INSIDER
City plans to buy vacant lots along proposed VIA Green Line for affordable housing
Read full article: City plans to buy vacant lots along proposed VIA Green Line for affordable housingWhile VIA Metropolitan Transit continues to plug away on its Advanced Rapid Transit plan, the city of San Antonio is aiming to strategically align with those plans by buying up vacant lots along the proposed north-south route.
Inside a local developer’s plan to reactivate Villita Assembly Hall
Read full article: Inside a local developer’s plan to reactivate Villita Assembly HallAfter buying the downtown landmark in early 2024, the developers behind the revamp of the Villita Assembly Hall have moved quickly to prepare it for its next life.
Terry Black’s BBQ project on Broadway clears another hurdle
Read full article: Terry Black’s BBQ project on Broadway clears another hurdleAustin-based Terry Black’s BBQ has received a certificate of appropriateness from the Historic and Design Review Commission to build part of its project at 2100 Broadway.
Low occupancy, lagging rate growth in apartments likely to persist through 2025
Read full article: Low occupancy, lagging rate growth in apartments likely to persist through 2025Staggering rates of new deliveries hammering occupancy and rental prices in San Antonio’s apartment market are likely to persist through 2025.
Remember the Alamo Beer: Brewery site for sale
Read full article: Remember the Alamo Beer: Brewery site for saleAlamo Beer Co. opened its multimillion-dollar brewery and beer hall in March 2015 with a nod to its namesake shrine and a celebration of Texas’ independence, but it could close with far less fanfare.
Entertainment venue backed by Tiger Woods nears SA debut
Read full article: Entertainment venue backed by Tiger Woods nears SA debutPopStroke Entertainment Group, a Florida-based company that has partnered with Tiger Woods, is nearing completion of a multimillion-dollar golf-themed venue in northwest San Antonio and company officials confirm its planned opening is set for this fall.
East Coast airline to end SA flights and exit city
Read full article: East Coast airline to end SA flights and exit cityJetBlue Airways Corp. is grounding its Alamo City operations. The Long Island-based carrier plans to exit the market, ending nonstop flights to Boston and New York City in late October.
SeaWorld San Antonio eyes huge 2025 expansion
Read full article: SeaWorld San Antonio eyes huge 2025 expansionUnited Parks & Resorts is pursuing the development of a new area at SeaWorld San Antonio that will span nearly 150,000 square feet and tout its animal rescue efforts, according to an initial filing with the State of Texas.
Huge Broadway project backed by Terry Black’s BBQ moves forward
Read full article: Huge Broadway project backed by Terry Black’s BBQ moves forwardThe family behind Terry Black’s BBQ received green lights from the Zoning Commission and the Historic and Design Review Commission (HDRC) to move forward with its plans to build a restaurant and underground parking structure at 2100 Broadway.
New Braunfels Utilities pulls plug on downtown hotel plan
Read full article: New Braunfels Utilities pulls plug on downtown hotel planNew Braunfels Utilities has exited a plan unveiled in 2021 to turn its more than 80-year-old headquarters building near Main Plaza into a new hotel, restaurant and bar.
Business Journal Exclusive: SA ‘close’ to landing DC flights, Congressman Castro says
Read full article: Business Journal Exclusive: SA ‘close’ to landing DC flights, Congressman Castro saysCongress could approve new legislation in a matter of days, freeing up more slots for flights to and from DCA, and San Antonio has some high-ranking firepower fighting for one of those routes.
NuStar acquired by Sunoco for $7.3B, fate of SA-based company’s employees unclear
Read full article: NuStar acquired by Sunoco for $7.3B, fate of SA-based company’s employees unclearThe San Antonio-based independent pipeline and terminal operator and the Dallas-based fuels distributor have officially closed a $7.3 billion merger, NuStar announced today in a news release.
SwRI begins work on ‘spacecraft bus’
Read full article: SwRI begins work on ‘spacecraft bus’Southwest Research Institute has won a position on Denver-based Astroscale U.S.’s contract with the U.S. Space Force to build and test a small demonstration spacecraft as part of a $25.5 million Space Mobility and Logistics prototyping project.
San Antonio philanthropist, Shiner brewery owner Carlos Alvarez dies at 73
Read full article: San Antonio philanthropist, Shiner brewery owner Carlos Alvarez dies at 73Carlos Alvarez, a major philanthropist and entrepreneur who founded The Gambrinus Co., a San Antonio-based business whose holdings include the Spoetzl Brewery and Shiner beer, has died.
