{SA} Rackspace HQ and Wincrest Development... enjoy.

sirkingwilliam · #1 Posted **Dec 18, 2008, 7:35 PM**

The diagonal road is Walzem.

sirkingwilliam · #2 Posted **Dec 18, 2008, 7:49 PM**

To me it looks like the Rackspace HQ (right side) will feature some type of retail or living (mixed-use) component as well as a hotel.

The left side could be office or maybe even residential with a hotel (the bigger building).

oldmanshirt · #3 Posted **Dec 18, 2008, 7:54 PM**

Wow. All I can say is I wish it were closer to (or in) downtown.

Those traffic signals remind me of the signals at the I-35 and 87th St interchange here in Kansas City. They use LEDs to light up the supports and bridge at night, similar to the bridge at Commerce and I-37 only more elaborate.

KevinFromTexas · #4 Posted **Dec 18, 2008, 8:08 PM**

7 buildings, and I count 96 floors in all.

jaga185 · #5 Posted **Dec 19, 2008, 7:22 AM**

That's still awesome for Windcrest, that is their downtown right? I'm excited for them, I'm glad Rackspace didn't make a sprawling campus. It took me awhile to see how this worked. haha

STLtoSA · #6 Posted **Dec 19, 2008, 5:01 PM**

Is this just some pie in the sky idea or something actually being planned. The last I heard was that Rackspace wasn't in a hurry to move all of their staff, and has slowed down renovations of Windsor Park Mall. They are stuck in a lease until either 2016-18 (I can't remember exactly), but this also gives them time to work with Windcrest on a masterpaln. Which, hopefully this is part of.

I hate to sound skeptical, but it is probably because I live in this area. If everything on the south side of Walzem happens I would be very happy.

I threw an aeriel together of the area. Showing the land that would need to be acquired. The price tag of the land would be no less than $10 million and there would need to be a lot of drainage work. The faded blue swath across the image is the 100 year FEMA DFIRM.

sirkingwilliam · #7 Posted **Dec 19, 2008, 6:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by STLtoSA

The last I heard was that Rackspace wasn't in a hurry to move all of their staff, and has slowed down renovations of Windsor Park Mall.

Slowed down? Phase I just ended and Rackspace has sent out bids for phase II.

Quote:

I threw an aeriel together of the area. Showing the land that would need to be acquired. The price tag of the land would be no less than $10 million and there would need to be a lot of drainage work. The faded blue swath across the image is the 100 year FEMA DFIRM.

Look no further STLtoSA.

The property you highlighted is owned by Dominion Advisory Group and they are teaming up with Windcrest.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/communit..._revealed.html

Quote:

The Dominion Advisory Group owns and manages the decades-old Windcrest Shopping Center on Walzem Road and, if the agreement is finalized, will use the City Hall to anchor a new mixed-use development near Home Depot on the south end of the city.

So it'll be a mixed-use development anchored by a new city hall.

STLtoSA · #8 Posted **Dec 19, 2008, 8:00 PM**

That definately sounds like good news. I only live a few miles from this development and I have been trying to follow Windcrest's attempt to redefine itself. This would be great for the area (maybe not for traffic on I-35).

I am not fully aware with everything going on with Rackspace, so correct me if I am wrong. Phase I has been done and occuppied for a while know. They began doing construction 3-4 months agoon the North Side of the Mall and have recently slowed down (I don't know if this is Phase II, an extension of Phase I or what, but I know that it is nowhere near to completion.

I was wondering about this a couple of weeks ago and talked to a friend who works at Rackspace. He said that they were not an any hurry on moving into the new building because of the lease on the current location.

I wasn't trying to say that Rackspace is backing off development, but rather that they just aren't in a rush to get it done.

If this all happens, I don't know what Walzem is going to look like. At least I don't have to drive on it.

sirkingwilliam · #9 Posted **Dec 19, 2008, 8:06 PM**

Well, it won't be Walzem for too much longer. Windcrest is looking to changing the name of the street.

BTW, how did you make that map? What software did you use?

sirkingwilliam · #10 Posted **Dec 19, 2008, 8:07 PM**

I just noticed I didn't spell Windcrest correctly in the title.

sirkingwilliam · #11 Posted **Dec 19, 2008, 8:14 PM**

Does anyone have any information on the planned Drury hotel planned for Windcrest?

I'm also hearing that CPS (City Public Service) is looking at building a data center in Windcrest.

STLtoSA · #12 Posted **Dec 19, 2008, 8:43 PM**

ARCMap. I just threw it together.

Which parcels were the City of Windcrest planning on purchasing, that wouold now be part of this deal?

The Windcrest Shopping Center is off the map that I made by a couple of blocks to the east. Dominion doesn't own anything in the red as of now and I don't believe that the City was planning on buying all of the properties that I highlighted since the price tag on all of those would be over 10 million and includes several national chains.

So, does anyone happen to know which site they are talking about fo $5.5 million?

kornbread · #13 Posted **Mar 18, 2010, 6:03 PM**

I always thought this was not the best decision for them (location wise).
Can anything get done around here without a lawsuit or criminal investigation?

Quote:

A Rackspace Hosting Inc. lawsuit that charges it was defrauded in a Windcrest land deal has set off a criminal investigation.

Both the Bexar County district attorney's office and the Texas Rangers are probing allegations in Rackspace's suit that developer Gary Cain fraudulently received $2.8 million from an account funded by the company for the city of Windcrest to use for infrastructure improvements.

Read More...

miaht82 · #14 Posted **Mar 18, 2010, 8:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by kornbread

I always thought this was not the best decision for them (location wise).
Can anything get done around here without a lawsuit or criminal investigation?

Not as long as Mr. Cain (either one) is involved. I read some stories a few months ago (perhaps some of you remember them,) that someone ran off with a few million of the EDC's money, Rhya was dead and then they tried to divert attention by announcing a new development "Phoenix."

On a positive note. Rackspace is doing great and growing. At the rate that they are growing, the right kind of development will eventually occur naturally in a few years and hopefully won't be plagued with corruption.

kornbread · #15 Posted **Mar 19, 2010, 5:05 AM**

Yeah, Rackspace is a nice local success story.

Still, I thought they would have been a good company to lure closer to downtown. Somewhere on E. Commerce would have given them a nice address (e-commerce), but as far as a nice place for their employees, maybe somewhere like the Lone Star site (instead of the bankrupt condo).

Of course I don't know what their needs were or how challenging the site would have been, but it would have been a lot cooler:
"Our headquarters are a converted brewery" vs. "Our headquarters are a converted mall"