In 2001, the Pearl Brewery was purchased by Silver Ventures, led by Christopher Goldbury, to launch one of the biggest re-development projects for mixed-use real estate in the history of San Antonio.
More than a decade later, the 22-acre property now features some the City’s most celebrated restaurants, key businesses, popular events, and residential properties – a model for how mixed-use properties provide the urban, “live, work, play” ideal. The development has sparked several residential complexes to pop up in the neighborhood including apartments for rent and condos for sale. The cultural and commercial sector has also blossomed along the Broadway corridor.
While Hotel Emma, considered the final piece of the Pearl, is close to completion, many citizens and leaders are looking to replicate its success by revitalizing another area of San Antonio. There is much speculation about which area of the city will be the next big thing for San Antonio’s urban core. What do you think it will be?
Candidates for the “Next Pearl”
Hemisfair Park is a natural, strong contender as there are big plans in the works with plenty of support from the City. The nonprofit Hemisfair Park Area Redevelopment Corp. is leading the efforts to build mixed-income residential property, 19 acres of parkland, a concert venue, and numerous restaurants and shops. Located in the heart of Downtown, this project seems to have all of the components of our “Next Pearl.”
The El Mercado Zona Cultural is an interesting district located on the west side of Downtown that is expected to undergo major re-development. The area was approved by City Council as an official Arts and Cultural District in 2014, making it eligible for state and city funding. An application was submitted last month to the Texas Commission for the Arts for official recognition. Alongside popular fixtures of the area, like Mi Tierra Restaurant, more businesses are expected to open doors as public space is improved and a marketing campaign is launched.
Looking in the Eastside, the Alamo Brewery and Hays Street Bridge area is a longer shot but perhaps a more organic re-development of this area is already underway. The Alamo Beer Company recently opened the doors of a brand new $8 million brewery, outdoor bar, and event space. This investment is expected to attract more interest from developers as businesses and citizens look for less expensive, near-downtown opportunities.
The old Lone Star Brewery on the Southside is a another potential area that could see major development. Aqualand Development, an Austin-based company, purchased 36 acres of the 60-acre site in May of 2015. Like the Pearl, the Lonestar Brewery has some attractive historical features and is located on the San Antonio river. However, there are challenges in re-developing this area and help may be needed from additional investors.
Who gets your vote?
What area of the city do you want to see go under re-development? Maybe it’s not on the list above. Or maybe you would like to see an area of the City re-developed in a different way.
You can submit your idea and feedback by visiting IdeasForCOSA.com/NextPearl. Your idea will be submitted to the community where other members can comment and vote on your idea. The top ideas will be delivered directly to the San Antonio City Council.
*Featured/top image: A view of downtown at night from the Pearl brewhouse’s copula. Photo by Scott Martin.
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Fingers Crossed: Zona Cultural Application Goes to the State
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Lone star. Awesome campus to bring back to life
I have high hopes for the old Lone Star plant location
Westside
I keep wondering what is happening with the pioneer flour plant. It’s right by blue star, it should be developed into, i dunno, something? Either way, glad that SA is embracing it’s bigger city feel. What holds it back are all the people who want to keep it “small” good luck with that.
Hemisfare is a confined space, Southtown continues to develop, but I believe Lone Star will be the new Pearl due to the vast surrounding areas available for development. It’s just a matter of time.
Lonestar!!
I nominate the Deco District. Woodlawn Lake, near-downtown historic housing stock, many underutilized storefronts, and several parcels of empty land all make for a terrific opportunity. This is a gem in the rough, and with the right care, could be polished to perfection.
Kinda like 5 Points area
Woodlawn/Fredericksburg
Deco District/Beacon Hill.
The smallest of the Royal Parks in London is 39 acres. Hyde Park, mid-size is 346 acres and their largest, Richmond, is 2,359. Granted it’s a much older city and these were royal lands divided. What we are forgetting in San Antonio as we gain urban density, is to leave big, honking swaths of green.
The real question is ‘Where’s the New Brackenridge Park’?
I vote we raze Haven for Hope and build up that area.
May I ask how attacking a nationally recognized institution in our city contributes anything positive to this conversation? An institution that helps address a chronic problem in our city?
It will never happen, but the new Brackenridge Park is the Brackenridge Park Golf Course, which would almost double the size of the existing park. Repatriation of the Brackenridge and Olmos Basin golf courses would add more public space to the San Antonio River/Olmos Basin corridor and is one of the few places where park space could be added without tearing down existing development. There are enough golf courses in San Antonio.
That being said, I’ve never found San Antonio’s existing parks to be crowded, even on the weekends. Citizens are content to stay on private property or indoors during their free time. We even have existing parks (Miraflores) that have been standing behind barbed wire for years, with no known date set for public access.
IH 37 to N. Hackberry along E. Commerce revitalizing the already existing buildings and the Cameo Theatre. Reinvesting in the Historic Sunset Station and St Paul square and the warehouses along E. Commerce i.e. 13 floor haunted house making the Friedrich Building the anchor. The Best Western Plus and the Holiday Inn Express already exist in the area. Then from St Paul Square to E. Houston investing in the warehousing i.e. Back Stage Live. The Spaghetti Warehouse, Tuckers and the Red Roof Inn already exist in the area. Lets not forget the Alamodome perhaps a year around art museum and other sorts of entertainment like ATT Stadium . Thompson Transit is there for are transportation needs and the New Hemisfair Park will be just across I37. It could happen!!!
Lone Star would be awesome if they could develop it with the likes of the pearl but with a different flare. Would be a nice walk or bike ride from museum reach to the pearl to downtown river walk to hemisfare park to south town then blue star then Lone Star and so on!!