Guillermo’s declares bankruptcy as strategic decision
Read full article: Guillermo’s declares bankruptcy as strategic decisionLocal Italian restaurant chain Guillermo’s filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, but ownership says the decision was a strategic one that will allow it to reorganize and avoid shuttering one of its two locations.
Planned downtown attraction to feature sky-high ride clears hurdle
Read full article: Planned downtown attraction to feature sky-high ride clears hurdleIcon Experiences’ plan to develop a new elevated entertainment experience in downtown San Antonio anchored by a 200-foot-tall observation wheel is a step closer to reality.
UTSA to move ITC museum to Frost Tower as it pursues permanent home
Read full article: UTSA to move ITC museum to Frost Tower as it pursues permanent homeThe University of Texas at San Antonio plans to move the Institute of Texan Cultures to Frost Tower as it formalizes plans for a permanent home for the museum.
Boeing faces allegations of retaliating against employees for safety complaints in San Antonio
Read full article: Boeing faces allegations of retaliating against employees for safety complaints in San AntonioThree former employees of San Antonio’s Boeing Global Services plant at Port San Antonio allege they were terminated for raising safety concerns surrounding their work.
EMBREY construction executive talks bringing more women onto job sites, industry outlook
Read full article: EMBREY construction executive talks bringing more women onto job sites, industry outlookHelena Finley was recently named managing partner and executive vice president of construction at EMBREY.
SA health system launches CEO search amid billion-dollar expansion
Read full article: SA health system launches CEO search amid billion-dollar expansionUniversity Health has teamed with an Illinois-based firm to conduct a national search for a new CEO. Its longtime leader George Hernandez has set a summer target for his planned exit.
Developer to bring homes with personal vineyards, high-end hospitality to Fredericksburg
Read full article: Developer to bring homes with personal vineyards, high-end hospitality to FredericksburgA new development plans to draw hundreds of thousands of tourists visiting Texas' Wine Trail with a winery, luxury hospitality that could include a Michelin-starred chef and homes with their own personal vineyards.
Fate of $62M Sunken Garden Theater makeover still unclear
Read full article: Fate of $62M Sunken Garden Theater makeover still unclearNearly two and a half years after the Brackenridge Park Conservancy first unveiled plans for a major renovation of the aging Sunken Garden Theater, the fate of that landmark project remains uncertain.
Codeup blames hiring freezes, lack of resources for its collapse
Read full article: Codeup blames hiring freezes, lack of resources for its collapseThe statement, signed “The Codeup Team,” cites hiring freezes, a shift in its funding landscape and its inability to retain essential teaching resources for its collapse.
NuStar Energy and Sunoco agree to $7.3B merger, eyeing significant synergies
Read full article: NuStar Energy and Sunoco agree to $7.3B merger, eyeing significant synergiesSan Antonio-based pipeline and terminal operator NuStar Energy LP has agreed to be acquired by Dallas-based fuel distributor Sunoco LP for $7.3 billion, NuStar announced.
State board approves historic listing for Institute of Texan Cultures structure
Read full article: State board approves historic listing for Institute of Texan Cultures structureThe Texas Historical Commission’s State Board of Review on Saturday unanimously approved listing the Institute of Texan Cultures on the National Register of Historic Places.
Here’s how housing prices are expected to change in San Antonio in 2024
Read full article: Here’s how housing prices are expected to change in San Antonio in 2024After a year marked by volatile — and frequently high — mortgage rates, little inventory and affordability issues that sidelined many buyers, the 2024 housing market outlook offers more of the same, albeit with some relief.
Terry Black’s BBQ group plan hotel, spa and restaurant on Broadway land
Read full article: Terry Black’s BBQ group plan hotel, spa and restaurant on Broadway landThe family behind Terry Black’s BBQ plans to build a barbecue restaurant, hotel, spa and a parking garage on the land it owns at 2100 Broadway, according to documents obtained by the Business Journal through a public records request with the city of San Antonio.
Tiny home community planned for South Side gets Zoning Commission approval
Read full article: Tiny home community planned for South Side gets Zoning Commission approvalThe Zoning Commission on Tuesday lent its support to a proposed 79-unit tiny home development on the city’s South Side. The one- and two-story properties would rise at 1471 and 1477 West Villaret Blvd. and 1487 Malley Blvd., across the road from Palo Alto College.
NASA awards local space contractor $1.3M to advance lunar technologies
Read full article: NASA awards local space contractor $1.3M to advance lunar technologiesIt’s the first time the downtown stadium will have turned a profit since the San Antonio Spurs left the building for a new East Side arena in 2002.
