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  #361  
Old Posted Sep 27, 2005, 2:30 AM
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Ah, ok, thanks for that tip. That's better then. I hate that hotel name, "Drury". Not very inviting you know.

I'm glad they're leaving the main structure of the sign up there. That thing's been up there since atleast the early 60s. I remember the old "Alamo" lettering there from old pics.
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  #362  
Old Posted Sep 27, 2005, 2:37 AM
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Here is a pic that I took today on my way to dinner, It is of the west side of the Bank One building showing the sign with the lettering removed. Sorry about to poor quality, I took it with my cell phone.


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  #363  
Old Posted Sep 27, 2005, 6:23 PM
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I've always hated that sign and thought it was ugly, I think they should construct something more pleasing to the eye.
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  #364  
Old Posted Sep 27, 2005, 6:30 PM
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^^^
I do like their plans to extend the riverwalk and add more floors above the parking garage, though.
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  #365  
Old Posted Sep 27, 2005, 7:04 PM
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oh yeah, the "river loop" is long overdue, that is a smart thing that they are doing.
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  #366  
Old Posted Sep 29, 2005, 2:54 PM
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Santikos installs high-tech concession system at Rialto Cinema

Tricia Lynn Silva

Texas Digital Systems Inc. has given a local movie house some added entertainment.

The College Station-based communications technology firm installed its VitalCAST system at Santikos Theatres' Rialto Cinema Bistro.

Located at 2938 NE Loop 410 in Northeast San Antonio, the Rialto started life as the Galaxy Theater. San Antonio-based Santikos invested more than $2 million to revamp the Galaxy and Galaxy Annex and convert them into the Rialto Cinema Bistro and Rialto Piccolo, respectively. The Rialto provides patrons with the ability to take in a dinner and a movie, within the redesigned theater auditoriums.

Meanwhile, Texas Digital's VitalCAST system delivers pricing and messaging content to wide-screen LCD and plasma screens located in the Rialto's concession area. Theater personnel will use the screens to display menu prices, advertisements and even movie trailers.

So far, the Rialto has received positive feedback on the system, according to Tony Overpeck, director of business development for Santikos.

"Our customers don't mind standing in line anymore because there's something for them to watch and absorb," he adds.

Established in 1972, Texas Digital is a privately held technology company and leading provider of integrated electronic display solutions for various businesses, including quick-serve restaurants, cinemas, distribution centers and banking institutions.

Santikos Theatres was founded more than 80 years ago by Greek entrepreneur Louis Santikos, who opened the first movie theater in San Antonio in 1924. His son, John Santikos, currently heads up the company, which has eight theaters in the Alamo City.

http://sanantonio.bizjournals.com/sa...ml?jst=b_ln_hl
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  #367  
Old Posted Sep 29, 2005, 3:54 PM
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I think the Alamo Drafthouse theater chain (from Austin) is proving that the Dinner and a Movie concept is potentially VERY profitable... and Santikos has obviously taken notice of this. Alamo has enjoyed incredible success with their concept since the first theater opened downtown in 1997. These theaters present a nice alternative to the megaplexes that dominate the cities and burbs. Not to mention, Alamo has taken over many recent-closed theaters that were deemed obsolete by the original owners/operators... so areas that lost a movie theater in recent years are getting a new one (and improved one, I might add).
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  #368  
Old Posted Sep 30, 2005, 8:45 AM
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That article is misleading, Santikos already has a "dine while watching a movie" concept theater, The Bijou at Crossroads.

http://www.santikos.com/sites/crossroads.htm
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  #369  
Old Posted Sep 30, 2005, 1:47 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SayTownboy
That article is misleading, Santikos already has a "dine while watching a movie" concept theater, The Bijou at Crossroads.

http://www.santikos.com/sites/crossroads.htm
I'm glad to see this dinner and a movie concept take off across the country. This should make the theater-going experience better (and generally not as expensive for concessions!).
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  #370  
Old Posted Sep 30, 2005, 6:18 PM
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Are you allowed to walk in with your own food at these things?
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  #371  
Old Posted Sep 30, 2005, 6:27 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jaga185
Are you allowed to walk in with your own food at these things?
Dont think they have any explicit rules against that, but for the most part everyone eats at the tables that are situated in front of each seat (one long table from one end of the row to the other). They serve you just before and during the movies and typically clean you up before the feature ends.

