SAN ANTONIO | Suburban and Metro Development Thread

[miaht82]

Looks like some people couldn't wait to come here.

from mysa.com
By David Hendricks - Express-News

Medtronic Diabetes, which is expanding its sales and customer support division in San Antonio from its Los Angeles base, is ahead of its hiring schedule as it approaches “going live” Sept. 14 in the new 150,000-square-foot building it's leasing at The Rim.

Medtronic Diabetes Therapy and Education Center already has hired 75 San Antonians who started four weeks of training Monday. By Sept. 14, employment will jump to 220, including 100 Los Angeles workers who elected to move to San Antonio, said San Antonio operations general manager Jeff Ruiz.

Some of the Los Angeles personnel will be involved in training, Ruiz said. The company hoped for at least 50 Los Angeles workers out of a group of more than 600 to volunteer to move to San Antonio. One hundred did, even though they would have kept their Los Angeles jobs.

By year's end, employment will stand at 230 and rise to 250 by April, ahead of its commitment to the state, city and county to hire 150 by April.

Medtronic Diabetes, a unit of Minneapolis-based Medtronic Inc., received more than 2,000 online applications after it announced in May it planned to create at least 1,400 sales and customer support jobs in San Antonio over a five-year period. It was one of the most sought-after job-creation projects in the country this year.

“We are extremely impressed and pleased,” Ruiz said. “The talent level has exceeded our expectations.”

The initial 75 hires are being trained in order processing, supply management and inside sales, in which personnel will discuss options with diabetes patients and coordinate insurance coverage.

As the San Antonio operation grows, employees will conduct sales visits to doctors and provide customer services that include troubleshooting and optimization of medical devices. A visitor center will be created at the three-story building at The Rim to train physicians and patients on the company's devices.

The company sells glucose monitors, insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors, plus therapy management software patients can use to download data from monitors onto home computers for viewing by their doctors. Medtronic Diabetes has more than 200,000 customers worldwide.

Ruiz, 38, is a New Orleans native and a 1995 Tulane University graduate. He worked for Connecticut-based U.S. Surgical Corp. and Rhode Island-based C.R. Bard Inc. before joining Medtronic nine years ago, rising to the rank of senior director of sales operations and customer support before moving to San Antonio this summer.

As sales grew, Medtronic Diabetes ran out of room in its Los Angeles building and wanted to diversify geographically in case one facility becomes disabled, Ruiz said. San Antonio was selected from an initial list of more than 900 site candidates.

San Antonio and Texas were attractive because of the business climate. “We liked that San Antonio had a population accustomed to taking care of people,” Ruiz said.

Ruiz wants the building at The Rim to integrate the latest technology. “We're placing a tremendous amount of investment to create a place people are proud to work in,” he said.

After starting operations at The Rim on Sept. 14, the company plans a formal opening celebration in early November.

“Every day we've been here reinforced our decision to come. We couldn't be happier,” Ruiz said.

[kornbread]

Ruiz wants the building at The Rim to integrate the latest technology. “We're placing a tremendous amount of investment to create a place people are proud to work in,” he said.

I've only driven by this place, but the Rim looks like a giant strip mall (am I wrong?)

They should have moved into the Elan(?) around the same area. From the plans that seems like a much more interesting place for the employees. Same for NuStar. Didn't they decide on the Rim as well?

[sakyle04]

Originally Posted by kornbread

I've only driven by this place, but the Rim looks like a giant strip mall (am I wrong?)

They should have moved into the Elan(?) around the same area. From the plans that seems like a much more interesting place for the employees. Same for NuStar. Didn't they decide on the Rim as well?

NuStar @ the Rim.

[miaht82]

We might soon have to start a thread dedicated to Seguin.

A couple of things coming out of there;

First, from the Gazette-Enterprise.

Continental Automotive Systems U.S., Inc. announced Monday it would close its 1,300-worker manufacturing facility in Huntsville, Ala., in a phased shutdown to be completed by Dec. 31, 2010.

Manufacturing of products currently constructed at Huntsville will be moved to plants in Seguin and Nogales and Cuautla, Mexico, Continental said in a media statement published Monday.

Not sure how many jobs or if any jobs will be added, but it definitely helps add industrial bulk to the region on the heels of of the Toyota announcement and of course CAT.

Also the county is looking to build a 3-story parking garage with a catwalk connecting to the Guadalupe County Justice Center on Court St. Story also in the Gazette-Enterprise.
Good forward-thinking by them. I saw the reno to the JC a couple of months ago, I wonder if they are eliminating those 20 or so parking spots in front of the building. I would hope so if their intention is to add storefronts to the streetscape heading west towards TLU. A small plaza/park area up front, similar to their courthouse with a giant pecan, would be a good way to get rid of those spots.

