[tgannaway89]

Its the interior parking garage for the apartments that are going to be built; similar to the Quarry Village. Around 250 units in 2 buildings. Like I said, the housing is slowly creeping in.

Isn't a large portion of that going to be section 8?

[miaht82]

Isn't a large portion of that going to be section 8?

Actually, all phases are mixed-income, even the townhomes. 49 are going to be public housing, 12 will be affordable housing, and the rest, 184 will be market rate. Not exactly section 8 housing but it is a SAHA project, part of the reason it got the money to be built.

Having grown up in that area as a kid, I can tell you that this is definitely a step up from the 660 units that were public housing in the old Victoria Courts.

Most housing that takes place early in revitalization has to be affordable and at the most market rate. The goal is for SAHA to act as a sort of catalyst to increase density that will hopefully add to residential services needed in the DT area once a certain level of mass is acheived. Once there is an increase in density and resident services are added, then you can add the above-market-rate housing which is usually when the private projects come in to play. Its all a step in the entire process.

Keep this in mind becasue SAHA owns land on the Museum Reach and might be one of the first to announce a project in the area since they have more access to city grants, HUD grants and Federal funding.
Now I believe the entire Union Stockyards apartments are going to be entirely affordable housing.

[The Model]

I miss the old stock yards, I would like to see some historic photos of that area off of IH 35. As a child I remember it looking very industrial, and also remembering rolling up the windows.:slob:

[sirkingwilliam]

Isn't a large portion of that going to be section 8?

Short answer.

No.

[jaga185]

Development eyes October restart

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/loc...r_restart.html

"1221 Broadway may someday be offices, retail and apartments. There has been virtually no construction on it since October 2004 because of lawsuits, other disputes and financing problems."

[miaht82]

Development eyes October restart

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/loc...r_restart.html

"1221 Broadway may someday be offices, retail and apartments. There has been virtually no construction on it since October 2004 because of lawsuits, other disputes and financing problems."

Just another example of how public programs are helping private developers to get projects moving. The numbers are going to pile up and things are definitely headed in the right direction.

[The Model]

Went pass downtown two days ago and notice the crane going up for the new justice center addition over of Nueva street and Main.

[sakyle04]

Anyone have details on the tilt-wall construction going on at the victoria commons site closest to I-37?

[The Model]

Good Afternoon,
I posted a new SA skyline shot to my website this morning. I shot it yesterday from the southeast side of town near Fair Ave and New Braunfels.
Also Sunday I took a shot of the Vistana from a direction I'm sure you will all like, its also on my site. Enjoy:notacrook:

[ooo0mercury0ooo]

Good Afternoon,
I posted a new SA skyline shot to my website this morning. I shot it yesterday from the southeast side of town near Fair Ave and New Braunfels.
Also Sunday I took a shot of the Vistana from a direction I'm sure you will all like, its also on my site. Enjoy:notacrook:

Hey Model i wanna take a look at your website.. how can i access your website... lemme know please..

[The Model]

If you click on my user name, I have the address in my profile.
I got to go on the roof of the Miliam Building on Monday as well, so I will post some of those photos very soon as well.:tup:

[ooo0mercury0ooo]

If you click on my user name, I have the address in my profile.
I got to go on the roof of the Miliam Building on Monday as well, so I will post some of those photos very soon as well.:tup:

Thank you very much..cool pictures by the way.:notacrook:

[necropolis]

So as I crept over to look at the buildings under contruction on TX...over 400 ft and such I saw, well didn't see, that San Antonio was nowhere to be found. I know we have a few midrises ready to go soon but what awes people is height...the kind where you have to tilt ur neck to look up. I'm all for any development DT but height impresis people and attracts them to the core. People feel comfortable if they can relate a building to where they are at instead of midrises which will just blend in...again and again and again. So does anyone know of even the slightest proposal for future buildings that will stick out of the skyline...but hopefully not they way the Grand Hyatt jolts out. (though I must say that there are certain times during the day and evening that the Grand Hyatt doesnt look too bad). I guess I just want to know if SA is ready to move forward with the present and not play catch-up over and over.

[sakyle04]

So as I crept over to look at the buildings under contruction on TX...over 400 ft and such I saw, well didn't see, that San Antonio was nowhere to be found. I know we have a few midrises ready to go soon but what awes people is height...the kind where you have to tilt ur neck to look up. I'm all for any development DT but height impresis people and attracts them to the core. People feel comfortable if they can relate a building to where they are at instead of midrises which will just blend in...again and again and again. So does anyone know of even the slightest proposal for future buildings that will stick out of the skyline...but hopefully not they way the Grand Hyatt jolts out. (though I must say that there are certain times during the day and evening that the Grand Hyatt doesnt look too bad). I guess I just want to know if SA is ready to move forward with the present and not play catch-up over and over.

beggars can't be choosers... ;)

there is the potential hotel tower at rivercenter (phase 3) which has no rendering, no flag, and no actual prospect of being a reality.

other than that, i only know of a few mid-rises speckled throughout DT that may or may not happen.

[oldmanshirt]

Nothing wrong with the skyline that filling in a few gaps couldn't fix.

I really think the only reason SA's skyline suffers is because its in the same state as Dallas and Houston. Among Southwestern cities its not noticeably lacking in height, and actually compares well with some larger cities/metro areas like Sacramento, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland. I'm talking pure height here, not urbanity or quality of downtown living or recreating.

I used to think SA needed to get some 500'-600' towers downtown like yesterday, but after seeing the quality and beauty that can go into a "short" development like the Vistana, I'm more of a mindset that a 17-25 story building can be just as good if it interacts well with the street and the surrounding buildings. Lets focus on getting people in downtown and eat up some surface parking however we can, and leave the you-know-what measuring to other cities :tup:

[jaga185]

Lets focus on getting people in downtown and eat up some surface parking however we can, and leave the you-know-what measuring to other cities :tup:

:cheers:

[necropolis]

I used to be the other way around, haha. I loved SA's height until i finally did some exploring of other cities. SA is really missing out. I'm not asking for a 1000ft building, though that would be nice, but I do want to see omething stand out. One thing i did notice though is that our DT is slightly more spread out for its size which contributes the most to the way it looks. Ive been to many cities in the Midwest and East Coast and with buildings much closer they look larger and grander even though there are fewer of them which are shorter too. Any infill though is great. My greatest fear is that we are going to become too much of a tourist city to attract any major business to the core at least. I used to love going to the riverwalk until it got to the point where i Moved only 20 feet a min during the summer without risking falling in. I love the Vistana because it makes itself known...It was a bold attempt downtown which paid off incredibly. If more midrises could make themselves known as the Vistana did then we'd have one heck of a DT. Nothing wrong with the skyline that filling in a few gaps couldn't fix.