Another thing I like about Alamo Drafthouse is their 'no kids' policy for any movie. But whats funny is, they have a special showtime expressly for parents to bring their babies. Now THAT sounds like torture.. a whole theater full of crying half-pints!

http://www.drafthouse.com/lakecreek/info.html

Anyway, there is one Alamo in San Antonio now...appropriately enough... on the westside at Westlakes Mercado:

http://www.drafthouse.com/westlakes/frames.asp
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  #372  
Old Posted Oct 1, 2005, 6:04 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SayTownboy
That article is misleading, Santikos already has a "dine while watching a movie" concept theater, The Bijou at Crossroads.

http://www.santikos.com/sites/crossroads.htm
I didn't know there was one of those at Crossroads.
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  #373  
Old Posted Oct 1, 2005, 7:39 AM
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Bank of America scouts S.A. for operations center

Web Posted: 10/01/2005 12:00 AM CDT

L.A. Lorek
Express-News Business Writer


Bank of America is eyeing San Antonio for a new financial operations center that would provide 2,500 jobs, Mayor Phil Hardberger said Friday.

"My guess is Bank of America will come here," Hardberger said, adding that officials with the Charlotte, N.C.-based banking giant have been scouting local sites for an expansion.

Bank of America spokesman George Owen declined to comment except to say that "it's premature to talk about any expansion plans."

Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said he has been working with bank officials to get them to locate here. "These are the kinds of jobs we want in the community," Wolff said.

Bank of America is looking for a site for a back-office operations center that could handle incoming and outgoing calls to customers, Wolff said. He declined to comment on the specifics of the deal.

The financial services industry has a $20.5 billion economic impact in San Antonio and employs 50,469 people with an average salary of $52,612, compared with the citywide average of $33,911, said former City Manager Terry Brechtel, who heads a 20-member committee that's examining the industry. She plans to release the economic impact study next week.

"The financial service industry has been steady, it's been growing and the average wage it's paid has been on the higher side," Brechtel said.

Bank of America, the nation's second-largest bank, has more than 5,800 retail banking offices.

In July, it announced a $35 billion takeover of credit-card lender MBNA, based in Wilmington, Del. That deal will make Bank of America's credit-card business equal to that of such other major firms as Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase & Co., both of which have large operations in San Antonio.

Citigroup operates a bustling three-building call center campus employing more than 4,000 people, while JPMorgan Chase recently expanded in San Antonio and has more than 2,400 employees.

Other local financial services operations include the Capital Group, also known as American Funds, with 910 workers, and LTD Financial Services with 200 employees.

Bank of America has applied for incentives through Gov. Rick Perry's Texas Enterprise Fund for new economic development projects, but the company has not yet applied for local incentives, say sources close to the deal.

In addition to Bank of America, World Savings Bank is still considering San Antonio for an expansion that would add up to 2,000 new jobs. World Savings, which moved operations here in 1993, already has 3,000 employees at its 112-acre campus on Wiseman Boulevard near Loop 1604.

The World Savings expansion is "imminent," Hardberger said.

World Savings could not be reached for comment Friday. A subsidiary of Golden West Financial Corp., World Savings is a Fortune 500 financial services provider with more than $115 billion in assets.

Earlier this year, Washington Mutual, the nation's largest savings and loan with $323.5 billion in assets, announced plans to open a regional operations center on the city's North Side. It's to employ 2,000 people initially and grow to 3,000 employees in San Antonio and an additional 1,200 jobs throughout Texas within seven years.

