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  #5001  
Old Posted Aug 2, 2017, 3:03 AM
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Originally Posted by Restless 1 View Post
What is that same reason? You keep alluding to it, but never state it. What is it?

Or is it some other "car-centric" rant in which you wish to engage?

I ask, because I would love to see those vacant lots turned into skyscrapers, and would love to know how we can make that happen.
Wasn't it agreed on this forum that the reason for so little development downtown was that the price of land downtown had become artificially inflated by the demand for hotel rooms or something? I don't really know why there's been so little development for the last several decades but things sure are picking up now and I would really like it if there was an emphasis placed on public transit with this development in the future, that's all.
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  #5002  
Old Posted Aug 2, 2017, 7:02 PM
SAtown SAtown is offline
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Originally Posted by Spoiler View Post
Wasn't it agreed on this forum that the reason for so little development downtown was that the price of land downtown had become artificially inflated by the demand for hotel rooms or something? I don't really know why there's been so little development for the last several decades but things sure are picking up now and I would really like it if there was an emphasis placed on public transit with this development in the future, that's all.
You're right on the above, but the Greyhound station is also a problem for that immediate area. ICE pretty regularly drops off detainees at the bus station who have no means of going anywhere, and other Texas cities often give their homeless one-way tickets to San Antonio or other cities and a free meal if they board the bus. It's pretty despicable, but the crowd the station attracts has negatively impacted that area for a long time. That coupled with the vacant Hedrick Building that has for decades been broken into and attracted vagrants, has really held back Downtown.

There are companies that go to look at a nice office but that overlooks the Greyhound station and they are concerned for their employees' safety when "scary" people are milling about the station. While we all know a little grit is part of the "charms" of Downtown living and is pretty normal in other cities, these companies may not understand that.

As Greyhound's focus is on city-to-city transit, it doesn't really move the needle for transit in San Antonio locally to have them Downtown. And at the end of the day, Greyhound is used by people all over the city, and its current location is not that easily accessible for most, as it's literally in the center of Downtown. I think if Greyhound moved but was replaced by a VIA hub, that would be an interesting concept, and piggybacks off your comments above.

EDIT: as mentioned previously--Greyhound renewed its lease recently, though, so they probably aren't moving any time soon unless the city forces it.
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  #5003  
Old Posted Aug 2, 2017, 7:59 PM
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Originally Posted by SAtown View Post
... Greyhound is used by people all over the city, and its current location is not that easily accessible for most, as it's literally in the center of Downtown. I think if Greyhound moved but was replaced by a VIA hub, that would be an interesting concept, and piggybacks off your comments above.
Agree 100%
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  #5004  
Old Posted Aug 2, 2017, 8:24 PM
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“I’m excited about redeveloping that block and bringing those two buildings back to what they were,” Villarreal said. “There’s a lot of history there, and if you look at everything around it [the area’s] in good shape.”

The Real Estate and Voss buildings are located near desirable downtown amenities: the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, the Weston Centre, and the Riverwalk.
https://therivardreport.com/renovati...s-on-st-marys/
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  #5005  
Old Posted Aug 4, 2017, 12:49 AM
targusblack targusblack is offline
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More development!

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San Antonio officials have quietly granted an $8 million tax incentive package to an Austin development firm to build a 21-story high-end apartment tower with shops and offices across the street from City Hall.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/real-est...photo-13634567
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  #5006  
Old Posted Aug 4, 2017, 1:49 AM
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Originally Posted by targusblack View Post
Sweet! More infill.
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  #5007  
Old Posted Aug 4, 2017, 2:08 AM
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Kallison Square Tower

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Originally Posted by targusblack View Post
This is great news for downtown!!

Should this development have its own thread??
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  #5008  
Old Posted Aug 4, 2017, 5:53 PM
Restless 1 Restless 1 is offline
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That reason makes no sense

Quote:
Originally Posted by Spoiler View Post
Wasn't it agreed on this forum that the reason for so little development downtown was that the price of land downtown had become artificially inflated by the demand for hotel rooms or something? I don't really know why there's been so little development for the last several decades but things sure are picking up now and I would really like it if there was an emphasis placed on public transit with this development in the future, that's all.
Since hotel demand is going down:

https://www.bizjournals.com/sananton...ing-money.html

Last I heard, there is a glut of hotel rooms Downtown.

I think most people realize the lack of DT development is due to a range of things, mostly self inflicted.

The local bureaucracy is hard to get through. There is a sense of "we're not worthy" felt by many citizens and leaders, (though this is changing recently), and the ever present sense that SA is too poor/small/historic, or whatever.

Certainly some of those things are true, to a certain extent, but I think they have been way overblown by those with some kind of agenda, or lack of information.