[kornbread]

Ever wonder how your aquifer is doing? There's a lot of good information here. Check out the historical levels.
http://www.edwardsaquifer.org/index.asp

[tgannaway89]

Boerne is getting a new $10 million library. Work may begin in January. This is only part of a large complex planned.

http://recenter.tamu.edu/mnews/newsS...NEWS&CID=49252
http://www.boerne.lib.tx.us/design

[ydoc14]

It looks like some work is finally starting at the Landmark...saw crews starting to build a road into the property connecting to the 1604 eastbound access road

[miaht82]

Originally Posted by ydoc14

It looks like some work is finally starting at the Landmark...saw crews starting to build a road into the property connecting to the 1604 eastbound access road

Yeah, It looks like an entrance of sorts.

Also, I found these. I haven't seen these on the forum before so I'll explain a bit on my finds.





Site: 4.6 acres on Cherry Ridge
It is proposed to construct a 300,000 sq. ft., 20 story, Class "A" office building. It would provide 11 stories of office space on decreasing size floor plates as one ascends the upper floors. The first floor would be given over to lobby area, some commercial use and service functions, a possible branch back or executive service. Parking requirements would be serviced with a multi-level parking structure of appoximately 4 levels.




site:


It is proposed to construct a 300,000 sq. ft., 15 story, Class "A" office building. It would provide 15 stories of office space on 14,000 square floor plates. The first floor would be given over to the lobby area, some commercial use and service functions, a possible branch back or executive service. Parking requirements would be serviced with a multi-level parking structure of appoximately 4 levels.

[ydoc14]

While I'll welcome any new development...having decreased floor height as the floors go higher is just stupid...and that design looks like something out of the Wizard of Oz...but I'll take anything...I've actually been wanting to see more new office mid-rises.

And as for that second building near the RIM.....BUILD IT!!! It reminds me of the Alliance Bernstein building, which is one of my favorite office mid-rises and always gives me something impressive to look at when heading downtown and coming out of the medical dr. overpass

[oldmanshirt]

Yeah, any new office development is welcomed right now, especially two developments that add up to more than half a mil of square footage. That Cherry Ridge building looks funky as heck but at least its along 410, unlike the second one, which is past 1604 and (naturally) much better-looking.

[sirkingwilliam]

Originally Posted by miaht82

site:


It is proposed to construct a 300,000 sq. ft., 15 story, Class "A" office building. It would provide 15 stories of office space on 14,000 square floor plates. The first floor would be given over to the lobby area, some commercial use and service functions, a possible branch back or executive service. Parking requirements would be serviced with a multi-level parking structure of appoximately 4 levels.

Is this the NuStar HQ or a separate building altogether. I know someone has seen the actual NuStar renderings and it had two buildings and a water feature but is this is?

edit:

Now that I look at the map, it's not anywhere near the NuStar speculated site so it would seem to be a completely different building. However, how old is this proposal? As the map calls The Landmark site Regal Hills, the name of the first development that eventually turned into The Landmark a couple of years ago.

[UrbanTrance]

I am so happy to see something new, I'll take it! I think they're pretty nice, actually.

[UrbanTrance]

Originally Posted by ydoc14

It looks like some work is finally starting at the Landmark...saw crews starting to build a road into the property connecting to the 1604 eastbound access road

Yeah I've lately seen some bulldozers out there, but not really much. At least it's a sign of something.

[tgannaway89]

Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam

Is this the NuStar HQ or a separate building altogether. I know someone has seen the actual NuStar renderings and it had two buildings and a water feature but is this is?

edit:

Now that I look at the map, it's not anywhere near the NuStar speculated site so it would seem to be a completely different building. However, how old is this proposal? As the map calls The Landmark site Regal Hills, the name of the first development that eventually turned into The Landmark a couple of years ago.

No this is seperate. This tract of land has been fighting for approval from the planning and zoning commission for at least a year now. The company that owns the land filed for bankruptcy last week. It is a company owned/run by Stanley Thomas, but separate from Thomas Enterprise. Keep in mind there are height restrictions for any building constructed within 3-miles of the Camp Bullis border.

[Big A]

I doubt this building will be built at this location with all the fighting over the Camp Bullis area developments. It seems that there are always some kinds of reason to halt great developments in SA.

[Schertz1]

This building can easily be built away from Camp Bullis.
There is absolutely nothing special about that area, yet people think their developments will fail if not built on the magic land. For the most part they are poor projects designed to attract weak minds into over priced dressed up tract homes. I could go on about this, but I risk upsetting those still waiting for the magic money dust to waft over from the Dominion.

These developments would work/sell just as well if built south of UTSA or La Cantera.

[Paul in S.A TX]

I like the Josh building it's strange but likable imo. As for Nustar if they build a new HQ they should build something downtown, hint hint, Devon Tower OKC. I have a strong feeling we are going to see some new talls downtown soon.

[Keep-SA-Lame]

Isn't it pretty much for certain that NuStar is building at the rim?

[jaga185]

I am just not feeling the Joshua building...at all. The Rim building is pretty tight though.

[ooo0mercury0ooo]

What is the construction site for Joshua Building?
The site on the picture Looks like its there by Malibu castle right next to the marriot hotel on the corner of 410 and I-10

Can someone explain to me the site for the joshua building..
I love it by the way..