I really think the only reason SA's skyline suffers is because its in the same state as Dallas and Houston. Among Southwestern cities its not noticeably lacking in height, and actually compares well with some larger cities/metro areas like Sacramento, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland. I'm talking pure height here, not urbanity or quality of downtown living or recreating.

I used to think SA needed to get some 500'-600' towers downtown like yesterday, but after seeing the quality and beauty that can go into a "short" development like the Vistana, I'm more of a mindset that a 17-25 story building can be just as good if it interacts well with the street and the surrounding buildings. Lets focus on getting people in downtown and eat up some surface parking however we can, and leave the you-know-what measuring to other cities :tup:

[miaht82]

Nothing wrong with the skyline that filling in a few gaps couldn't fix.

I really think the only reason SA's skyline suffers is because its in the same state as Dallas and Houston. Among Southwestern cities its not noticeably lacking in height, and actually compares well with some larger cities/metro areas like Sacramento, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland. I'm talking pure height here, not urbanity or quality of downtown living or recreating.

I used to think SA needed to get some 500'-600' towers downtown like yesterday, but after seeing the quality and beauty that can go into a "short" development like the Vistana, I'm more of a mindset that a 17-25 story building can be just as good if it interacts well with the street and the surrounding buildings. Lets focus on getting people in downtown and eat up some surface parking however we can, and leave the you-know-what measuring to other cities :tup:


(here I go)
This is true, height adds to the look, not so much the feel of a "DT" area.
I've been in Tokyo now for a month and have made MANY observations of what is possibly the closest thing to perfect urbanity in the world.
Height has nothing to do with anything but office space. This is never more noticeable than in Tokyo City, CBD. I went there on a Sunday and it was dead. Nice skyline, (city and Nissan Skyline GTR's too) but it just lacked that something that the midrise apartments add to every other "city" that has a major train station. You can google image some of these; Yokohama, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Fujisawa, Akihabara, Roppongi, Ginza and they can all be interchangeable. These cities/stations, are only about 2-3 km apart and repeat about 20 or so times in the entire metro area. Almost like a shopping mall in the US. The only thing that is different is the things that within walking distance, whether it be landmarks, or certain office buildings or parks or "specific" districts (such as electric town, kitchen district, high-end shopping, cool tokyo). But when you look outside of these shopping areas (usually about 16 blocks or so of retail and more) there are the 3 or 4 blocks deep, when looking at radius, of high to midrise housing. Even the smaller stations have small shopping areas around them with mid-rise housing around that.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that skyscraping offices are not really necessary to have a nice urban area. The surely add to it, but new offices are almost the last step in revitalization, only after the old offices have been converted into quick housing and then new office space becomes necessary.
It would look nice, but I'd rather see more MF housing in empty lots or unused lots; build up that density.

[ryan5021]

Most everything in the older part of Prague is no more than 8 floors and it is absolutely amazing. Tall skyscrapers there would look out of place. I think San Antonio's downtown is coming along just fine. Anything up to 20-25 floors is perfect.

[alexjon]

CBDs form the way they do because they're meant to centralize and house a white collar workforce. Bank towers, municipal towers, etc..

San Antonio's downtown doesn't have such need, and with a classic building stock, they don't need to put up tall condo towers. That, and having your tallest building be a condo tower smacks of fakery.

[Schertz1]

There was a time DT San Antonio had several high-rise banks:NBC,Frost,Alamo,Interfirst or First Republic, and Travis. It would be nice if Broadway built a tower DT.

[necropolis]

I wish SA still had a great historical looking DT. For 5 years I'd catch the bus downtown and always walk around, evening missing a couple of buses by choice to keep exploring. Everytime I saw something new, some new piece of architecture I missed before. What I finally realized was the era of such beauty was over. Everything newer was bland, flat, and meant nothing to DT and contributed only to infill. WIth the exception of the Vistana, most new buildings don't bring the glory that buildings of the past once did. There are modern buildings that do stand out in a good way and showcase the beauty of modern architecture. I wish we had some of those because buildings if the past wont be built. I hope the city could one day embrace modern architecture in a way that enhances DT rather than toning down a building so much it has an adverse effect such the the GH or La Quinta. I visited NYC a few times and it shows that even in the midst of meodern hirighes the classic stlye buildngs stand out. I'm sure the sane could happen here. If not highrises then midrises could do the work. By showcasing newer and creative buildings and not being scared to have them DT I think it would be pretty cool to show a timeline almost of how the city has evolved and how things change. Though I'm for a skyscraper I'd be scared to think that something could be taller than the ToA. In time, if it ever happens, I think the city would look back and see that larger and modern buidlings dont distract from the beauty of the city, rather, they enhance it and showcase the city as no longer stuck in the past but instead ready to move into the future but retain and embrace its historical past.

I know this doesnt add much or go along with what I've/Ya'll have been writing lately but for some reason I felt compelled to type this, idk why :)

[jaga185]

^^^ I agree 100% man. But we won't ever see things like that unless some one speaks up about it.

[miaht82]

Not quite sure if anyone else has noticed (or can confirm, maybe I'm just slow motion on this) but I believe that construction has started at the site for the CIA building at Pearl. I think I saw a couple mobile cranes there.

[Keep-SA-Lame]

They've started. You can see it from 281.

[miaht82]

Also on Presa; any idea what is going on with Yndo's properties (Pig Stand/Old Postal Workers Union office.) I saw it was being gutted/demo'd. Maybe he's starting something else (or not) since St. B's is almost complete?

Nevermind. Just got message from him telling me that the former Pig Stand is going to be a Burger/Shake place, and the building across is going to be for Ricos Products HQ's, since they sold their S. Flores bldg to HEB.



