SAN ANTONIO | City and Metro News Thread

[sirkingwilliam]

Originally Posted by trillhippy_210

http://houston.cbslocal.com/2014/11/...o-san-antonio/

I'm not sure how you interpret a speculative "claim" by a blogger as an official statement by the Raiders or Mark Davis.

Seriously, that's as bad as saying you heard it on Fox News.

[sirkingwilliam]

Originally Posted by Restless 1

The NFL will never let it happen. Especially while LA has no team.

There's no basis for such a claim. If the NFL wanted a team in LA so badly, there wouldn't have been a 20 year gap of teams nor would Houston have gotten an expansion team while not awarding one to LA.

I'm sure the NFL wants a team in the second largest market but it's the owners who decide if a team can relocate, not the NFL and the owners won't vote down a relocation simply because it seems a precedent that any future owner thinking of relocating will have to worry about.

[trillhippy_210]

Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam

I'm not sure how you interpret a speculative "claim" by a blogger as an official statement by the Raiders or Mark Davis.

Seriously, that's as bad as saying you heard it on Fox News.

LOL I'm just not keeping my hopes up like so many. I wouldn't want the Raiders anyways. They just won their first game in a year. They suck. SA doesn't need a bad team.

[Rynetwo]

Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam

I'm not sure how you interpret a speculative "claim" by a blogger as an official statement by the Raiders or Mark Davis.

Seriously, that's as bad as saying you heard it on Fox News.

Or Cnn or MSNBC... Way off topic

[sirkingwilliam]

Originally Posted by Rynetwo

Or Cnn or MSNBC... Way off topic

Except Fox News has a history of distorting the facts to fit an agenda. But yes, this is getting off topic.

[GoldenBoot]

Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam

...but it's the owners who decide if a team can relocate, not the NFL and the owners won't vote down a relocation simply because it seems a precedent that any future owner thinking of relocating will have to worry about.

Not necessarily true. (1) The owners "own" the NFL. The NFL commissioner, in this case Roger Goodell, works for the owners of the current 32 teams. (2) Both Jones (Dallas) and McNair (Houston) will do everything in their power not to allow a team to relocate to SA. If I am not mistaken, to relocate a team, ¾ of the current owners must vote in favor of the move. Jones and McNair have too many "friends" to allow that to happen.

The NFL's current focus is placing a team in LA. Several prominent owners have made comments to that fact within the past year or two.

I believe that in 2015 or 2016 we will finally hear an announcement regarding a new LA team (expansion or relocation).

It's just the wrong time for SA. Cisneros is still chasing his failed dream (from the early '90s). And no matter what he tells the Davis family, he cannot guarantee public financing of a new stadium (one which may cost approximately $1 billion).

Having said that, I really do think your hope is very admirable.

[sirkingwilliam]

Originally Posted by GoldenBoot

Not necessarily true. (1) The owners "own" the NFL. The NFL commissioner, in this case Roger Goodell, works for the owners of the current 32 teams. (2) Both Jones (Dallas) and McNair (Houston) will do everything in their power not to allow a team to relocate to SA. If I am not mistaken, to relocate a team, ¾ of the current owners must vote in favor of the move. Jones and McNair have too many "friends" to allow that to happen.

The NFL's current focus is placing a team in LA. Several prominent owners have made comments to that fact within the past year or two.

I believe that in 2015 or 2016 we will finally hear an announcement regarding a new LA team (expansion or relocation).

It's just the wrong time for SA. Cisneros is still chasing his failed dream (from the early '90s). And no matter what he tells the Davis family, he cannot guarantee public financing of a new stadium (one which may cost approximately $1 billion).

Having said that, I really do think your hope is very admirable.

I know the structure of the NFL and how it works in regards to a relocation vote. No matter how powerful people think Jones and McNair are, no matter how mythical their influence continues to be, no matter how many friends they have, the owners will not vote against a relocation. It sets a precedent that owners don't want to deal with in the future shall they want to relocate. The only time NFL owners have voted down relocation was been Davis tried to move the Raiders from Oakland to LA and the owners said no because the Raams were there and the move would infringe on their market. Davis sued and won and was able to relocate. Obviously, the Raiders wouldn't be relocating to a city with an already established NFL team.

