phase of a townhome project on the Eastside. The San Antonio Fire Department arrived at the corner of Center and Swiss streets around 3 a.m. on Tuesday, March 15, to discover a three-story building completely engulfed in flames, according to preliminary reports from the battalion chief on scene.

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The building collapsed when the firefighters attacked the fire with water. Residents in the neighboring townhomes on Swiss Street were evacuated in case the fire spread. There were no reported injuries and the investigation of the fire will be turned over to the arson division.

The building was part of a continuing townhome project called City Center, led by local residential developer Terramark Urban Homes. The townhomes across the street from the burned-down building were also part of the City Center project.

[Restless One]

Originally Posted by kingkirbythe....

City of San Antonio celebrates new amenities at Martin Luther King Park

https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/lo...K-16994546.php

The City of San Antonio has celebrated the completion of improvements at Martin Luther King Park that was part of the 2017 bond project. Officials held a ceremonial ribbon-cutting event to commemorate the installments on Tuesday, March 8.

Park visitors can expect a new pavilion with attached bathrooms, new paved trails, additional parking, a splash pad that will open at a later date, and a new art piece called "Spheres of Refection" by local artist, Kaldric Dow.

I believe that funds are being raised for a train, like the one at Brackenridge Park. It looks like a rough outline of the path is underway.

[kingkirbythe....]

In a city built for cars, the pedestrian experience lags behind

https://sanantonioreport.org/pedestr...y-san-antonio/

What makes a city with more than 140 miles of trails, a 15-mile-long River Walk, and a plan to build more sidewalks along busy corridors, actually so bad for walking?

San Antonio is ranked 37th among large U.S. cities by Walk Score for walkability. The score comes from analyzing a metropolitan area’s walkability and how easily people can use their own two feet, rather than a vehicle, to get to the places they need to go — work, school, the grocery store or the doctor’s office.

The relatively low score means that despite miles of sidewalks, crosswalks and paths throughout the city, San Antonio has less-than-favorable walkability.

Less walking has an impact on people’s health and the environment, but it’s also bad news for attracting business and economic development in a sprawling and fast-growing city built more for cars than the human beings who live here.

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Sidewalks aren’t enough

The pedestrian and cycling advocacy group Activate SA defines a walkable neighborhood as one that has reliable and comfortable infrastructure for pedestrians, infrastructure that is safe for them to use, and attractive destinations within walking distance of a residence.

Examples of these places in San Antonio, according to the group, include Southtown and Monte Vista. Mature trees shading those neighborhood streets also help to solve the problem of walking during San Antonio’s hot summer days.

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There’s a very real financial incentive for municipalities to develop with walkability in mind. Walkable streets encourage everyday business activity, generate greater tax revenue per acre and offer a higher return on investment than auto-oriented streets, according to a report by the public advocacy group, Strong Towns.

To achieve true walkability in a city, urban planners say changes must be made to zoning laws and building codes that allow for more mixed uses and density within an area.

The city of San Antonio is currently updating its building codes, last approved in 2015. Among the nearly 300 proposed amendments being considered through a year-long process is at least one that calls for more mixed-use zoning options that could be used to further implement the SA Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan.

[kingkirbythe....]

Beloved San Antonio personality Hispanic Elvis placed in hospice care

https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/lo...e-17022843.php

Hispanic Elvis' family is sharing more health updates on the San Antonio personality known for his rockstar outfits, dance moves, and attitude to match. A GoFundMe set up by George Cisneros, Hispanic Elvis' youngest brother, says his condition is deteriorating following a January hospitalization.

The Market Square staple was hospitalized with an esophagus infection and COVID-19 on January 10. On January 24, Cisneros told GoFundMe supporters that his brother had been released to a rehabilitation facility and "only time would tell" when he'd be able to bounce back. The page was quiet for weeks until Tuesday, March 22.

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Cisneros was not immediately available to comment for this story, but previously told MySA the 76-year-old's Hispanic Elvis persona was his way of "living his dream." He says he used to be a musician in the 1960s before working for an autobody shop and then becoming Hispanic Elvis more than 20 years ago.

[kingkirbythe....]

Zillow declares San Antonio among 10 hottest real estate markets for 2022

https://www.mysanantonio.com/real-es...e-16748514.php

It seemed bound to happen. Inevitable, really. With San Antonio's charm and history, culture and size, it was only a matter of time before the rest of the nation "discovered" the Alamo City. First it was Realtor predicting San Antonio's real estate market was on track to grow faster than both Austin and Houston. Then it was Redfin, which declared three local neighborhoods among the "hottest" for 2022. Now it is Zillow, which named San Antonio among the top 10 hottest housing markets of the year.

