A local developer sees rezoning property for a mixed-use redevelopment on Broadway as a benefit to both the community and the company, but the Oak Park/Northwood Neighborhood Association has not yet taken a position on the project.
The City’s Planning Commission on Wednesday unanimously approved Embrey Partners‘ request to amend the Northeast Inner Loop Neighborhood Plan. If approved by the Zoning Commission and eventually City Council, the land use of lots at 7600 Broadway and 7538 Broadway would change from neighborhood commercial to high-density residential.
A 66-unit condominium complex, built in 1963, currently occupies 7600 Broadway St. Embrey proposed rezoning the four-acre property from commercial to multifamily with a conditional use for offices. The property is on the western edge of the Oak Park/Northwood boundary.
The developer envisions a mixed-use community featuring an apartment complex and 35,000 square feet of office space, anchored by Embrey’s new corporate headquarters.
The developer set up a project website to share its vision for the property with the public. Preliminary conceptual renderings show a residential structure not exceeding three stories facing Nacogdoches Road and Nottingham Drive, and a seven-story office structure facing Broadway.
The property is not far from the company’s existing corporate office near Loop 410 and Nacogdoches Road. The property is just north of Alamo Heights, and lies across from a number of commercial and small office spaces, including an H-E-B-anchored shopping center.
“We want to make something that’s walkable, inside [Loop] 410, near H-E-B – it’s a great transition from residential to commercial,” said John Kirk, Embrey’s executive vice president for development.
Embrey approached the 7600 Broadway Condominium Association in fall 2016, asking whether owners would sell their units. By fall 2017, all condo owners had agreed to sell.
Years of deferred maintenance and lack of financial reserves have kept condo owners from upgrading the property, condo association President Richard Sparr said. Walkways are cracked, some railings need replacing, and a tornado that hit in spring 2017 damaged a fence. Most of the units are now occupied by renters.
“Everybody was happy to work with Embrey. Everyone entered into individual contracts [with Embrey],” Sparr said. “Behind all that was the realization that this was an older property.”
Kirk said the developer did not want to stick with the current commercial zoning, which allows a wide variety of commercial development, such as a high-density, multistory office building, liquor stores, and gas stations.
Embrey initially considered applying for Infill Development Zoning. But after talking with neighbors, the company opted to go with the multifamily zoning to limit commercial use on the property, and to increase the residential space.
Embrey said it has reduced the proposed apartment complex density to 266 units and provided answers to neighbors’ questions about setback needs, tree preservation, and estimated traffic impact.
“We’ve taken our time to get input from the [Oak Park/Northwood] neighborhood association,” Kirk said. “We did our legwork before submitting for rezoning. We’re doing something that’s respectful to the neighborhood, something we can be proud of.”
The project would include a pocket park at Nacogdoches and Nottingham, 10-foot-wide sidewalks on all sides, increased setbacks, an enclosed parking garage, and $1 million in proposed public improvements, all funded by Embrey.
Those improvements would include an extended turn lane on Broadway between Nacogdoches and Nottingham, and crosswalk and signal upgrades at the surrounding intersections.
Embrey is planning what it calls “high-end luxury finishes” in the apartment units, and amenities such as a rooftop pool, conference rooms, a golf simulator, concierge, and valet services. Rents at the apartment complex would range between $3,000 and $4,000 monthly, according to the project website.
But while Oak Park/Northwood Neighborhood Association members have met with Embrey, the group has yet to arrive at a consensus on the project. Association Board President Ben Schoenbaum said via text on Monday that he would wait to issue a formal statement because neighbors are still mulling things over, adding that “we are at a critical point right now.”
Samantha Wickwire, zoning director and policy advisor for City Councilman Clayton Perry (D10), said the Council office has heard mixed feedback on the proposed project.
“Many people have reached out to our office in support of the project because they are excited about replacing the ‘falling down’ condos that are currently there,” she said. “I’ve heard positive comments on the proposed design and the addition of the pocket park. On the other hand, I have heard concerns about increased traffic in the area, and the height/density of the project.”
Sparr, who rents out his condo and lives in a Oak Park/Northwood home, described the project as a win-win for the community.
“It’ll revitalize the area. It’ll increase [property] values,” he said. “It’s kind of a godsend that Embrey has come here.”
Sparr said he understands if some neighbors have concerns about high-density redevelopment projects, but he hopes his neighbors realize what could happen with the property if it is not improved, or if the existing zoning remains. Sparr suggested the site could instead end up accommodating a less desirable development.
“I’ve told [the association] this is their opportunity to have input on the project, for them to say what they’d like to see happen,” Perry said.
The councilman said he encourages neighborhood residents to understand the potential for undesirable development at the property, given its location and current zoning, if neighboring residents do not provide input on what they would want there.
“We’re going to continue to see this across San Antonio, because developers are looking for green space closer to downtown as San Antonio keeps growing,” he said.
The City’s Zoning Commission is scheduled to consider the rezoning request June 19, and the City Council could vote on the project in early August.
I’ll give credit to Embrey for this approach. It appears they’ve observed the hot-button issues of other high profile developments and preemptively addressed them. This contrasts with, for example, DeanSteel, where the developer’s attorney’s approach was ‘foggy,’ with stated options to come back to various City boards at a later date to request changes.
Embrey appears to use existing, understood code rather than IDZ. The provided plan-view renderings use photographs to demonstrate how the project fits into the existing, real-world conditions rather than inaccurate and idealized sketches. The website claims they have already done traffic analysis. Proposed sidewalks and walkability look better than currently extant. It also already has an anchor tenant for the commercial property.
$3000-$4000 per month seems crazy for rent, but you are getting Alamo Heights ISD in the 78209 zipcode.
But here’s a question for Richard Sparr: as a property owner, why haven’t you replaced the fence? Why are the sidewalks cracked? Are the railings unsafe? Why is your property “falling down?” As a landlord, do you not have an obligation to provide your tenants with safe, secure housing in exchange for their rent? In that context, isn’t this property just a variation of the Soap Factory?
This is a great redevelopment, but as said in the article, it will raise property values in the area. This may be great for some, but remember that high property values mean the Bexar CAD will raise taxes on the area they see as affected by the change. This is the part of our problem that needs to be solved. The taxes on houses in the area should not be raised because some happens across the street. These are still single-family residences. If a developer gets agreement from five of these single-family residents to sell their property, AND the developer gets permission to rezone to a higher use, AND he builds the project, THEN this parcel should be reassessed at a new tax rate, BUT NOT THE SURROUNDING AREA.
I support the proposal to redevelop 1600 Broadway as planned.
Nana J. James
Absolutely! Keep us in the high-rent district!
I could sell my house, down size to an apt and pay 2x+ my mortgage????