In April 2017, VIA Metropolitan Transit purchased the Scobey Storage Complex, located at 301 N. Medina St., for $5.2 million. Now, VIA and private developer DreamOn Group are planning a commercial and residential development that will center around Centro Plaza.
In order to ensure residents on the West Side have the resources they need to combat displacement, VIA and DreamOn must build affordable units and make a conscious effort to ensure that the Scobey redevelopment gives back to current Westside residents.
First and foremost, it is vital that VIA and DreamOn build units that are affordable to the neighborhood. The average household income in the 78207 zip code is around $26,000, with more than a third of its residents living in poverty. VIA’s proposal to build half of Scobey’s units at market rate directly puts half of these units out of reach for folks in the surrounding area, and the gentrification that could result could push longtime residents out of their neighborhood.
VIA’s senior vice president of development and planning, Kammy Horne, sits on the city’s Housing Commission, which is charged with finding ways to increase deeper affordability in each project they discuss. Ensuring that affordable housing, either at 30% AMI or income-based, is included in VIA’s plan for the Scobey Complex is essential to protect low-income residents who have a right to stay in their neighborhood.
To help finance the project, which could cost up to $60 million, DreamOn Group plans to seek federal funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development and private investment. Should Dream On seek funding from the City of San Antonio or Bexar County for the redevelopment, it must invest in 78207 residents first by hiring them at the new shops the Scobey building will host and paying a livable wage of $17.50 an hour. Additionally, to truly encourage public transit usage, nearby residents deserve access to free bus passes from VIA.
In the six years since purchasing Scobey in 2017, VIA, as a public entity, has benefited from not having to pay property taxes. Now VIA and DreamOn have the chance to truly invest in the West Side and foster real economic growth. We must stop recounting some distorted version of economic development and make public dollars work for the public good.
This commentary has been updated to reflect the sources of funding sought by VIA and DreamOn Group for the Scobey Complex redevelopment, as well as for repairs to the surrounding infrastructure.