BTW: St B's (http://www.stbofsa.com/index.html)is now for lease and has both regular residential, commercial and work/live spaces.

[sakyle04]

Anyone have details on the tilt-wall construction going on at the victoria commons site closest to I-37?

Still waiting...

Anyone have renderings or info about the tilt-wall stuff going up at Victoria Commons?

2-3 stories-ish? Limited windows...?

Bueller?

[miaht82]

Still waiting...

Anyone have renderings or info about the tilt-wall stuff going up at Victoria Commons?

2-3 stories-ish? Limited windows...?

Bueller?

not sure which are final renderings but here (http://blondecreative.com/saha/durango_index.html) is what it might look like.
4 stories, up to the sidewalk, wrapped garage, 2 buildings.... similar to Quarry Village. Less Tuscan-Texan, more 1800 or 1221 Broadway, which by the way is now updated on the Lake/Flato site (http://www.lakeflato.com/projects/1221broadway/02.asp).

[sakyle04]

1221 is incredible!!!!!! hope that starts transforming the shell soon.

the tilt-wall stuff at VC must be the parking garages...will be nice to see them wrapped in residences.

[jaga185]

Yeah, I've fallen in love with 1221 Broadway, it looks awesome!

[miaht82]

Looks like Liberty Bar is only going to move and not have 2 locations like previously stated:

Liberty Bar is moving south (http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/local/The_Liberty_Bar_is_moving_south.html?c=y&commentSubmitted=y#comments)
By Creighton A. Welch - Express-News
The Liberty Bar soon will be crooked no more. Instead, it will be rather saintly.

For 25 years, the iconic San Antonio restaurant has operated on Josephine Street in a leaning house dating to the 1890s.

But Dwight Hobart, the restaurant's owner, will be moving the restaurant to the former St. Scholastica Convent on South Alamo Street sometime early next year.

“It will still be the Liberty Bar,” Hobart said. “It will have the same management, same menu.”

Hobart announced in March 2008 that he purchased the former convent site in order to open a new restaurant. At the time, he planned to keep the Liberty Bar open and have two restaurants.
story continues.... (http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/local/The_Liberty_Bar_is_moving_south.html?c=y&commentSubmitted=y#comments)


I think Southtown is slowly headed in a good direction. With Judson Lofts 84 units almost completely gone, St. B's adding 66 units and 240ish units added at Victoria Commons, I think the neighborhood is slowly adding some life to the edge of DT proper. Another project or two and we might see reasoning as to why HEB closed the S. Presa location and recently purchased some land on Flores (not attached to their Arsenal HQ's.) It could be that they just needed extra office/parking space..?? Maybe not. It could be that a location closer to DT/King William/Lavaca would make more sense.

[Keep-SA-Lame]

Wasn't their official reason for leaving that location because of the HEB plus at McCreless?

[miaht82]

With as much protest as they got from that section of town during the closure, it seemed "official" enough reason to say that.
But I'm not saying that wasn't the reason, I'm just speculating on their recent purchase of land on Flores.
All we can do is sit and wait to see what they do. We might hear something sooner than we all think.

[Keep-SA-Lame]

Where exactly did HEB buy land?

[sirkingwilliam]

They bought Rico's HQ on Flores. Rico's is moving their HQ to the old Pig Stand on Presa or is it Alamo?

[miaht82]

Where exactly did HEB buy land?
Old Ricos building next to AztecaTV on Flores, across the street from Commanders House and Park.
They bought Rico's HQ on Flores. Rico's is moving their HQ to the old Pig Stand on Presa or is it Alamo?
Ricos is moving across the street from the Pig Stand. The Pig Stand is going to be reopened as a Burger & Shake place.

[sirkingwilliam]

Old Ricos building next to AztecaTV on Flores, across the street from Commanders House and Park.

Ricos is moving across the street from the Pig Stand. The Pig Stand is going to be reopened as a Burger & Shake place.

Yeah, I knew I got something wrong. Was close though. ;)

[KevinFromTexas]

I was in San Antonio this weekend. I took a bunch of pictures of course.

What are those two cranes at Brook Army Medical Center for? That construction site looked massive!

I had a great time in San Antonio. Even though it was hot as can be. I really like the way Vistana turned out.

[alexjon]

The Pig Stand is going to be reopened as a Burger & Shake place.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! :( :(

[miaht82]

I was in San Antonio this weekend. I took a bunch of pictures of course.

What are those two cranes at Brook Army Medical Center for? That construction site looked massive!

I had a great time in San Antonio. Even though it was hot as can be. I really like the way Vistana turned out.

Response (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showpost.php?p=4355263&postcount=27) moved to Ft. Sam Thread.....

[necropolis]

Did anyone else watch KSAT 12 when the talked about Audreys closing downtown? They showed some sort of rendering but I wasn't sure if it was of the proposed buildings taking its place to house med. offices or just some random thing they showed. Anyone have any info on this?

[jaga185]

^^^ HDRC approved, *GASP* demolition of the old building for a new, small, medical complex. From the look of the renderings, it should greatly improve the area, and I'm glad Audrey's is going. I heard he is opening somewhere else, as he is getting a good settlement for selling.

[KevinFromTexas]

Here's the article on it.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/HDRC_allows_demolition_of_Audrys.html


HDRC allows demolition of Audry's

By Scott Huddleston - Express-News

In a stunning reversal, a city panel has supported plans to raze a landmark restaurant and two other century-old structures downtown.

Audry's Mexican Restaurant could close in the next two months, owner Tony Cantu said after the Historic and Design Review Commission made its ruling late Wednesday. He told the commission it was a “tough, tough decision” to try to close the restaurant to make room for a medical building.

“Like so many San Antonio business owners, I've been caught in the downward spiral of the economy,” he told the panel.