You can pretend to know what the current focus is, just as I can pretend to know, but the bottomline is neither of us nor anything else know what is happening or what will happen. LA may end up with two teams or one or none. Their stadium situation is murky and LA itself as a city is pretty apathetic about a team. So, we'll see. I think, in all honesty, the biggest competition for San Antonio isn't Los Angeles. It's Oakland. But as I said, my opinion is no more right than anyone else's and the same can be said for everyone else speaking on this matter.

Bottom line, I will sit back and watch it play out and if it happens, great. If it doesn't, so be it.

I can assure you if it happens, a new billion dollar stadium in or near downtown San Antonio will be fun to talk about.

[Fireoutofclay]

By Tom Orsborn
San Antonio Express News
November 23, 2014
Updated: November 23, 2014 11:32pm

http://www.expressnews.com/sports/pr...5913006.php#/0

Although he emphatically terms the chances of the Oakland Raiders relocating to San Antonio a long shot, a prominent industry expert believes that city leaders would be wise to continue their pursuit of the struggling NFL franchise.

[sirkingwilliam]

PAX SOUTH IS THIS WEEKEND

Huge gaming event debuts in San Antonio this weekend. This is a game changer in a lot of ways, especally for the local gaming industry and community.

Resources:

• 10 MUST SEE PAX SOUTH PANELS [CURRENT]
  
• PAX SOUTH WALK THROUGH [EXPRESS-NEWS]

[sirkingwilliam]

AIR FORCE HEADQUARTERS TO BRING 350 JOBS TO SAN ANTONIO

San Antonio has been selected as the home of a new facility that will bring around 350 military and civilian jobs here by fall, the Air Force said Wednesday.

The Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center will manage logistical functions for the service’s 11 major commands worldwide from Port San Antonio’s Building 171 on Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.

The city always had an edge over three other communities competing to host the organization, which is similar to the U.S. Army Installation Management Command on Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, because many of its workers already are here.

“Following site surveys at the four candidate locations, we ultimately selected (San Antonio) because almost 50 percent of (the center’s) subordinate unit personnel currently reside at the installation,” said Timothy Bridges, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations. “In fact, two of (the center’s) primary subordinate units will share the same building with the headquarters.”

LOCATION

[sirkingwilliam]

SAN ANTONIO AND METRO AREA REACH FULL EMPLOYMENT
UNEMPLOYMENT DROPS TO 3.7%

Mike W. Thomas

Bexar County reached full employment in December, based on the standards used by most economists.

The unemployment rate for the area fell to 3.8 percent, Workforce Solutions Alamo reported.

That was slightly higher than the 3.7 percent average for the 12-county area covered by Workforce Solutions Alamo, which includes Atascosa, Bandera, Comal, Frio, Gillespie, Guadalupe, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Medina and Wilson counties.

Unemployment in Texas falls to lowest rate in more than six years
Gillespie County had the lowest unemployment rate in December among the counties at 2.5 percent, while Bexar and Medina counties had the highest rates at 3.8 percent, which is still considered full employment.

The Texas unadjusted unemployment rate was 4.1 percent in December, down from 4.6 percent in November. The nation's unadjusted unemployment rate was 5.4 percent in December, down from 5.5 percent in November.

[sirkingwilliam]

SAN ANTONIO RANKS SECOND IN HUFFINGTON POST'S BEST AMERICAN CITIES TO VISIT IN 2015

1. PORTLAND 2. SAN ANTONIO 3. RALEIGH 4. ALBUQUERQUE 5. DENVER

[sirkingwilliam]

• CITY AND METRO > ENTERTAINMENT

SAN ANTONIO GETS FULL FLEDGED ALTERNATIVE MUSIC RADIO STATION
UNIQUE RADIO SERVICE LAUNCHES IN SAN ANTONIO

VIDEO

Alpha Media has launched Alternative 103.3 THE APP, which will target millennials ages 18-44. Pat Cerullo will oversee the programming.