To determine the rankings, Zillow analyzed the 50 largest U.S. metro areas to forecast the most competitive housing markets of 2022 using some of the following analysis points:

expected home value appreciation from November 2021 to November 2022

anticipated change in home value appreciation from 2021
flow of for-sale inventory

estimate of the net new number of home-owning households based on current demographic trends

new jobs per new housing unit permitted

[kingkirbythe....]

Rental companies picking up more S.A. homes as Zillow exits

https://www.expressnews.com/business...t-17024383.php

What follows is a brief history of the home at 10218 Sandbrook Hill, in the Braun’s Farm neighborhood south of Loop 1604 and Bandera Road.

In May 2000, after putting the finishing touches on the home’s 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths, construction company Kaufman and Broad of Texas sold it to a couple who owned it for six years to the month before selling it to another couple.

Fifteen years later, the second owners decided to sell the home, its brick façade now half hidden behind a sprawling oak. Rather than worrying about fixing it up and finding a real estate agent, they sold it to Zillow, the online marketplace that in 2019 had joined the ranks of iBuyers — tech companies that flip houses.

Zillow bought the home in October. Then, a week later, it announced it was getting out of the house-flipping business. And on Feb. 10, it sold the home on Sandbrook Hill along with 50 others in one batch to an entity operating as SFR V TRANCHE 3 BORROWER LLC. The limited liability company shares an address with Progress Residential, an Arizona company that offers single-family homes for rent.

Based on the way Progress and other single-family rental companies have been operating in San Antonio, it seems likely the home will be a rental property for years to come.

[kingkirbythe....]

New Braunfels once again named among hottest neighborhoods in U.S.

https://www.mysanantonio.com/real-es...e-16773482.php

Not many cities can go from "remote Texas town" to one of America's hottest neighborhoods, but that's exactly what has happened to New Braunfels. Months after the New York Times described the San Antonio 'burb as "remote" (an oversight it later remedied), online real estate company Opendoor named New Braunfels among its 10 Hottest Neighborhoods in the U.S.

To determine the hot spots, Opendoor analyzed data from local Multiple Listing Services where Opendoor Brokerages operate. Each ZIP code was then ranked by the total number homes that went under contract within 90 days of listing in 2021.

Considering the red-hot year Texas real estate had in 2021, it should be no surprise that four of the 10 neighborhoods were in Texas.

[kingkirbythe....]

San Antonio once again named a top city for millennials to settle down

https://www.mysanantonio.com/real-es...s-16790599.php

If you grew up with Pokémon and are now looking to become a first-time home buyer, San Antonio might be for you. The Alamo City landed in the No. 4 spot on real estate website Knock's top millennial markets for 2022, or metros where millennials "spread their wings" for a shot at homeownership. San Antonio's housing is already expected to be hot this year.

The millennial generation spans 15 years with the youngest being 25 years old and the oldest having celebrated their 40th birthday in 2021. (If you're not sure if you're a millennial, ask yourself if you complained about Kate McKinnon's Ms. Frizzle. If so, then you're probably a millennial.)

Knock forecasts a 2022 median sale price of $326,994 for homes in the San Antonio market — a 15 percent increase from 2021. Knock says the Alamo City boasts an above-average concentration of tech and healthcare jobs and a top 5 tech salary around $101,540, beating out the No. 1 millennial city, Austin.

"San Antonio is becoming a more affordable alternative, attracting over 7,000 movers from the Austin area to San Antonio in 2019," the report says.

San Antonio didn't breach Knock's top 10 markets for Generation X or boomers, which is fine.

[kingkirbythe....]

Redfin predicts San Antonio's hottest neighborhoods for 2022

https://www.mysanantonio.com/real-es...y-16707347.php

Three San Antonio neighborhoods are among the hottest in the nation. According to Redfin's annual America’s Hottest Neighborhoods of 2022, these local ZIP codes have seen soaring growth this year, and are expected to keep that momentum through the next 12 months.

In order to determine the buzziest communities in the country, the online listings and real estate brokerage examines two factors. The first is how much Redfin.com listing views grew year-over-year. The second is the "Redfin Compete Score," a measure of how difficult it is to win a home in these 'hoods based on factors including days on market, share of homes that sold above their listing prices, and sale-to-list price ratio.