[J.Dskyhigh]

I was taking early summer classes at Fox Tech Downtown campus so on my last day took some pictures from their balcony downtown i really liked
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2616/3731624230_1827e9a013_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2556/3730827129_66e0820c60_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3145/3730827871_b44f288b7e_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2646/3731625664_48ab8211df_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3431/3731626040_ceb01dfb8e_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2567/3731626456_89b0ed6b08_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2632/3731627318_6e337f5830_b.jpg
THE COURTHOUSE CRANE
FIRST PICS I'VE SEEN OF IT HERE !!!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2500/3731628552_0003d61715_b.jpg

OUR DOWNTOWN PRODUCTION
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3524/3731622888_ddc7749636_b.jpg

p.s AUSTIN'S FORUM KICKS S.A'S FORUM A## ON A DAILY BASIS. . .
SO FINALLY SOME PICS RIGHT

[KevinFromTexas]

^Thanks for the pics.

This is sort of a different view. What street is that? I like the look of the Robert E. Lee Hotel. That huge water tank on the roof and the big old sign. It's easy to imagine what the area must have been like back in the 30s and 40s.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3431/3731626040_ceb01dfb8e_b.jpg

And oh man, this is cool!
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2632/3731627318_6e337f5830_b.jpg

[JACKinBeantown]

Thanks for posting the pics. What's the crane on the right in the last one?

[KevinFromTexas]

If I'm not mistaken, it's some kind of work on the courthouse.

[Lando]

:previous: yeah, that's the 10 story Justice Center expansion.

[miaht82]

Embassy Suites:
May
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2481/3557274754_80341aae9f.jpg?v=0
July 1st
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3601/3742238151_5e190cde87.jpg?v=0
taken yesterday by me
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2649/3742138861_d7750ce1e9.jpg?v=0
Northwest View
May
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3442/3389287682_c0fa464299.jpg?v=0
July 1st
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2669/3743044574_e94a6c7398.jpg?v=0
July 19th
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2502/3742131473_090a903e2a.jpg?v=0

From Frost Tower
May
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3533/3742202167_4fd130b469.jpg?v=0
July
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2630/3743025548_6d1a46a98c.jpg?v=0

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2580/3742149411_c2ba3183d1.jpg?v=0
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2532/3742148501_f2d692aa7b.jpg?v=0
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3449/3742938794_ba8fb92e70.jpg?v=0
I have alot of angles, just to see how the skyline/streetscape changes with this one.
Justice Center
A little bit more than halfway there on height.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3534/3742155625_e4cab94c86.jpg?v=0
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3513/3742157263_a61c93d39c.jpg?v=0
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3496/3742943368_cced03e103.jpg?v=0

Durango Phase - Victoria Commons.... i'll get better pics of this one later, trying to figure out the best angle.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3521/3743050016_970947cd79.jpg?v=0
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3270/3112147058_5a0c61f1e7.jpg?v=0

Townplace Suites/Neisner Bldg.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3532/3304645053_3a63efccdc_m.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2635/3742991932_58ee0261b8_m.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2587/3742200179_2f261e54be_m.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3306/3557277374_e81b7181d8_m.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2591/3743034756_698ef3ed1a_m.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2578/3743037572_f29e03db61_m.jpg

[oldmanshirt]

Very nice work, miaht! :yes:

I think despite its modest height, the Embassy Suites is going to add a lot to the streetscape.

[UTSABA06]

All of these projects are adding wonderful density to downtown! The Neisner Building remodel/restoration is turning out to be quite nice. :tup:

[oldmanshirt]

pg?v=0[/IMG]
July 19th
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2502/3742131473_090a903e2a.jpg?v=0

This one is my favorite :tup:

[sakyle04]

the surface parking lot in the foreground would be one of the great residential tracts, in my opinion. on houston (if you consider that Travis cuts the overall lot in two), but a skip removed from the uber-dense section. I imagine a building that stretches/arches over travis, creating a mini-tunnel while bridging the two lots to allow for a larger footprint.

there is enough room there to do something significant...

i wonder whether a combo rent/own building would be possible? like the vistana but with 10 more stories to accomodate more parking/storage and 7 floors of ownership condos.

the rental portion/income would help to defray some of the spec fear/costs in building it and the ownership portion would help pay down the note, creating a greater profit mechanism in the overall building.

surely, someone has thought of this and will tell my why it wouldn't work. no one would buy in a building with renters? not even in an upmarket building with rents even a bit higher than Vistana? not with seperate entrances or elevators for renters and owners (floors 1-13, 14-23)..>?

sorry...hadn't dreamt about such things in a while. thanks for humoring me.

[JACKinBeantown]

Thanks miaht82. I posted your photos as a quote in the General Development thread for this building. :tup:

[miaht82]

the surface parking lot in the foreground would be one of the great residential tracts, in my opinion. on houston (if you consider that Travis cuts the overall lot in two), but a skip removed from the uber-dense section. I imagine a building that stretches/arches over travis, creating a mini-tunnel while bridging the two lots to allow for a larger footprint.

there is enough room there to do something significant...

i wonder whether a combo rent/own building would be possible? like the vistana but with 10 more stories to accomodate more parking/storage and 7 floors of ownership condos.

the rental portion/income would help to defray some of the spec fear/costs in building it and the ownership portion would help pay down the note, creating a greater profit mechanism in the overall building.

surely, someone has thought of this and will tell my why it wouldn't work. no one would buy in a building with renters? not even in an upmarket building with rents even a bit higher than Vistana? not with seperate entrances or elevators for renters and owners (floors 1-13, 14-23)..>?

sorry...hadn't dreamt about such things in a while. thanks for humoring me.

Could work... Perhaps have a couple tower ends for penthouses in each end, and have seperate entrances.
I think the only problem with this right now is that urban entertainment is still sketchy to many. Hopefully the redevelopment of Rivercenter, UTSA playing at the Dome, and upgraded performing arts centers will solve this problem somewhat. Slow addition of rental/for sale units within walking or even a 5 minute drive to DT will add a few more "feet on the street," which will allow more retail and more local serving bars and clubs to increase traffic DT.
I can see that site working as a complete rental of 400+ units within the next 3-5 years or so but no so much as for sale units. I see a conversion of the Rand Building or another older office building before 100 or so units are for sale in the CBD.

Edit:
Actually, maybe 3-4 floors or 30-40 units for sale might work quickly that close to the river. I could be wrong altogether but the River (even though its a block away) sells. La Cascada always has low availability, Riverview Condos on Convent are the same, and even the Exchange building across from the Weston is also a tough one to get even as a re-used reno. I still see both markets needing a few months to absorb into Vistana, St. B's and Vidorra, but I think with a couple of smaller projects around DT first, that a large scale project like this might not be too far behind.

