SAN ANTONIO | Urban Core Development Thread

[sirkingwilliam]

Did you hit up Southtown or the Pearl areas?

[sirkingwilliam]

DAVE & BUSTERS, H&M FILE PERMITS FOR DOWNTOWN LOCATIONS
WILL BE PART OF RIVERCENTER MALL EXPANSION DEVELOPMENT

Sergio Chapa
San Antonio Business Journal

Plans to bring a Dave & Busters and an H&M clothing store into downtown San Antonio have taken a step forward.

Building permit filings show that two projects will finally proceed after months of delays.

Entertainment venue Dave & Busters first announced it planned to move into the old Joske's Department Store in Rivercenter Mall in January 2013.
After more than two years, a building permit filing shows that the $2.79 million renovation project could be completed by August.

Another filing shows that clothing giant H&M will open its second San Antonio store inside Rivercenter Mall. The $1.75 million clothing store is also expected to be open by August.

Rivercenter General Manager Chris Oviatt could not immediately be reached for comment.

Nevertheless, the mall's website reported that crews are "pouring columns and raising steel in the demolished interior of the Historic Joske's and the progress continues."

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[AwesomeSAView]

Any news on Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville Restaurant opening up in the upgraded RiverCenter Mall??? Apparently they open up restaurants in major U.S. tourist areas ( Las Vegas, New Orleans, Miami, and now San Antonio).

And on a side note, IMO, The Pearl's eating establishments currently are the best for "very good food". It may be a bit pricey, but definitely worth it!!!
Southtown is excellent as well! Should try both areas at least once.

[JoninATX]

Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam

Did you hit up Southtown or the Pearl areas?

I wanted to, but got too late. I should have some free time here next month and should get to the construction sites that I've miss.

[sirkingwilliam]

Originally Posted by AwesomeSAView

Any news on Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville Restaurant opening up in the upgraded RiverCenter Mall??? Apparently they open up restaurants in major U.S. tourist areas ( Las Vegas, New Orleans, Miami, and now San Antonio).

And on a side note, IMO, The Pearl's eating establishments currently are the best for "very good food". It may be a bit pricey, but definitely worth it!!!
Southtown is excellent as well! Should try both areas at least once.

Yes, there was a post in the Restaurant thread about the new Margaritaville.

[The Model]

[sirkingwilliam]

SEXOLOGY INSTITUTE AND BOUTIQUE OPENS IN SOUTHTOWN

A store opening in [Southtown] is offering intimacy and sex education...all under one roof.

The Sexology Institute and Boutique offers lingerie, sex toys, lotions and sensual art. It also offers an antique sex toy collection from the 1920s to 1960s.

"Some of them are crazy," said Melissa Jones, owner. "We keep adding to that collection, so people can come and see that. If any tourists on the Riverwalk want a unique experience."

Jones is also, a sexologist.

She's practiced in San Antonio since 2010. And Jones said what really sets the boutique apart is its education center. She offers educational workshops geared towards couples who want to talk candidly about sex.

"We wanted people to feel like they're sitting in their own living room," said Jones.

Customers can sign up on the Sexology Institute's website for the workshops.

"They could come and feel empowered. Learn about sexuality in a positive environment," said Jones. "I think that we're doing a better job of having a good dialogue about sex but there's definitely room for improvement."

A few streets down from the boutique is Bonham Elementary School. Eyewitness News spoke with several employees and mothers who said they don't have a problem with the boutique as long as the business isn't offensive with its store front.

"Texas is still very conservative. There's nothing wrong with that but everybody has a right to do what they want you know? And as a business, they have a right to be in the area," said Tressa Gonzalez, mother.

The Sexology Institute and Boutique in southtown is hosting its open house on Friday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

LOCATION

[sirkingwilliam]

CITY TO PARTNER WITH LOCAL MOBILE FARMERS MARKET 'TRUCKIN' TOMATO'

James Aldridge
San Antonio Business Journal

City of San Antonio officials want to help downtown employees eat healthier through a new partnership with produce truck company, Truckin' Tomato.

