San Antonio | River North | McCombs Mixed Use District

[sirkingwilliam]

McCombs Mixed-Use District Proposed for Urban Core

The Texas Legislature passed a bill last week that would create a ?municipal management district for a downtown site owned by McCombs Properties LLC. The bill would allow a board of directors to levy taxes and issue bonds for development projects on the firm's land at the corner of West Jones Avenue and Camden Street.

Sitting a short distance west of the San Antonio Museum of Art, McCombs Properties purchased the site from CPS Energy for $29.5 million earlier this year. Bills for the Jones Avenue Municipal Management District's creation were introduced by Rep. Steve Allison in the House and Senator Jose Menendez in the Senate.

Allison said the potential district would support a planned mixed-use development at the site, according to a statement of intent attached to House Bill 5399's introduction.

"Development plans for this district provide for a mixed-use project focused on creating an active public place along and connecting to the River Walk, with over a third of the development consisting of open space to include public art features and event space," Allison wrote. "It also includes a hotel, mid-rise and high-rise apartments, office space and parking, most of which will include first-floor amenities and retail facing the public areas."

The district would encompass the 5.9-acre site. Any new taxes or bonds would be put into action by a board of directors that would be appointed by the San Antonio City Council.

[Keep-SA-Lame]

Ambitious! This is an exciting one for sure.

[Spoiler]

McCombs is also behind the conversion of the Tower Life building. It seems a third local billionaire has begun toying with downtown, this time from beyond the grave

[jkill34]

Did not this guy pass away? Is it his business partners that are keeping this up?

[Keep-SA-Lame]

Originally Posted by jkill34

Did not this guy pass away? Is it his business partners that are keeping this up?

It's a family enterprise. I doubt the man himself made any significant business decisions in the last decade of his life, he was quite old.

[JACKinBeantown]

Sounds great! Hopefully it also looks great.

[sirkingwilliam]

More information:

'Like Pearl but better': On River Walk, McCombs family aims to create city's next big urban hub

The McCombs family is waiting on the governor to sign off on a bill to create a special district on a chunk of River Walk estate that could allow the private company to direct tax revenue toward redevelopment of the site to be “like Pearl, but better.”

McCombs Family Partners Ltd. acquired the parcel — about 6 acres next to the San Antonio Museum of Art — from CPS Energy for $29.5 million early this year.

It plans to turn the property into a mixed-use development with apartments, offices, parking, public art, a hotel and open space for events, according to a statement of intent by Rep. Steve Allison, the San Antonio Republican who authored the bill.

The legislation, which was sponsored in the Senate by Sen. José Menéndez, a San Antonio Democrat, would create a municipal management district for the property at West Jones Avenue and Camden Street a few blocks from Pearl.

“They said they wanted to make it — and these are their words — like Pearl but better,” Menéndez said.

Such districts are typically used to raise money for commercial and residential developments — to expand services in existing hubs of activity, develop raw land and revitalize neighborhoods, according to a primer by Allen Boone Humphries Robinson LLP, a Houston-based law firm.

[Keep-SA-Lame]

I applaud the vision, but "better than the Pearl" is a lot to ask out of ~6 acres (for context, just the core of the Pearl (bounded by Avenue A, the River Walk, Mueller and Koehler) is about 10 acres). But hey, even if it falls short of that, it sounds like it'll be more much more interesting than your typical apartment box, so I'm excited.

[jkill34]

There is a lot of potential for this site. This is that stretch of the River Walk that could use some revitilization.

[wwmiv]

This would be a catalyst for further development throughout River North south of I-35. There are a number of river-adjacent parcels left between this and the downtown loop.

To be honest, any development inside the loop on the north end is good news. This part of downtown outside of the small nucleus of 4-5 floor VMUs along the river by the museum has seriously lacked a substantial development push. The entire museum reach needs to be lined with activity, and this puts a significant length into play.

[Tornado]

We know they have the financial means to get it done. Pearl laid out a great blueprint. If someone can come in and iterate on it in a positive way, I’m all for it.

[SAguy]

"It also includes a hotel, mid-rise and high-rise apartments, office space and parking, most of which will include first-floor amenities and retail facing the public areas."

Praying that high rise apartment is greater than 45 stories and has a futuristic look to it.

[AwesomeSAView]

Originally Posted by SAguy

Praying that high rise apartment is greater than 45 stories and has a futuristic look to it.

Hey! This is the McCombs family. Let us shoot for the tallest building in SA. What would that be? 42 stories????

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by AwesomeSAView

Hey! This is the McCombs family. Let us shoot for the tallest building in SA. What would that be? 42 stories????

This is zoned FBZ T6-2, which has a maximum 10 floor count. They’d have to engage with council to get a bonus. The McCombs family is known for being remarkably conservative, and although they have friends in city hall I would argue that conservatism indicates they’d likely stay within confines of current zoning with current elected officials to streamline the negotiation process. The site also has to content with the RIO-2 overlay, which constrains where on the site any potential 10 floor building can be constructed.

T6-2 also places a heavy emphasis on pedestrian priority, so we can expect that it will be similar in form to the Pearl.

[Keep-SA-Lame]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

This is zoned FBZ T6-2, which has a maximum 10 floor count. They’d have to engage with council to get a bonus. The mcCombs family is known for being remarkably conservative, and although they have friends in city hall I would argue that conservatism indicates they’d likely stay within confines of current zoning to streamline the negotiation process.

Well, if any local CRE group has the clout to get a zoning change it's the McCombs. Not saying I predict a 42 story skyscraper but I would expect a zoning change of some kind if the current cap at that parcel is only 10 stories.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by Keep-SA-Lame

Well, if any local CRE group has the clout to get a zoning change it's the McCombs. Not saying I predict a 42 story skyscraper but I would expect a zoning change of some kind if the current cap at that parcel is only 10 stories.

I agree with you.

But I also stand by my belief that they won’t even attempt it.

[Spoiler]

Due to the size of the parcel and other reasons I think they will propose at least one building in the 20-story range.

[AwesomeSAView]

Originally Posted by Spoiler

Due to the size of the parcel and other reasons I think they will propose at least one building in the 20-story range.

Well..... they did specify a mid-rise and a high rise building or buildings. We SHALL see!

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by Spoiler

Due to the size of the parcel and other reasons I think they will propose at least one building in the 20-story range.

We can hope! I will be.

[sirkingwilliam]