[The Model]

What is the new crane that is at the Pearl Brewery.
Its really tall, I can't imagine the city allowing a high rise to be built next to the Pearl.

[miaht82]

What is the new crane that is at the Pearl Brewery.
Its really tall, I can't imagine the city allowing a high rise to be built next to the Pearl.

CIA/Stack Building
http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/6051/pearlbuilding2xw7.png

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2570/3747190183_92a5bef6c3.jpg?v=0

[kornbread]

Interesting article related to hospitality industry.

The market in San Antonio had been surprisingly strong, but I have noticed in the last 6 months that prices have really dropped. The big problem with hotels in downtown San Antonio is that the hotel tax is over 16% and they charge about $20 a night for parking; so for every $100 you spend you could pay an extra $37:hell:

http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/local/Riverwalk_Plaza_Hotel_saved_from_foreclosure.html

A lawsuit filed by a San Antonio hotel offered a window this week into the financial problems facing the hospitality industry here and across the country.

State District Judge Barbara Nellermoe ruled that La Villita Motor Inns, owner of the downtown Riverwalk Plaza Hotel, has 18 months to refinance a $6 million balloon payment the company defaulted on last year, saving the hotel from foreclosure.

In her ruling, Nellermoe said fees assessed by an asset management company that had sought the hotel's foreclosure were “unfair.”

Nellermoe acknowledged that by no fault of their own, business owners are foundering as a result of the ongoing recession.

“This has been the case from hell,” she said, from a courtroom overlooking the Riverwalk Plaza Hotel. “There's been hell to pay, that's for sure. But that will continue in this market.”

The case has been closely watched by hotel owners in San Antonio. Hundreds of millions of dollars in loans taken out by hotels across the United States will come due in the next three years, according to one.

If hotel owners can't refinance or get extensions, those hotels could face foreclosure as well, said Sherry Chaudhry, an owner of the Comfort Suites Alamo Riverwalk hotel. With business slow as a result of the recession, it will be hard for indebted hotel owners to pay off their loans, she said. Chaudhry was in the courtroom Friday when Nellermoe made her ruling, and said, “We're all waiting to find out if, when our loans come due, will the banks try to take our hotels.”

The future of these hotels will remain unclear until appellate courts make rulings in this and similar cases, Murphy said.

The case revolved around an $8.4 million loan taken out in September 2008 by Liaquat Pirani, president of the two companies that form the La Villita limited partnership. Pirani put the Riverwalk Plaza Hotel up as collateral.

The hotel is worth $16.7 million, according to court filings. The Bexar Appraisal District lists its appraisal value at $8.25 million.

Pirani made every payment until September of last year, when he defaulted on a $6 million balloon payment, and could not find another lender to help him make the payment, he and his attorneys said in court. Pirani said he continued to make payments, but when he sought the original lender to ask for an extension, he learned his debt had been sold and packaged as a mortgage-backed security.

Orix Capital Markets, a real estate, finance and asset management company representing the security's interest, in March demanded full payment of the loan from Pirani, according to court documents. When that didn't happen, Orix sought foreclosure.

Pirani and La Villita sued Orix and other parties with an interest in the debt, seeking relief from foreclosure and indemnity from other parties that might demand payment on the debt.

In closing arguments Friday, Pirani's attorney Mark Murphy said when his client tried to ask for an extension from his lender and make an offer to settle the debt, Pirani was stymied by Orix, which tacked on hundreds of dollars in default fees and late fees and sought foreclosure rather than settle the loan.

Orix's attorneys countered that Pirani had violated the terms of the loan and the company was in its rights to seek foreclosure.

Nellermoe granted La Villita indemnity and awarded them attorneys fees as well as granting them relief from foreclosure and wiping the default fees and late fees.

[Tornado]

That hotel is a dump and a lot more could be done with that spot. Maybe they should turn it into some sort of office space and have a cafe at the bottom to serve the courthouse employees.

[miaht82]

I was thinking residential units there. 130 or so hotel rooms could easily become 60 or so efficiency, 1 and 2 bedroom apts.

On a different note, it looks like BoA Plaza will gain about 200 employees with a new lease just signed. I know its just a drop in the bucket at this point with AT&T gone, but 50,000 sq. ft. isn't too bad... 2, maybe 3 floors?. I also like this part of the article: (taken from Bizjournals.com (http://sanantonio.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2009/07/27/story3.html?b=1248667200^1866303&page=1))
Down points out that the downtown building was competing against some suburban office properties for the GSA’s attention.

“And downtown won out,” he adds.

[kornbread]

So the new tenant is government related somehow and will serve Ft.Sam and its new development. There really weren't too many logical choices (equivalent to BofA) nearby and there were likely incentives offered. A small victory, but much needed for downtown.

The idea of turning the Riverwalk Plaza into office space doesn't make any sense. No one is going to add space to an area that is struggling to lease.

I agree that it would be a nice spot for residential. However, it is functioning as a hotel because there is that segment of the market that is willing to stay at a "dump".

It seems that the SA hotel market is feeling the recession (probably pretty hard), and that people who actually are traveling and would normally choose the cheaper hotel now have more options in their price range because other hotels have had to drop prices.

Has the Aloft on Houston St. actually started? If not, does it go forward in this market?

[Tornado]

I thought office space with attorneys in mind. Residential would be ok, but maybe just tear the building down and make it green space. I really have never liked the property and never will...it is U G L Y.

[miaht82]

So the new tenant is government related somehow and will serve Ft.Sam and its new development. There really weren't too many logical choices (equivalent to BofA) nearby and there were likely incentives offered. A small victory, but much needed for downtown.. I'm glad someone's putting it(logic) to use. I know we're far from seeing a new office tower go up in DT but we'll take what we can get.

I agree that it would be a nice spot for residential. However, it is functioning as a hotel because there is that segment of the market that is willing to stay at a "dump".

It seems that the SA hotel market is feeling the recession (probably pretty hard), and that people who actually are traveling and would normally choose the cheaper hotel now have more options in their price range because other hotels have had to drop prices.