Through a new program called Farm to Work, downtown employees and local residents will be able to buy fresh produce and other healthy foods every other Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Truckin' Tomato food truck parked on the corner of South Main and East Houston to sell bundles of produce that were sourced from Texas farms and local merchants. The packaged goods had a starting price of $16.50.

Feb. 3 was the first day the program was available.

The City of San Antonio's Office of Sustainability is administering the program. Farm to Work is just one component of the city's employee health and wellness program, which is also open to the public. While food trucks typically sell a range of freshly prepared cuisine, Truckin' Tomato specializes in selling fresh veggies.

More information can be found at truckintomato.com.

[sirkingwilliam]

RIVERCENTER MALL JOSKE'S REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT ON SCHEDULE FOR LATE SUMMER COMPLETION
WILL ADD 750,000 SQUARE FEET OF RETAIL TO DOWNTOWN

To the casual passerby, the historic art-deco exterior of [the Joske's building] looks the same along Alamo Plaza.

But on the inside, a massive multimillion-dollar construction project is moving at a fast pace to reinvent the downtown destination.

Work crews have already gutted the historic Joske's department store. The four-story building's exterior facade is being preserved, but the roof has been removed and the interior has been completely hollowed out.

Dave & Busters, a two-level H&M clothing store, Starbucks and Johnny Rockets are among the planned tenants.

The project could be finished by late summer or early fall, Rivercenter Mall General Manager Chris Oviatt said.

"We are reinventing this building, which has great bones, and positioning it for the next 100 years," Oviatt said.

Once complete, the ambitious project will provide about 720,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space to one of the city's busiest areas.

"It's a lot of space in a downtown, urban area where land is tight," Oviatt said.

The San Antonio Business Journal got a first-hand look at the construction Wednesday afternoon.

Work crews are busy reinforcing the building's structure, adding elevators shafts and designing a three-story atrium that will serve as the mall's main entrance from Alamo Plaza.

H&M and Dave & Busters are each expected to occupy 30,000 square feet.
The H&M store will be split between two levels, while the interior of Dave & Busters will span two stories to give the venue a high ceiling height.

Oviatt said work crews are laying down a strong enough foundation to add a 24-story building on top of the existing Joske's Building structure, but those plans remain pending.

Dave & Busters announced that it planned to move into the old Joske's Department Store in Rivercenter Mall in January 2013, and the project started moving forward in late 2014.

Mall management is not disclosing the full price of the massive renovation project, but building permits reveal some cost projections.

Filings show that the Dave & Busters project alone is expected to cost $2.79 million while the H&M will cost at least $1.75 million.

Shopping malls traditionally use department stores are anchor tenants, but Oviatt said Rivercenter is different.

"We are not a traditional mall," Oviatt said. "We are a mixed-use urban center. We have more food and fun than a traditional suburban mall."

AERIAL


LOCATION

[sirkingwilliam]

TWO LEVEL H-E-B NOW VERSUS BEFORE

As you can see, they kept some of the facade and incorporated it into the new design.

LOCATION

[sirkingwilliam]

WITTE MUSEUM BEGINS PHASE I OF $100 MILLION DOLLAR EXPANSION

W. Scott Bailey
San Antonio Business Journal

The Witte Museum will break ground next week on the next phase of a $100 million transformation of the nearly 90-year-old Broadway campus. The extensive makeover will move the Witte into an elite class of museums capable of handling more marquee exhibitions.

"It's a huge transformation for the Witte and for the entire cultural corridor," museum President and CEO Marise McDermott said. "It's a big paradigm shift for us."

The first phase of the project, which cost roughly $20 million, included the transformation of the former Pioneer Hall into the Robert J. and Helen C. Kleberg Foundation South Texas Heritage Center, and nearby office space into the Witte Research Center.

On Feb. 9, crews will begin work on the second phase of the renovation and expansion campaign. The $60 million project, which has been branded the New Witte, will include significant changes to the museum's main building, as well as the construction of the Mays Family Center, which will house special exhibitions and events.

"We will be a top-tier museum," McDermott said.