“San Antonio is ground zero for the first station using our national service mark; THE APP," Alpha Media EVP/Programming Scott Mahalick said. "Alpha Media continues to innovate by launching the first app with a radio station attached to it. Many stations have an app, but only one app has a radio station attached to it.”

"With 103.3 THE APP, the broadcast paradigm has changed. True convergence has arrived, so much so that it’s our name," Alpha Media VP/Programming Phil Becker said. “Wish you had an original station name? Now there’s an App for that.”

“103.3 THE APP most certainly fills a void in the San Antonio market," Dir./Operations Greg Martin added. "This is a very exciting new sound unlike any heard in this market in many years”.

“I’m thrilled to be programming San Antonio’s exclusive home for Alternative music, 103.3 THE APP!" PD Pat Cerullo said. "So many hit records have been absent from this market over the past few years, but now that is finally going to change. We’ve positioned the station as the first app with a terrestrial FM signal, since prior to our launch, listeners had to seek out this format via other mediums. This is just one example of the forward thinking and creativity that listeners can expect from Alpha Media in 2015.”

[sirkingwilliam]

TIME WARNER CABLE ROLLING OUT ULTRA FAST INTERNET AND TV IN SAN ANTONIO

Time Warner Cable plans to launch its ultra-fast TWC Maxx Internet and television service in the San Antonio market beginning in March. The first phase of the rollout will affect some 75,000 TWC customers, who will get Internet access up to six times faster than what they currently receive.

Time Warner Cable officials said the new service will be available to all area customers at no extra charge by the end of July.

The advanced TV experience will include an Enhanced DVR, which allows customers to simultaneously record up to six different programs, and the ability to save 150 hours of high-definition programming on its 1TB (terabyte) hard drive — twice the storage capacity of the largest current model. Customers will also have access to an all-digital lineup and an expanded On Demand library of more than 19,000 titles.

In addition, Time Warner said it plans to introduce new TWC WiFi Hotspots in the San Antonio area later this year.

The list of communities and neighborhoods that will be included in the first phase of the TWC Maxx roll out include:

• Balcones Heights

• China Grove

• Far North East Side

• Huebner Road (between I-10 and Bitters)

• Kirby

• Pecan Valley

• Shavano Park

• Somerset

• South Side (west of I-35 between Highway 90 and Loop 410)

• West Side (including areas around Woodlawn and Commerce streets)

• Windcrest

Internet speed upgrades: 15x1 to 50x5, 20x2 to 100x10, 30x5 to 200x20, 50x5 to 300x20

[sirkingwilliam]

• CITY > ENTERTAINMENT

SAN ANTONIO NAMED A TOP TEN CITY FOR FILMMAKERS

San Antonio has been named by MovieMaker Magazine as one of the "Top 10 Large Cities to Live and Work as a Moviemaker."

This is the first time San Antonio has made the Top 10 list, according to the city's Department for Culture & Creative Development. It's now in a group that includes such places as New York City, San Francisco and Atlanta.

It would be a stretch to proclaim San Antonio as the Hollywood of Texas. But the Alamo City is grabbing more attention — and business — from the motion picture industry, according to Drew Mayer-Oakes, film marketing manager for the department, who told me, with other cities locking up crews and resources, "San Antonio is looking more attractive to filmmakers."
See Also

Local producers, he said, are helping, by spreading the word about the resources and opportunities available in San Antonio. Local leaders are also spreading the word about San Antonio — nationally and internationally.

"This year at the Sundance Film Festival, I literally brought back two scripts on the plane and have received three more because of our presence," said Mayer-Oakes about the Utah event.

There are other factors capturing the industry's attention. San Antonio leaders have, for example, made it easier to film in the city than some markets, who have more challenging permitting processes.

[sirkingwilliam]

• CITY > TECHNOLOGY

Another telecom company bringing ultra fast internet to San Antonio.