Bexar County approves incentives for $40M Rackspace building agreement
Read full article: Bexar County approves incentives for $40M Rackspace building agreementBexar County commissioners approved an incentives agreement between the county, the city of Windcrest and Cleveland, Ohio-based developer Industrial Commercial Properties LLC at a Commissioners Court meeting Tuesday.
First Look: $300M mixed-use development from McCombs near Pearl
Read full article: First Look: $300M mixed-use development from McCombs near PearlA downtown property is set to undergo a major transformation that will see apartment, office and hotel uses fronting the River Walk, minutes away from the Pearl.
GrayStreet Partners, Fulcrum release vision for Broadway East development
Read full article: GrayStreet Partners, Fulcrum release vision for Broadway East developmentLocal developers GrayStreet Partners and Fulcrum Development are teaming up to create a 15-acre mixed-use project in the Government Hill neighborhood.
Alamodome changes to heighten focus on stadium’s future
Read full article: Alamodome changes to heighten focus on stadium’s futureAlamodome General Manager Stephen Zito is taking on a new role with the city of San Antonio, moving up the ranks to an assistant director position with its Convention and Sports Facilities Department.
San Antonio African American museum planning $40 million downtown move
Read full article: San Antonio African American museum planning $40 million downtown moveIn 2026, the San Antonio African American Community Archive & Museum plans to move out of its current headquarters in La Villita, hoping to set up shop at the Kress-Grant Building at 311 East Houston St.
Pizza Patrón hires first chief operating officer to lead expansion effort
Read full article: Pizza Patrón hires first chief operating officer to lead expansion effortLocal Latin-inspired pizza chain Pizza Patrón has brought on a restaurant industry veteran as its first chief operating officer to oversee the company’s expansion push
Five restaurants, two law firms planned for The Creamery mixed-use building in Tobin Hill
Read full article: Five restaurants, two law firms planned for The Creamery mixed-use building in Tobin HillThe building will feature five restaurant concepts — Hook, Amelia Tapas & Wine, Lunatique, Creme Coffee and Easy Baby.
GrayStreet Partners buys The Pig Stand property on Lower Broadway Corridor
Read full article: GrayStreet Partners buys The Pig Stand property on Lower Broadway CorridorMary Ann Hill, the longtime owner-operator of The Pig Stand, said she’s in negotiations on a new lease and hopes to keep the location open
Cattleman Square Lofts affordable housing project gets $38 million in state tax credits
Read full article: Cattleman Square Lofts affordable housing project gets $38 million in state tax creditsThe multifamily project is one of the rare, fully-affordable apartment buildings that will be on offer in the downtown area.
GrayStreet Partners buys downtown properties owned by Mexican Manhattan’s Karam family
Read full article: GrayStreet Partners buys downtown properties owned by Mexican Manhattan’s Karam familyBexar County records show an LLC tied to GrayStreet partner Kevin Covey and Christopher Grossman paying $6 million for the two parcels of land.
San Antonio opens bidding for millions in Tower of the Americas renovations
Read full article: San Antonio opens bidding for millions in Tower of the Americas renovationsThe Tower of the Americas, the centerpiece of the San Antonio skyline since its unveiling at the 1968 World's Fair, is slated to undergo major renovations in 2024.
Rackspace names permanent CEO as Kevin Jones steps down; headquarters to remain in San Antonio
Read full article: Rackspace names permanent CEO as Kevin Jones steps down; headquarters to remain in San AntonioSan Antonio-based Rackspace Technology, Inc. announced Monday morning that CEO Kevin Jones is stepping down, effective immediately.
How local universities compare in cost in UT and A&M systems
Read full article: How local universities compare in cost in UT and A&M systemsThe University of Texas at San Antonio is one of the least-expensive schools in the University of Texas System, while Texas A&M University-San Antonio is one of the most expensive in its system.
The top 10 commercial San Antonio water users
Read full article: The top 10 commercial San Antonio water usersThe Business Journal obtained records from SAWS that show information about the highest users of potable water, providing insight into how much water these massive businesses and institutions use.
Ex-San Antonio police officer tops city’s payroll list in 2020
Read full article: Ex-San Antonio police officer tops city’s payroll list in 2020Across 13,394 employees, the city of San Antonio paid a total of of $842 million in wages and $1.2 billion in total compensation to fire, police and civilian workers in 2020.