"Financial services may soon be the largest industry in San Antonio," Hardberger said.

"San Antonio is going through a metamorphosis from a small border village to a big city."
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  #374  
Old Posted Oct 1, 2005, 7:40 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Double L
Quote:
Originally Posted by SayTownboy
That article is misleading, Santikos already has a "dine while watching a movie" concept theater, The Bijou at Crossroads.

http://www.santikos.com/sites/crossroads.htm
I didn't know there was one of those at Crossroads.
Yep. Very cool place.
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  #375  
Old Posted Oct 1, 2005, 6:01 PM
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I hope BofA, if it goes to SA, goes downtown instead of a complex on the outskirts. I'd like to see some more towers downtown.
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  #376  
Old Posted Oct 1, 2005, 6:15 PM
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It would give us some variety, because it seems almost every tower downtown is a hotel sometimes.
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  #377  
Old Posted Oct 2, 2005, 2:06 AM
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Keep us up to date on that Bank of America move. That could be huge if they do plan for highrise office space. A few years ago Austin-based Vignette Corporation had planned on moving downtown with a campus of 2,500 employees also. The campus would have been in twin 25 to 30-story towers, another 20-story tower, and a 10-story parking garage, plus, another future site where yet another tower would have gone up. The total space for the project was being set at between 1.2 and 1.5 million square feet, with no less than 1.2 million square feet. Vignette fell into some financial problems with the downturn in the economy back in 2000/2001 and the project was called off. They may still move back downtown as they said they wanted to.

But if Bank of America plans anything like Vignette did, it could get interesting!
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  #378  
Old Posted Oct 3, 2005, 5:02 AM
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Hyatt Prep Work

I went with friends and family down to SA today (10/2) to catch the Saints-Bills matchup (my family is from N.O.). In the process I got some shots of the prep work underway for the Hyatt Grand hotel at the Convention Center:















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  #379  
Old Posted Oct 3, 2005, 5:34 AM
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The Shops at La Cantera

While in town for the Saints-Bills game, I also took the opportunity to visit the new Shops at La Cantera mall, on the far NW side. I don't know what I was expecting, but I have to admit i was a little disappointed in the design. I had envisioned more of an architectural statement (spanish/mexican influences) and a lot more greenery and shade (of course a few years of tree growth may fix that). Instead, I found a nice, upscale mall that happens to be outdoors (it was well into the 90s today and I was HOT out there!). Not complaining, mind you, but I thought I would get some opinions of others here on the forum:










I like the Fiesta Texas roller coaster backdrop here:











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  #380  
Old Posted Oct 3, 2005, 11:12 AM
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Cool pics Mopacs. That 2nd shot of the demolition is so odd, the blank space there I mean. We've walked past there many times going in and out of the convention center for dogshows.

^ Looks like the actual groundbreaking/dirt work should start within a month or so hopfully. Then the fun starts! I can't wait.

I'm not a big mall guy, but it looks ok. Like you said the trees will grow and make more shade. Atleast they have trees at La Cantera, the outlet mall in San Marcos is horrible for shade, other than the awnings over the walkway. Even so the courtyards heat up which then heats up the walkways. You always appreciate trees even more when you don't have the shade from one.

I bumped into a guy tonight on the Congress Avenue bridge taking pictures of the skyline. I asked if he was with the paper, he said no, he was just taking them for himself and that he wasn't from Austin. I asked where he was from and he said he was from Lake Charles, LA. He and his wife had fled Rita and came to Austin. He said so far he's not even sure that the power is back on there yet. I told him that I had gone through there last year on the way back from Florida after Hurricane Ivan hit. I wished him luck and told him to take care. I pulled my phones back on, and he said something else, I yanked them back off and he said, "Be careful". I was on my bike at the time, it had already gotten dark. I was just like, damn what a nice dude.
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Last edited by KevinFromTexas; Oct 3, 2005 at 11:23 AM.
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