SAN ANTONIO | Urban Core Development Thread - Page 142

sakyle04 · #**2821** Posted **Dec 7, 2010, 3:42 PM**

Vistana has a new tenant!!

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/downtow...o-the-vistana/

Taco Garage is moving into the old IHOP space!!

JACKinBeantown · #**2822** Posted **Dec 7, 2010, 3:50 PM**

That's cool. Is Taco garage sorta the Mexican equivalent of a Chili's or TGIF?

miaht82 · #**2823** Posted **Dec 8, 2010, 1:43 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JACKinNYC

That's cool. Is Taco garage sorta the Mexican equivalent of a Chili's or TGIF?

Besides the chili pepper on the menu, not quite. The food is pretty good and not "franchised" like a Taco Cabana.

Keep-SA-Lame · #**2824** Posted **Dec 8, 2010, 5:32 AM**

It's just a standard tex-mex place, but very well done.

jaga185 · #**2825** Posted **Dec 8, 2010, 10:01 PM**

OH man, I loooove Taco Garage. It's right by where I live, they have the best margaritas. Yum. That's awesome that good tex-mex will be downtown!

oldmanshirt · #**2826** Posted **Dec 9, 2010, 12:10 AM**

But this just begs the question: Wherefore art thou, Taco Cabana??

JACKinBeantown · #**2827** Posted **Dec 9, 2010, 1:01 AM**

Why are you Taco Cabana??

necropolis · #**2828** Posted **Dec 9, 2010, 4:13 AM**

Anybody know what the county plans to do w/ its recent purchase of Toudouze Market? I heard it on the news that the county purchased the property and the business plans to relocate. It's roughly one block away from the county jail.

In other news, current budget legislation is up for debate in Congress and among other things it calls for cuts in new federal courthouse construction. Usually I wouldn't bring this up but with a new federal courthouse expected to get started in a couple of years or so I hope this doesn't delay the construction of our courthouse, or scale it down. ( I know this bill is for next year but such cuts could go on for years to come as the government chooses to cut spending where it can)

jaga185 · #**2829** Posted **Dec 9, 2010, 6:31 AM**

^^^ Oh man, I hope they don't skimp out on our new courthouse. That would blow, but where could they come up with more funding?

miaht82 · #**2830** Posted **Dec 9, 2010, 3:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by necropolis

Anybody know what the county plans to do w/ its recent purchase of Toudouze Market? I heard it on the news that the county purchased the property and the business plans to relocate. It's roughly one block away from the county jail.

According to the plans on the Executive Summary posted somewhere on ViaBRT.net.... nothing, but they could be land-banking to make development easier for an Intercity Rail Terminal, BRT TOD, parking garage, etc. No specifics right now. Its a great spot for development in the future, especially if they plan to demo the overpass/bridges and underground the roadways.

Quote:

Originally Posted by necropolis

In other news, current budget legislation is up for debate in Congress and among other things it calls for cuts in new federal courthouse construction. Usually I wouldn't bring this up but with a new federal courthouse expected to get started in a couple of years or so I hope this doesn't delay the construction of our courthouse, or scale it down. ( I know this bill is for next year but such cuts could go on for years to come as the government chooses to cut spending where it can)

We are at the top of the list for 2012; even if the budget is cut for the next couple of years (I think no courthouses are going to be constructed in 2011), we would either squeek by in 2012 or get in by 2013, definitely no later than 14 though. I don't think they would scale down; if we need a 300K sq. ft. building, we need one, you can't build something half that size and expect to make due. They won't scale down, but they can make us wait.

alexjon · #**2831** Posted **Dec 16, 2010, 4:01 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Wow! That flag really is huge. That one flagpole I mentioned in Seattle flies a 20x30 foot flag on a 90 foot pole, so that should give you some idea of how big this one is.

Whoa, Two Union Square has the highest flagpole in the US? Or in this round of comparisons? If so, I totally win -- I can see it out my window! Actually, I have to walk up to the window to see the flagpole, the building is so freakin' tall.

max7 · #**2832** Posted **Dec 17, 2010, 2:14 AM**

Have you heard? The sum of money that Red McCombs has donated is a joke. 1 million dollars doesn't even begin to cover what it's going to cost for the nails and screws to build it. The estimated cost for it is about $195 million. That's right the sum of money that his foundation has donated is about 1/195. What is it about local wealth that they have become penny pinchers instead of philanthropists. I mean I'm not an ingrate, but I believe the local community deserves more than just a drop in the bucket for its new Center for the Performing Arts. They should just build it from scratch instead of trying to make the old one new again. I mean how much did it cost to build the business center at the University of Texas at Austin built in his name? I hope he doesn't think that we are naming our new facility after him as well. What do you think?

miaht82 · #**2833** Posted **Dec 17, 2010, 3:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by max7

Have you heard? The sum of money that Red McCombs has donated is a joke. 1 million dollars doesn't even begin to cover what it's going to cost for the nails and screws to build it. The estimated cost for it is about $195 million. That's right the sum of money that his foundation has donated is about 1/195. What is it about local wealth that they have become penny pinchers instead of philanthropists. I mean I'm not an ingrate, but I believe the local community deserves more than just a drop in the bucket for its new Center for the Performing Arts. They should just build it from scratch instead of trying to make the old one new again. I mean how much did it cost to build the business center at the University of Texas at Austin built in his name? I hope he doesn't think that we are naming our new facility after him as well. What do you think?