Has the Aloft on Houston St. actually started? If not, does it go forward in this market? Probably not in today's market. But just as it took a while for it to catch up to SA, I see SA crawling out of the hole before most of the country does. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what the current developments on Houston St. show. I, of course, think the Aloft will go forward... but thats just me, and probably only me.

[Keep-SA-Lame]

http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/downtown/2009/07/h-e-b-not-building-downtown-st.html

H-E-B isn't building a downtown grocery store. At least not anytime soon. And not on South Flores Street.

Hope for a downtown grocery store peaked recently over rumors that H-E-B purchased the Ricos Products Co. property at 621 S. Flores St., a block west from its own headquarters at the former U.S. Army arsenal at 646 S. Main Ave.

The rumors are true. H-E-B did purchase the property. But the transaction took place at least a couple of years ago, according to H-E-B.

The plan is for Ricos (specifically Liberto Management Co., Inc.) to relocate to South Presa Street, across the street from the former Pig Stand, and for H-E-B to use the building as office space — not a grocery store, H-E-B confirmed through its marketing firm.

It's a pity it's not happening because if there was a near-downtown location that would make complete sense it would be on South Flores Street near Durango Boulevard. Such an H-E-B would serve residents of downtown, Southtown, Lavaca and So Flo and beyond going south. And the West Side is pretty much next door.

A couple of footnotes: Ricos celebrates 100 years of business this year (despite what the sign says). And the former Pig Stand will return soon as a burger joint. The pig is staying put, according to a reputable source.

:(

[miaht82]

Oh well...
I still think something is going to happen in the next 3-5 years, maybe not on that property, but somewhere in DT. The closest store to the center of town (Main Plaza) is probably the Commerce/Rosillo store, then the Nogalitos store. The Nogalitos store, although I could be wrong about this, is probably one of the smaller stores left inside of 410. You would think that at some point, HEB would pull a Deco distict, or a McCreless with either of the 3 closest stores.
Although not technically inside the central loop, the area near Nogalitos is set to gain about 500+ residents with the Artisan @San Pedro Creek nearing completion. Add this to the Vistana residents and Victoria Commons #'s and suddenly the area has 1500+ more bodies near Center City.
I think right now we don't see a large gain of residents, with the Vistana not at capacity, but once these larger-scale projects get completed and filled(and started, is it October yet?) there will be a noticeable difference in the streets.

BTW, Durango Phase of Victoria Commons is already halfway complete with the first floor of Bldg. 1. I'll be taking some update pics in DT on Monday or Tuesday if anyone is interested for a meetup. :cheers:

[sirkingwilliam]

That site may not be planned for a store right now but it's a perfect location for one downtown and I wouldn't be shocked once the downtown residential numbers go up there will be one there.

[Daren]

The U.S. General Service Administration signed a 10-year lease for 50,000 square feet at the Bank of America Plaza in downtown. They will use their new space to regulate and disperse medical records for the armed forces.


More juice for more residential demand.
:twoguns:





P.S. The BoAP building has about 90,000 sq ft less than the Tesoro HQ
AND IT'S 28 STORIES!
:koko:

[miaht82]

by B. Olivo from DTblog on mysa.com (http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/downtown/2009/07/aztec-theatre-to-reopen-aug-21.html#more)

It was scheduled for a grand ole' reopening last summer. A year later, the historic Aztec Theatre (http://www.aztecontheriver.com/), 104 N. St. Mary's St., is finally ready to reopen as a country music venue.

The theater's production company announced today opening night as Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. with San Antonio Rose Live, a performance of classic country hits featuring a 10-piece band consisting of musicians from Texas, Tennessee and Missouri.

The debut show is scheduled to run 7 p.m. Fridays through Mondays, with Saturday matinées at 2 p.m. Tickets range $20-$49 and can be purchased at saroselive.com.

The Aztec Theatre has been unoccupied since December 2007 when it closed as a IMAX-style movie theater. It has since undergone a $6 million renovation. More details in the coming weeks

It may seem insignificant to some, but we can add 1 more to the list of things under "Entertainment in DT"

[Alice93]

Does anybody know how far off those neighborhood developments are inn River North?

[miaht82]

Does anybody know how far off those neighborhood developments are inn River North?

Not too sure, I believe the 1221 is set to resume/start in Oct.
Embassy Suites - Riverwalk
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3532/3794256988_9514378f25.jpg
Embassy Suites - View from behind Morris Apts.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2554/3794255948_83ccf62720.jpg
Neisner/Townplace Suites
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3450/3793438781_7b1a533b5f.jpg
Durango Phase of Victoria Commons
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3431/3794256812_e8e112cafe.jpg
before image
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3103/3789242835_91ef531cb7.jpg
Justice Center Expansion
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3259/3793436781_6b44013888.jpg
East View
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2626/3794255332_b35590e40f.jpg
East - Southern View
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3485/3793436173_e50dcec51f.jpg


Artisan @ San Pedro Creek looks to be getting interior finish-out done now. Shouldn't be long before people move in.
The new Liberty Bar is finally getting some action. I believe the switch-out is supposed to happen in Jan.?.
Still don't know what is at corner of Bowie/Houston.

[Alice93]

please. :)

I know that the River North Center will be highrise and I like the idea of Madison Square Park but I don't know the cities time span of these projects.

[Alice93]

At least some progress is being made downtown. Is the Broadway supposed to be done later this year? I was thinking maybe December.

Here is that rendering of the River North Center. I don't know how old it is(maybe a year or a couple) but it's max height is 200'. I wonder if anything has actually been proposed or if that is too far off.
http://www.villagephotos.com/utils/image.aspx?u=2009-8\1344397\river%20north%20center.jpg

[sirkingwilliam]

At least some progress is being made downtown. Is the Broadway supposed to be done later this year? I was thinking maybe December.

Here is that rendering of the River North Center. I don't know how old it is(maybe a year or a couple) but it's max height is 200'. I wonder if anything has actually been proposed or if that is too far off.
http://www.villagephotos.com/utils/image.aspx?u=2009-8\1344397\river%20north%20center.jpg

:slob:

Me likely.

Where'd you find that rendering?

[Alice93]

It was part of a presentation of River North. I was just really hoping that it would get built. I saw the height restrictions for it and thought it had potential.