The changes will better connect the Witte with the San Antonio River immediately to the west and with a Broadway corridor to the east that is also undergoing significant change, with the addition of new urban housing and a relocated children's museum.

McDermott said the improvements will also enable the Witte to install a permanent dinosaur gallery.

A third phase of improvements is also planned. That $20 million project will include the development of a new Center for Rivers and Aquifers.

LOCATION

[SoFlo living]

Does anyone know what's going up on South Frio, where St. Vincent de Paul used to be located? Lots of construction going on and a pretty cool building emerging. Thanks!

[Keep-SA-Lame]

Originally Posted by SoFlo living

Does anyone know what's going up on South Frio, where St. Vincent de Paul used to be located? Lots of construction going on and a pretty cool building emerging. Thanks!

I was wondering that too. It's near the Peanut Factory lofts but it doesn't look like they're related. My guess was some kind of government office perhaps?

[WorldTexas]

Originally Posted by Keep-SA-Lame

I was wondering that too. It's near the Peanut Factory lofts but it doesn't look like they're related. My guess was some kind of government office perhaps?

Is it the building closest to the highway? If so, I think that's the new election HQ/warehouse for Bexar County.

[Keep-SA-Lame]

Originally Posted by WorldTexas

Is it the building closest to the highway? If so, I think that's the new election HQ/warehouse for Bexar County.

That's the one. Thanks!

[SoFlo living]

Originally Posted by WorldTexas

Is it the building closest to the highway? If so, I think that's the new election HQ/warehouse for Bexar County.

I think that's it...looks pretty cool.

Thanks!

[sakyle04]

Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam

Once complete, the ambitious project will provide about 720,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space to one of the city's busiest areas.

720,000? When H&M and D&B will occupy 60,000 between them...? This includes how many unbuilt towers?

(The Weston Centre has 550,000 sq ft for reference.)

Even adding a new Weston Centre atop Joske's wouldn't get us to 720,000...

So, here's my question:

Is this a number that includes other retail space in the complex (all of Rivercenter, proper) or is this (as implied) new space they're creating/opening up (which would imply a massive building or multiple smaller towers)?

[LakeCourtland]

Lots of info in here about new happenings/businesses on the St. Mary's Strip.

http://therivardreport.com/view-st-m...-antonio-puro/

[sirkingwilliam]

Originally Posted by sakyle04

720,000? When H&M and D&B will occupy 60,000 between them...? This includes how many unbuilt towers?

(The Weston Centre has 550,000 sq ft for reference.)

Even adding a new Weston Centre atop Joske's wouldn't get us to 720,000...

So, here's my question:

Is this a number that includes other retail space in the complex (all of Rivercenter, proper) or is this (as implied) new space they're creating/opening up (which would imply a massive building or multiple smaller towers)?

I agree the claim seems odd. I emailed the writer about that claim as well as the 14 story number.

If I had to guess, I'm assuming the journalist mistook gross area floor figure for leasable space. I think at most the Joske will add about 200,000 square feet of retail to downtown.

[STLtoSA]

Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam

I agree the claim seems odd. I emailed the writer about that claim as well as the 14 story number.

If I had to guess, I'm assuming the journalist mistook gross area floor figure for leasable space. I think at most the Joske will add about 200,000 square feet of retail to downtown.

I could be wrong, but I thing that you guys are over thinking it.

Once complete, the ambitious project will provide about 720,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space to one of the city's busiest areas...."We are not a traditional mall," Oviatt said. "We are a mixed-use urban center. We have more food and fun than a traditional suburban mall."

They are talking all of Rivercenter itself, not just Joske's.

The changes at Rivercenter Mall are limited to just the Joske building, iIn addition, the Joske building is much bigger than what has been hollowed out; The Joske Building had a 510,815 sq ft GBA pre-demo. Rivercenter Mall minus Macy's is 378,927. It is easily conceivable that when you subtract the undeveloped parts of the property and areas like the basement of Joske's, which will be for things like storage, that there would be about 720,000 sq ft of retail and restaurant space.