Well first of all, $100 million has already been contributed by Bexar County voters in 2008, and it is already being named the "TOBIN CENTER for the Performing Arts" after their largest donors, The Tobin Foundation - at $15 million.
AT&T has pledged $5 million and $41 million in VALUE has been donated by the city; by them donating the site and current building.
So all in all, with $161 million raised so far, we need less than $35 million to break ground, and I'm not even sure there haven't been other gifts.

If $1 million dollars is a joke, then that's one joke I'd like to be in on.

Daren · #**2834** Posted **Dec 17, 2010, 6:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by max7

Have you heard? The sum of money that Red McCombs has donated is a joke. 1 million dollars doesn't even begin to cover what it's going to cost for the nails and screws to build it. The estimated cost for it is about $195 million. That's right the sum of money that his foundation has donated is about 1/195. What is it about local wealth that they have become penny pinchers instead of philanthropists. I mean I'm not an ingrate, but I believe the local community deserves more than just a drop in the bucket for its new Center for the Performing Arts. They should just build it from scratch instead of trying to make the old one new again. I mean how much did it cost to build the business center at the University of Texas at Austin built in his name? I hope he doesn't think that we are naming our new facility after him as well. What do you think?

How much money have you donated to the Tobin Center?

max7 · #**2835** Posted **Dec 17, 2010, 7:45 PM**

First of all Daren, I don't I hide behind a mask like you do on your avatar. Secondly, I am a proud San Antonian who thinks that rich people who live here should be investing more here then what they do elsewhere. Austin, is a good example. Frost decided they should build their headquarters there with the new Frost Building, and Bubba, whatever he calls himself donated millions to the University of Texas at Austin. Where does Bubba live, here. Yes, I still think it's a joke. I read about this in the San Antonio Express News. 1 million dollars just doesn't go far enough anymore like it used to. Your probably one of those with the mindset that as long as they give a million dollars and over then they should be provided with the red carpet treatment. Okay so ill donate $1000 dollars, now give me the red carpet treatment. How much is enough? Well as far as I'm concerned its never enough when it comes to our beloved San Antonio, Texas, the 7th largest city in the United States, Amen.

wwmiv · #**2836** Posted **Dec 18, 2010, 7:54 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by max7

Austin, is a good example. Frost decided they should build their headquarters there with the new Frost Building, San Antonio, Texas, the 7th largest city in the United States

Comma splice... Correction: "Austin is a good example."

Frost is still headquartered in San Antonio.

Austin is the 15th largest city in the United States.

Jurisdictions are just arbitrary lines placed on a map.

Metropolitan areas are better metrics for population comparisons... Neither San Antonio or Austin rank very high there at 2.1 million and 1.8 million, respectively.

Urban Areas are an even better metric for population comparisons... Neither San Antonio or Austin rank very high there at 1.6 and 1.1 million, respectively.

sirkingwilliam · #**2837** Posted **Dec 18, 2010, 6:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by max7

Frost decided they should build their headquarters there with the new Frost Building,

Um... Frost is headquartered in downtown San Antonio.

Keep-SA-Lame · #**2838** Posted **Dec 18, 2010, 7:20 PM**

Yeah the Frost building in Austin has barely any Frost employees in it at all if I remember correctly.

max7 · #**2839** Posted **Dec 18, 2010, 7:28 PM**

I know Frost is headquarted here. But they chose to build and invest in Austin by building the Frost Tower there which they don't even like in Austin. They called it the nose hair trimmer. They should of built that new infrastructure here in downtown San Antonio. Well, I guess a few on here don't even care where these business tycoons spend their money, well I do. Invest more at home. It's time to spread the wealth around and not just invest in only a certain part of Texas. What has Austin wealth done for the City of San Antonio, zippo! At least I don't think so. NO Longhorns for me, thank you.

FACTOID:
San Antonio will NEVER cease being the 7th largest city in the U.S. for a long time! Even Mayor Castro knows that, duh! He has said it publicly many times. He also knows that we ARE the 2nd largest city in Texas. No matter how much the naysayers on this forum try to deny it it will still prevail as the absolute statistical truth!!!

necropolis · #**2840** Posted **Dec 18, 2010, 8:35 PM**

I don't think anybody is downplaying the fact that San Antonio is the 7th largest US city or the 2nd largest in Texas. What has been pointed out, however, is something that is more important and that is the size of the metropolitan area, which San Antonio is not as high in. Unlike San Antonio, most other major cities are surrounded by large suburban communities (not within their city limits) so it is possible for a city to have one million people and yet have 3 or 4 million+ people within its metro area, which those numbers have much greater weight in deciding factors such as the building of infrastructure, development, investment, etc.

As private investors people can choose to donate their money however they feel. Often times they are alumni and are donating money back to the schools in which they earned their degree and feel like they owe their success to them. We can't judge people for investing outside of SA, after-all if they choose to live here then they are also contributing to our tax base and consumption of goods here. Maybe they do contribute money to local organizations but we probably don't hear about it much since media coverage may not be over such stories. I mean, should we also feel bad if companies choose to invest in San Antonio or relocate portions of their business to San Antonio instead of investing in their home city/state?