I'm happy to see things happening DT now, so maybe some of these stereotypes are being stripped away.
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  #5009  
Old Posted Aug 4, 2017, 6:28 PM
Fryguy Fryguy is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Restless 1 View Post
Since hotel demand is going down:

https://www.bizjournals.com/sananton...ing-money.html

Last I heard, there is a glut of hotel rooms Downtown.

I think most people realize the lack of DT development is due to a range of things, mostly self inflicted.

The local bureaucracy is hard to get through. There is a sense of "we're not worthy" felt by many citizens and leaders, (though this is changing recently), and the ever present sense that SA is too poor/small/historic, or whatever.

Certainly some of those things are true, to a certain extent, but I think they have been way overblown by those with some kind of agenda, or lack of information.

I'm happy to see things happening DT now, so maybe some of these stereotypes are being stripped away.
I have always felt the "lack of demand" is a significant misnomer in identifying the true lack of demand. The lack of demand is most likely for that of cheap hotel rooms. People travel to well known locations for nice places, especially when the average family travels but once a year. So, when families or couples travel, they want to do it in a nicer hotel (space). Why spend $150 for a room when you can spend $195 for a better room and space and when it only happens once a year. Downtown and its famous Riverwalk and adjacent historical locations are not seaworld. It's not only families looking for cheap rooms, downtown is different. SA needs nicer, more well known hotel brands.
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  #5010  
Old Posted Aug 4, 2017, 7:02 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Restless 1 View Post
Since hotel demand is going down:

https://www.bizjournals.com/sananton...ing-money.html

Last I heard, there is a glut of hotel rooms Downtown.

I think most people realize the lack of DT development is due to a range of things, mostly self inflicted.

The local bureaucracy is hard to get through. There is a sense of "we're not worthy" felt by many citizens and leaders, (though this is changing recently), and the ever present sense that SA is too poor/small/historic, or whatever.

Certainly some of those things are true, to a certain extent, but I think they have been way overblown by those with some kind of agenda, or lack of information.

I'm happy to see things happening DT now, so maybe some of these stereotypes are being stripped away.
Self-esteem issues preventing downtown development? Really?

For the last several decades I have watched the Northside go insane with development while the urban core declined. Conventional wisdom stated that downtown was no good for anything but hotels, and anything else was too risky (remember 1221 Broadway and how long it lay there half-built?). Big hotel projects paid big money for small downtown lots, and property owners held out for that payout. This was true as recently as a couple years ago. Development paradigms have shifted. I think the Pearl had a lot to do with that, so did general societal trends toward urban living. The city has done a couple things to encourage new growth. Now the urban core seems primed for a new wave of construction, and indeed we are witnessing this.
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  #5011  
Old Posted Aug 4, 2017, 7:03 PM
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Here are some renderings of the Kallison development.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/real-est...photo-13638845
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  #5012  
Old Posted Aug 4, 2017, 9:15 PM
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Last edited by RyanfromTexas; Aug 4, 2017 at 9:32 PM.
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  #5013  
Old Posted Aug 4, 2017, 9:58 PM
SAguy SAguy is offline
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This project should have it's own thread....
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  #5014  
Old Posted Aug 4, 2017, 11:40 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SAguy View Post
This project should have it's own thread....
This looks awesome, what project is this?
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  #5015  
Old Posted Aug 6, 2017, 10:56 PM
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Stay on topic please. Enough senselsss bickering.
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  #5016  
Old Posted Aug 8, 2017, 3:30 AM
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Here's a pic of the back of the Light Building. The gutting is already underway.

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  #5017  
Old Posted Aug 14, 2017, 2:23 PM
aggie2008 aggie2008 is offline
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My building got the notification that part of the parking lot next to the new "St. Mary's Lofts" (aka the building with the terribly ugly facade at St Mary's and Martin) is closing for the demo of the building starting tomorrow! I'm not sure when the facade is coming down but I'm hoping it is this week! Can't wait to see the beautiful building revealed.

On another note, it seems that this building will be pretty similar to Maverick in unit size. Has anyone heard how those are leasing?
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  #5018  
Old Posted Aug 14, 2017, 7:27 PM
Fryguy Fryguy is offline
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Originally Posted by Spoiler View Post
Here's a pic of the back of the Light Building. The gutting is already underway.

What project is this?
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  #5019  
Old Posted Aug 14, 2017, 7:36 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fryguy View Post
What project is this?
The Light Building project,
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  #5020  
Old Posted Aug 15, 2017, 12:04 AM
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While I was taking that pic, a guy drove up and asked me where the Light Building was. He thought the newspaper was still in business and refused to believe that there hadn't been a paper published by them in 20 years. I told him where to find the Express-News Building (a block away).
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