Plans for four major development projects breezed through approvals by a city panel on Wednesday, propelling the new Missions baseball stadium toward reality.
The city’s Historic and Design Review Commission (HDRC) granted conceptual approval to the proposed designs for the downtown minor league ballpark, two nearby residential towers and a hotel.
Conceptual approval results from a review of general design ideas and principles. Specific design details are not binding until a certificate of appropriateness is awarded later in the process.
Approval was granted with some standard stipulations involving archaeology studies, landscaping and lighting, but also a requirement to coordinate with the San Antonio River Authority due to the site’s proximity and access to San Pedro Creek.
On Wednesday, commissioners did not pull the requests from the consent agenda for discussion, but all four requests were reviewed during design review committee meetings on Feb. 10 and March 24, according to the submitted documents.
At the Apr. 1 meeting, there were no citizen comments or voicemails to be heard regarding the projects that until now have generated much public interest.
The requests were brought by the private limited company Camaron Development and Mark Jensen, vice president at the San Antonio developer Weston Urban. The applicant was Jay Louden, architect and planner with the San Antonio-based architecture firm Work5hop.
The apartments and hotel are part of Weston Urban’s 2024 commitment to the city to build in the area of the new baseball stadium. The new development is expected to have a projected taxable value of $1 billion.
The requests to HDRC were accompanied by site maps of “Downtown West,” showing the future footprint of the stadium and other structures, and architectural renderings of each.
At 309 W. Travis, 500 N. Santa Rosa and 310 W. Travis streets, the applicant asked for approval to build a 27-story, multi-family residential structure and rehabilitate an historic gymnasium at 319 W. Travis St.
The building would be constructed where a section of the Soap Factory apartments have been demolished, and would be built with a parking garage wrapped on the south and east sides by residential units.
The San Fernando Cathedral School Gym, also known as the Jesse James Leija Gym, was built in 1950. The International and Art Deco-style building would be rehabilitated and incorporated into the residential building.
In the same block as the ballpark, at 323 W. Martin St., the developers have proposed an 8-story hotel with 160 rooms. The Yard Hotel renderings show a building of masonry, plaster and limestone with a portico, swimming pool and views of the ballpark.
Also on West Martin Street is a proposed 14-story residential tower with a six-level parking structure for 389 vehicles. The project is located in an area (RIO-7A) that the Unified Development Code does not have a height restriction for new construction.
But the code notes that the building should be configured to “human scale,” which means a safe and inviting atmosphere for pedestrians.
The ballpark, with home plate situated at Kingsbury Street, and the entrance at Kingsbury and Camaron streets, is also proposed as part of the multi-property development in Downtown West.
The stadium is designed as a series of structures with a public park connection between Flores and San Pedro Creek and an “outfield paseo” behind the diamond.
The façade of the former Sunshine Laundry building adjacent to North Flores Street will be incorporated into the stadium design. During later phases of the approval process, the applicant is required by the city to submit a stadium lighting diagram.
The Missions and city officials have said they want to finish building the stadium in time for the team’s season opener in April 2028.