While it's debatable whether or not these neighborhoods are all affordable (one has a median home price above $700K), Redfin notes that as they trend upward, their cost is expected to follow.

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78132

78257

78130

[kingkirbythe....]

Medical marijuana company planning dispensary in San Antonio

https://www.expressnews.com/news/loc...o-17028537.php

San Antonio is at the “top of the list” for a medical marijuana company planning its next cities to open dispensaries.

Texas Original Compassionate Cultivation, based in Austin, is looking to expand to other major cities in the Lone Star State in the next few years.

CEO Morris Denton said San Antonio is an important market for the company due to the high number of existing and prospective patients in the area.

[forward looking]

Recreational use of Marijuana can't be far behind.

Originally Posted by kingkirbythe....

Medical marijuana company planning dispensary in San Antonio

https://www.expressnews.com/news/loc...o-17028537.php

San Antonio is at the “top of the list” for a medical marijuana company planning its next cities to open dispensaries.

Texas Original Compassionate Cultivation, based in Austin, is looking to expand to other major cities in the Lone Star State in the next few years.

CEO Morris Denton said San Antonio is an important market for the company due to the high number of existing and prospective patients in the area.

[kingkirbythe....]

Originally Posted by forward looking

Recreational use of Marijuana can't be far behind.

Hope so.

[kingkirbythe....]

San Antonio the 8th fastest-growing metro in the nation, according to U.S. Census

A total of four Texas metros ranked in the top 10.

https://www.sacurrent.com/news/san-a...ensus-28502457

The San Antonio-New Braunfels area is the nation's eighth fastest-growing metro, according to a new report from the U.S Census Bureau.

Metro San Antonio's population expanded by 1.4% from July 2020 through July 2021, welcoming 35,105 new residents. That brings the area's total population to around 2.6 million people.

Texas metros dominated the Census' latest top 10 list. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex took the No.1 spot, adding 97,290 residents, while Houston and Austin landed at third and fourth, respectively.

U.S Census Bureau's Fastest Growing Metros by Population 2021:
Dallas-Fort Worth Metro, +97,290
Phoenix Metro, 78,220
Houston Metro, +69,094
Austin Metro, +53,301
Riverside-San Bernardino, +47,601
Atlanta Metro, +42,904
Tampa Metro, +36,129
San Antonio Metro, +35,105
Charlotte Metro, +31,381
Raleigh Metro, 28,186
In contrast, Los Angeles, New York City and Chicago were the metro areas that witnessed the sharpest numeric population declines.

Even so, San Antonio's rapid growth comes at a cost for longtime residents. Rents in the Alamo City are up 30% since last year, and the cost of living has skyrocketed 17.4% since 2021.

[kingkirbythe....]

Austin group buys San Antonio Express-News building, is planning multiple uses for historic property

https://www.expressnews.com/business...g-17029148.php

A group of Austin investors has acquired the historic San Antonio Express-News building downtown, which the newspaper moved into in 1929 and vacated in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic.

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They are working with the Sutton Co. of Austin to redevelop the property, which includes the eight-story building and an adjoining former printing plant.

In an interview last fall, Sutton Co. chairman Mac Pike said they planned to renovate the octagonal lobby and building for a mix of uses that could include a hotel, multifamily housing and restaurant space.

The printing plant probably will be demolished, creating space for new construction, Pike said. The partners also would look into using historic tax credits and city incentives.

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Nassour, of the buyer group, is involved in another local project to replace a recycling facility near the former Lone Star Brewery complex with apartments.

[kingkirbythe....]

Former Alamo Drafthouse Westlakes reopens under Santikos Entertainment ownership

https://www.mysanantonio.com/enterta...P-CP-Spotlight

Attention all moviegoers! A familiar movie theater is returning next week to the Marbach area, but it will look completely different. San Antonio-based Santikos Entertainment is opening the former Alamo Drafthouse Westlakes location on Thursday, March 31.

When Alamo Drafthouse closed its Westlakes establishment in April 2021 – one month after the chain filed for bankruptcy — Santikos Entertainment swooped in and acquired its second Alamo Drafthouse location. The first buy was the New Braunfels establishment, which opened in August.

[kingkirbythe....]

I'm excited for the old Express-News building to be turned into something new.