[sirkingwilliam]

Which presentation?

[Alice93]

It was in this (http://www.sanantonio.gov/planning/pdf/river_north/RiverNDCode16July08Admin_DraftREV_OCT_202008.pdf) PDF. 30.46 MB

[jaga185]

I was wondering when you were going to post those photos Miah. But I really like that rendering, nice find alice.

[sirkingwilliam]

River North Center is an area of River North. The area below:

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/9118/rivernorthcen.png

[Alice93]

I just hope ther will be more projects like that there.

[miaht82]

I wonder who is going to pick up the Turner Bowling (http://www.loopnet.com/xNet/Looplink/Profile/Profile.aspx?stid=cambridgerealty&LID=16131235&LL=true&UOMListing=&UOMMoneyCurrency=)land and the land at the corner of Roy Smith/Avenue A, across the river from SAMA. They are both for sale now. Turner Club is across from Cross' land on 9th/River. I also noticed Embarcadero website went offline. I guess something else might come up on that property once things get rolling again.

[KevinFromTexas]

San Antonio during the 50s!
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/cushman/search/simple.do

[ydoc14]

Very cool...I especially like this one

http://purl.dlib.indiana.edu/iudl/archives/cushman/full/P05369.jpg

[adtobias]

Sad that sa had more development in 1950's then 2009

[Texan101]

San Antonio during the 50s!
http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/cushman/search/simple.do

awesome link:tup: thanks for sharing!

[sirkingwilliam]

Sad that sa had more development in 1950's then 2009

Yes, because we measure SA development by downtown only. :rolleyes:

[JACKinBeantown]

Yes, because we measure SA development by downtown only. :rolleyes:

Uh oh... sounds like a Downtown vs. Sprawl war is brewing.

[sirkingwilliam]

Uh oh... sounds like a Downtown vs. Sprawl war is brewing.

Not at all. His comment was a blanket statement. I was not trying to make it about urban vs suburban. Just noting that SA has greatly developed since the 50's.

[alexjon]

Yes, because we measure SA development by downtown only. :rolleyes:

Well, some of us grew up in the core of the city and feel kinda bitter that suburban areas like the Colonnade/Med Center or Stone Oak areas have gotten more attention in 10 years than the core has gotten in 60 ;)

[sirkingwilliam]

No, I agree. It's terrible the lack of high=rise construction downtown.

What I really should have said is:

Yes, because we measure SA development by the downtown skyline only. http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif

I just think it was a unnecessary blanket statement.

[JACKinBeantown]

Well, I'd also like to see downtown SA grow more. Yes, I like tall buildings, but it would also be indicative of more thoughtful city planning.

[kornbread]

This was a column that mentions the state of the local hospitality industry in 2009

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/columnists/carlos_guerra/Tourism_decline_cuts_revenue_harms_workers.html

Since the early 1970s, San Antonio's River Walk has given our city much of its global identity, hosting millions of visitors each year. It is also a good barometer of the state of our huge tourism industry.

Sunday, after a great brunch at a River Walk hotel, I was surprised that the check was less than I paid previously. Then, a server confided that she and her co-workers — whose income is primarily from tips — had worried because so few reservations were made for the day. And there have been other worries, she said.

“Many conventions have canceled,” she said. “This economy is hurting us.”

On the River Walk, it was, as expected, August hot. But the crowd seemed thinner than usual.

I have long questioned the wisdom of investing so heavily in the “hospitality industry,” most of whose workers earn low wages, and get few, if any, benefits. After all, travel is among the most discretionary of expenditures for businesses and families alike.

When tourism declines, so do prices and tax revenues. Sagging occupancy rates lead to room-rate discounts and empty restaurant tables to price cuts.

Both reduce tax revenues further. But the real price is paid by workers who lose work hours.

Yes, tourism has its benefits. With our occupancy tax — one of the nation's highest — tourists pay for our city's big advertising budget and contribute to city arts and cultural groups. They are also paying for the ever-expanding Convention Center and funding River Walk improvements. And along with car-rental taxes, they paid for the AT&T Center and are paying for its never-ending improvements.

Tourists also beef up our sales tax and liquor-by-the-drink tax revenues.

But as budgets tighten, travel is slowing. And with unemployment around 10 percent nationally — and fueling anxieties — it isn't surprising that “staycation” has entered the American vocabulary.

It is also crimping the lives of tourism workers in ways few of us appreciate.

Gabriel Morales is a 30-year-old “in-room dining server.” He delivers room-service orders at the Grand Hyatt, whose workers are supposed to have the city's best working conditions after the operator agreed to concessions in exchange for building on city land at low rents, with city-backed financing and generous tax breaks.

Morales has been racking up decent hours since the Dallas Cowboys training camp headquartered at his hotel, he says. But working 38 hours this week and 42 last week, he is still a part-timer without health insurance.

“If I need to see a doctor, I'll have to choose between that and paying the rent,” he says. “And some people have worked 99 hours, and they are still part time.”

How badly our tourism industry is affected is yet to be determined.

Substantial tax revenue declines have been expected since at least April. But Wednesday, their magnitude became known. Occupancy taxes have declined 9 percent in the last year. And sales tax revenues, which were $198.3 million in 2008, are expected to be only $189.6 million in 2010.

Bad as that is, can you imagine the price the hospitality industry's front-line soldiers are paying?

[kornbread]

An article about the Hemisfair park redevelopment.
I still think that any use should tie into the convention center

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/53180282.html

The city has created a nonprofit corporation to turn HemisFair Park from a forgotten area to a vibrant neighborhood where people live, work and play.

Many think the site, home to the 1968 World's Fair downtown, is underutilized. To address that issue, the city has formed the HemisFair Park Area Local Government Corp. to serve as a liaison between the city, developers and community groups with a stake in the area's future.

“It will be a bridging entity that will allow for the ultimate success of HemisFair Park. We want absolutely the best the country has to offer,” said Madison Smith, who will lead the corporation's 11-member board and is a principal of Overland Partners architects.

The City Council voted Thursday to create the corporation. Mayor Julián Castro called the board “a very impressive, diverse group of folks who have a passion for San Antonio, particularly for redeveloping our urban core.”