GRANDE TO BRING ITS 1G INTERNET SERVICE TO SAN ANTONIO

Mike W. Thomas
San Antonio Business Journal

Grande Communications Inc. will roll out new high-speed Internet options for some parts of San Antonio on March 3.

The San Marcos-based broadband communications company plans to deploy 1-gigabit, or 1G, Internet service to the Alamo Heights and Terrell Hills neighborhoods. The new service will cost $64.99 per month. Other tiers are priced as follows:

• 15 Mbps for $29.99
• 50 Mbps for $34.99
• 200 Mbps for $44.99
• 300 Mbps for $54.99

Grande is one of the first service providers to bring 1G speeds to San Antonio. GVTC, the Smithson Valley-based telephone cooperative, upgraded its services to 1G late last year, but its local coverage area only extends to parts of far north San Antonio. The balance of the company's service territory extends outside the city limits and throughout the Hill Country.

"Grande's deployment of 1G service in San Antonio along with the new Internet speeds are part of our customer care commitment and continuing effort to offer the fastest Internet speeds and loaded bundles at the best value," said Matt Rohre, senior vice president of operations and general manager for Grande. "Upgrading our network, improving reliability and offering fast Internet speeds that are available to everyone in our service area truly illustrates our desire to be here for our Texas customers."

[sirkingwilliam]

• CITY > SPORTS

SAN ANTONIO TO SERVE AS TRAINING CAMP HOME FOR U.S. OLYMPIC SWIMMERS

W. Scott Bailey
San Antonio Business Journal

USA Swimming said Thursday that it has selected San Antonio as the domestic training site for the next Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. The U.S. team will stage its camp at San Antonio's Northside Swim Center July 13-21, 2016.

The U.S. will hold its Olympic Team Trials in Omaha, Nebraska next year. Athletes who qualify at those trials to represent the U.S. in Brazil will prepare for the 2016 games in San Antonio, which will host the 2015 USA Swimming Phillips 66 National Championships.

USA Swimming National Team Director Frank Busch said San Antonio is home to "one of the top swimming facilities" in the nation.

The Northside Swim Center opened in 2013. It features a 50-meter, Olympic-sized outdoor pool and a 25-meter diving and warm-up pool. The swim center can accommodate 2,400 spectators for competitive events.

'

LOCATION

[sirkingwilliam]

TWC Maxx has debuted in San Antonio.

Wednesday TWC rolled out their Maxx service to several different areas of the city to the tone of 75,000 homes, including mine. This was the first phase of their roll out. By July, the entire city will have Maxx internet speeds.

This picture is of my internet speed as of Wendesday night.

[JoninATX]

Census estimates hint at mega-region between San Antonio and Austin

By Vianna Davila
March 26th. 2015

The population boom along the Interstate 35 corridor shows San Antonio and Austin could eventually grow together into a mega, metro region, the state demographer said after studying new census data.

Hays and Comal counties — both of which hug I-35 and are wedged between San Antonio and Austin — were the fifth and ninth fastest-growing counties in the U.S. from July 2013 to July 2014, according to census estimates released Thursday.

Call it a gravity phenomenon, with the two cities pulling populations toward each other. Assuming these trends continue, it’s more likely the two cities will “become more tied as a function of all the population and economic activity that’s occurring” between them.

Bexar County was not among the country’s fastest-growing counties in percentage terms. But Bexar was sixth in the U.S. for largest population increases from 2013 to 2014, growing by 34,000 people. The county’s total population is now 1.85 million, said Ben Bolender, chief of the population estimates branch at the census.

http://www.expressnews.com/news/loca...an-6159782.php

The San Antonio metropolitan area is growing quite rapidly. Estimates have the entire area growing around 60,000 per year with Bexar County growing the fastest at 34,000. Then Comal and Guadalupe County each grew by 10,000. With that said those 3 counties combined grew 54,000 just in one year.

[JACKinBeantown]

And still no real plan for a commuter rail between the two cities. Talk about poorly planned growth.