San Antonio | Deep In The Heart.

[Plutonic Panda]

Josh have you seen any rumblings about HSR? With the Dallas to Houston corridor likely to come into play, Houston and Austin are mulling expansions of their LRT system. San Antonio doesn’t have any LRT. I hope they go big and propose a massive LRT system. Thankful TxDOT builds amazing roads and they seem to be improving more roads in the area.

[josh]

In terms of transit, a lot is happening right now with funding. Moves are being made to increase local funding for VIA Transit, our local mass transit authority. In terms of rail, local leadership is moving away from trying to build a local rail system as they feel it’s an outdated mode of transit and that they want to plan for the future with modes of transit that don’t have a fixed route. They’re hedging their bets on trackless trains as well as BRT, last mile options and other things.

[Plutonic Panda]

SA should focus on a starter subway network with feeder BRT routes to major centers IMO.

[josh]

SA should focus on a starter subway network with feeder BRT routes to major centers IMO.

Subway? That’s be nearly impossible due to cost and because of the limestone bedrock under the entire city and metro area. But, trackless trains with dedicated lanes, expanded BRT routes, the planned HOV lanes, elevated highways planned, etc will do a lot of good for the city.

[Plutonic Panda]

I’m sure other cities have built subways in bedrock like SA has. But I can’t say for certain. Either way some sort of fixed guideway is necessary and hopefully they don’t cheap out with a street car. The elevated freeways are great and I’m very happy to see TxDOT invest in mega freeways in SA. I can only hope OkDOT does the same for OKC but I won’t hold my breath.

TxDOT has seemingly underinvested in SA for too long.

[josh]

I’m sure other cities have built subways in bedrock like SA has. But I can’t say for certain. Either way some sort of fixed guideway is necessary and hopefully they don’t cheap out with a street car. The elevated freeways are great and I’m very happy to see TxDOT invest in mega freeways in SA. I can only hope OkDOT does the same for OKC but I won’t hold my breath.

TxDOT has seemingly underinvested in SA for too long.

TxDot has underfunded SA for a long time but mostly because Houston and Dallas take the two biggest slices of the funding pie.

But a lot is planned and currently under construction. Major expansions of I-10, 281, 1604 and 35 with all four getting HOV lanes. Three stack interchanges are under construction right now. All that and none of it will be tolled. San Antonio will continue to be the only major Texas city with no toll roads and with Texas banning future toll roads, San Antonio drivers will never will be forced to pay tolls to drive our freeways.

[Plutonic Panda]

Glad to hear about the tolls. Drives already pay the highest user fees of any mode of transport and tolls are a slap �� in the face.

[josh]

Glad to hear about the tolls. Drives already pay the highest user fees of any mode of transport and tolls are a slap �� in the face.

Yeah, it’s awesome that unlike Dallas and Houston drivers, San Antonio drivers will never have to pay a toll to drive on freeway lanes.

If you’re interested, there’s a local man who covers San Antonio freeways. History, construction, data, etc.

His site is quite the read and resource.

[josh]

DREAM HOTEL BRAND PLANNING DOWNTOWN HOTEL

[HangryHippo]

DREAM HOTEL BRAND PLANNING DOWNTOWN HOTEL

I love that!

[josh]

I love that!

This is a very exciting project, because it’s part of a larger development that will include an office and residential building.

Conceptualized by renowned architecture and design firm CUBE3 Architects, Dream San Antonio is poised to become a new catalyst for the area and an integral part of the "new" downtown San Antonio scene. When open, the boutique hotel will be the centerpiece of a large mixed use development that includes office space and private residences, transforming a full city block into a communal gathering place for hotel guests and locals alike.

[josh]

Rendering of UTSA’s new National Security Collaboration Center and School of Data Science planned for downtown.

[josh]

8-STORY RESIDENTIAL PLANNED FOR SOUTH END OF DOWNTOWN

[josh]

That building is being built in an area that is quickly becoming dense with residential buildings. Also planned for this area of downtown are two twin high rise residential towers, and a 15-story residential building.

[josh]

This mixed-use development is currently under construction on the north side of San Antonio, about 8 miles from downtown.

[josh]

NINE STORY KIMPTON HOTEL PLANNED FOR DOWNTOWN

The same developer bought the Marriott next to this planned hotel and plans to renovate it into an Otis Hotel, part of the high end Marriott Autograph Collection.

[josh]

RENDERING FOR 30-STORY RESIDENTIAL TOWER

Planned for the south end of downtown near La Villita.

[josh]

MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT WITH TWO RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS PLANNED FOR MIDTOWN

Will have retail and two mid-rise residential buildings. This is planned two blocks west of the Pearl in the Tobin Hill neighborhood of Midtown.

[ChrisHayes]

MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT WITH TWO RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS PLANNED FOR MIDTOWN

Will have retail and two mid-rise residential buildings. This is planned two blocks west of the Pearl in the Tobin Hill neighborhood of Midtown.

Something like that would be awesome for the Bob Howard lot between the parks!

[Plutonic Panda]

I sure hope we can get a more impressive development than that on the Bob Howard site.

[JoninATX]

Floodgate luxury tower now underway



https://www.bizjournals.com/sananton...apartment.html

[josh]

For those not too familiar with San Antonio or the Texas hill country. This is drone footage of one of San Antonio’s big lakes. Medina Lake, enjoy!

[HangryHippo]

Are the lakes always so low?

[josh]

Are the lakes always so low?

That’s not really low. There was a point were Texas has a drought so bad that Medina lake was at like 20 percent capacity, then after years of a drought we had a typical week long monsoon like weather system that provided do much rain the lake filled past capacity and nearly over spilled its dam. This was almost ten years ago or do and since then it’s been pretty relatively at 80-90% full.

But I’m this area of Texas, esp during the summer, we can have rain systems can flood the area.

Check out what usually happens at Medina Lake and other SA area lakes during the summer.

[josh]

GRAYSTAR PARTNERS BUYS ABANDONED LONE STAR BREWERY