Officials have selected a longtime city executive to help shepherd Project Marvel and other placemaking downtown development efforts.
City Manager Erik Walsh announced Tuesday that he has appointed Shanon Miller as chief downtown officer.
Miller has served as director of the Office of Historic Preservation since 2008.
In her new role, Miller will coordinate downtown development on behalf of the city, including such high-profile projects as the Alamo Redevelopment Plan and the proposed sports and entertainment district, in addition to the River Walk, a minor league baseball district, housing and transportation projects.
Miller also will oversee the Center City Development and Operations Department.
“Shanon Miller brings more than 15 years of preservation leadership and understands both the history and future of downtown San Antonio,” Walsh said. “As we advance major initiatives like the Alamo Plan, San Antonio River Walk improvements, and the Downtown Sports & Entertainment District, we need strong leadership to align housing, transportation, and economic development.”
Cory Edwards, deputy historic preservation officer, will serve as interim historic preservation officer. An OHP staffer since 2012, Edwards has held several roles within the department. He has a master of architecture degree and a certificate in historic preservation from Texas Tech University.
The city’s Office of Historic Preservation oversees the work to evaluate and rehabilitate the city’s historic structures and districts, and the adaptive reuse and restoration of its historic, architectural and archeological heritage.
The city also is seeking a consulting firm to serve as the executive program manager for the downtown sports and entertainment district and issued a request for qualifications with proposals due Friday, Feb. 27.
Economic vitality
Miller came to San Antonio in 2008 when she was hired to lead the city’s Office of Historic Preservation. She previously served as the historic preservation officer and interim planning director for the City of Franklin in Tennessee.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Western Kentucky University, a master’s in public service and administration from Texas A&M University and a master of arts degree in historic preservation from Goucher College in Maryland.
Miller said she sees the future for downtown as a resilient, mixed-use neighborhood where people can live, work and spend time throughout the day and evening.
“This is a pivotal moment for downtown San Antonio,” she said in a statement. “The Downtown Sports & Entertainment District includes a new Spurs arena, convention center expansion, and surrounding mixed-use development that will reshape how residents and visitors experience the urban core.”
The city is also planning on a new Missions ballpark, set to open in 2028, and on efforts to better connect downtown with the East Side. “These are generational development opportunities,” said Miller, who added her job is to ensure that work moves forward “in a way that is aligned, community-informed, and focused on long-term economic vitality for the entire city.”
Org chart changes
Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones said in December that the City would need to hire a staff member specifically to oversee development of the new downtown new sports and entertainment district.
Up until her retirement in September, then-Assistant City Manager Lori Houston was considered the point-person on all things Project Marvel.
At a gathering of developers back in March, Houston said the plan was always to hire someone additional to oversee it all.
The roughly $4 billion downtown renovation is expected to include a new $1.3 billion Spurs arena and surrounding mixed-use development, as well as upgrades to the Alamodome and Henry B. González Convention Center.
The organization changes come amid other major shifts in city departments, including the naming of Michael Shannon, former director of Development Services and interim director of Animal Services, as director of the city’s new Capital Delivery Department.
In that role, Shannon now oversees city construction projects, budgets and timelines.