Controversy over HemisFair Park surfaced in 2004, when Landry's Restaurants wanted to redevelop it as an entertainment complex, a use local leaders felt was unsuitable.

The mission of the new corporation will be to foster a cohesive plan for an area that Smith said has great potential because it's larger than the River Bend area, Alamo Plaza and Rivercenter mall combined. He compared the board to the original HemisFair planners who began meeting years before HemisFair '68. It may take 10 or 20 years to guide the area to its potential, Smith said.

“We want to make it another city-changing place. Rather than handing it over to a developer, it's being put in the care of an entity that can stay the course,” he said.

One of the corporation's responsibilities will be to develop qualifications for a “world-class master planner,” said Xavier Gonzalez, another board member who also is chairman of the city's Historic and Design Review Commission.

The city adopted a master plan for the area in 2004. But Gonzalez said the plan lacked depth and “didn't really envision it as a neighborhood.”

Creation of the corporation is an outgrowth of the work this year by an ad-hoc committee that recommended an update to the HemisFair master plan.

Besides studying ways to adaptively reuse several historic homes in the area, the board also will explore the potential for commercial development, multi-family housing and a park with open green space, Gonzalez said. It also seeks to promote mobility for vehicles and pedestrians, and compatibility with La Villita to the west, the Convention Center to the north and the Lavaca neighborhood to the south.

The board, appointed by the City Council, is authorized to act on the city's behalf. It has power to buy, sell and accept land, without the legal restrictions placed on a municipality.

Other board members include former council members Debra Guerrero and Art Hall; developer Bill Shown; landscape architect John Laffoon; engineer Andrés Andújar; and other experts and community advocates — Daniel Lopez, Gini Garcia, Lisa Schmidt and David Zachry.

The San Antonio Conservation Society supports creation of the new entity.

“We're pleased with the direction the city is taking,” said Rollette Schreckenghost, society president.

[Lando]

At least some progress is being made downtown. Is the Broadway supposed to be done later this year? I was thinking maybe December.

Here is that rendering of the River North Center. I don't know how old it is(maybe a year or a couple) but it's max height is 200'. I wonder if anything has actually been proposed or if that is too far off.
http://www.villagephotos.com/utils/image.aspx?u=2009-8\1344397\river%20north%20center.jpg

I think this will fit in nicely in the area. Kind of reminds me of a South Beach Miami hotel/condo building. Let's hope this one gets built.

[sakyle04]

Andres is on the Hemisfair Board!!!!

All is well in the world.

[car2004]

I hope they tear down that 650ft overpriced restaurant. I am tired of that "building" keeping SA from getting more useable, eye pleasing construction to this city. Austin, San Diego and Boston all have populations lower than us, but yet have more to offer. Sad. On a side note, tear down that 1929 building next to the sight of the new Embassy suites hotel downtown. That building is horrible. It is the worst building I have ever seen. What person on earth thinks is beautiful?!---My three story apt complex looks better than that junk.
Be gone tower of Americas, be gone!!! Here is an idea, construct a muiti use building with a restaurant on top. That way all people get to enjoy it---For example, The Prudential Tower, instead of some hollow-out UFO looking plate with colored lights and a $25 and up menu. Tell me, what else does this building serve for the public or the private sector? You might as well have an Ihop on there.

[JACKinBeantown]

I hope they tear down that 650ft overpriced restaurant. I am tired of that "building" keeping SA from getting more useable, eye pleasing construction to this city. Austin, San Diego and Boston all have populations lower than us, but yet have more to offer. Sad. On a side note, tear down that 1929 building next to the sight of the new Embassy suites hotel downtown. That building is horrible. It is the worst building I have ever seen. What person on earth thinks is beautiful?!---My three story apt complex looks better than that junk.
Be gone tower of Americas, be gone!!! Here is an idea, construct a muiti use building with a restaurant on top. That way all people get to enjoy it---For example, The Prudential Tower, instead of some hollow-out UFO looking plate with colored lights and a $25 and up menu. Tell me, what else does this building serve for the public or the private sector? You might as well have an Ihop on there.


Er... uh... yeah.

Well anyway, welcome to the forum.

[sirkingwilliam]

Andres is on the Hemisfair Board!!!!

All is well in the world.

Yep. That's a great thing. He's such a great advocate for downtown and redevelopment.

[Paul in S.A TX]

I hope they tear down that 650ft overpriced restaurant. I am tired of that "building" keeping SA from getting more useable, eye pleasing construction to this city. Austin, San Diego and Boston all have populations lower than us, but yet have more to offer. Sad. On a side note, tear down that 1929 building next to the sight of the new Embassy suites hotel downtown. That building is horrible. It is the worst building I have ever seen. What person on earth thinks is beautiful?!---My three story apt complex looks better than that junk.
Be gone tower of Americas, be gone!!! Here is an idea, construct a muiti use building with a restaurant on top. That way all people get to enjoy it---For example, The Prudential Tower, instead of some hollow-out UFO looking plate with colored lights and a $25 and up menu. Tell me, what else does this building serve for the public or the private sector? You might as well have an Ihop on there.

Ha, Boston ande San Diego I would agree, Austin, not quite. The Milam isn't so bad, great history, the first air conditioned skyscraper.

[maxus]

I hope they tear down that 650ft overpriced restaurant. I am tired of that "building" keeping SA from getting more useable, eye pleasing construction to this city. Austin, San Diego and Boston all have populations lower than us, but yet have more to offer. Sad. On a side note, tear down that 1929 building next to the sight of the new Embassy suites hotel downtown. That building is horrible. It is the worst building I have ever seen. What person on earth thinks is beautiful?!---My three story apt complex looks better than that junk.
Be gone tower of Americas, be gone!!! Here is an idea, construct a muiti use building with a restaurant on top. That way all people get to enjoy it---For example, The Prudential Tower, instead of some hollow-out UFO looking plate with colored lights and a $25 and up menu. Tell me, what else does this building serve for the public or the private sector? You might as well have an Ihop on there.


Boston and San Diego are at least 3 to 4 times bigger than San Antonio.

[car2004]

Boston and San Diego are at least 3 to 4 times bigger than San Antonio.

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0763098.html