San Antonio’s Trinity named best regional university by U.S. News & World Report
Read full article: San Antonio’s Trinity named best regional university by U.S. News & World ReportTrinity University was ranked the top regional university of the West in U.S. News & World Report’s 2022 best colleges rankings, released on Sept. 13.
Study claims city could bring in more than $1B — if it gives up the airport
Read full article: Study claims city could bring in more than $1B — if it gives up the airportOne national public policy group believes the Alamo City could generate more than $1 billion by leasing San Antonio International Airport to a private company or investors.
San Antonio startup to build ‘secret garden homes’ in backyards
Read full article: San Antonio startup to build ‘secret garden homes’ in backyardsSAN ANTONIO – Editor’s note: This story was published through a partnership between the San Antonio Business Journal and KSAT. A San Antonio couple launched a startup to build tiny structures in backyards to function as offices, schoolhouses or anything in between. Erin Callahan, co-founder and CEO Some Elbow Room, describes the spaces as “secret garden homes,” water-tight, stand-alone buildings that come in three sizes from 96 to 300 square feet. The structures, named Elbow Rooms, are customizable for any purpose and are insulated, air conditioned and wired for electricity. See more photos of the Some Elbow Room’s structures at the San Antonio Business Journal.
Second Friendly Spot location moving forward
Read full article: Second Friendly Spot location moving forwardSAN ANTONIO Editors note: This story was published through a partnership between the San Antonio Business Journal and KSAT. The Business Journal reached out to co-owner Steven Newman, but did not hear back by time of publication. The Business Journal first reported on the owners of the original Southtown location and their plans for a second location in 2018. No other details were revealed about the second location, other than that the couple was looked at around 70 to 80 other properties on the South Side. Read more restaurant business news at the San Antonio Business Journal.
Multiple San Antonio hotels up for sale in the midst of a pandemic
Read full article: Multiple San Antonio hotels up for sale in the midst of a pandemicSAN ANTONIO Editors note: This story was published through a partnership between the San Antonio Business Journal and KSAT. Multiple San Antonio hotels are on the market including a corporate La Quinta Inn along Interstate 35 corridor near Loop 1604, which is currently managed by Wyndham. Hotels flying the Holiday Inn, Hyatt Place and Budget Inn flags are also on the market. San Antonio Hotel & Lodging Association Chairwoman Tamara Benavides isnt surprised that some hotels are in play as owners across the country deal with the economic impact of the novel coronavirus. See which other hotels are on the market at the San Antonio Business Journal.
San Antonio construction, engineering firm Zachry Group faces lawsuit over retirement plan
Read full article: San Antonio construction, engineering firm Zachry Group faces lawsuit over retirement planSAN ANTONIO Editors note: This story was published through a partnership between the San Antonio Business Journal and KSAT. An international construction and engineering firm headquartered in San Antonio faces what could become a class-action lawsuit over the management of its 401(k) retirement plan. The plaintiffs James Blackmon, Justin Rozelle, Eric Myers and Jared Munson, who are participants in the program administered by Zachry Group filed a complaint against the firm in federal court Aug. 21, as first reported by the San Antonio Express-News. Zachry Group has not responded to the Business Journals request for comment on the lawsuit. They also claim that Zachry kept certain funds in the plan despite the availability of identical or similar investment options with lower costs and/or better performance histories.Read more on this story at the San Antonio Business Journal.
Historic downtown hotel plans layoffs after significant furloughs
Read full article: Historic downtown hotel plans layoffs after significant furloughsSAN ANTONIO Editors note: This story was published through a partnership between the San Antonio Business Journal and KSAT. The Sheraton Gunter Hotel plans to lay off nearly 40 employees as the downturn in travel caused by COVID-19 continues to take a toll on San Antonios hospitality industry. Crescent Hotels & Resorts LLC, which operates the Sheraton Gunter, informed Texas Workforce Commission officials of its plans this week. Hotel management initially reduced operations at the East Houston Street property as convention and leisure travel business evaporated with the novel coronavirus outbreak and stay-home orders. Read more on this story at the San Antonio Business Journal.
Alamo City feeling heat from vacant rooms and vanished revenue
Read full article: Alamo City feeling heat from vacant rooms and vanished revenueSAN ANTONIO Editors note: This story was published through a partnership between the San Antonio Business Journal and KSAT. Early on, we were shaken, but thinking this wasnt going to last as long as it has, San Antonio Hotel & Lodging Association Chairwoman Tamara Benavides said. The city will get some help, courtesy of the organization, which plans to stage its annual global marketing event, IPW, in San Antonio in 2023. The average daily rate for metro San Antonio was more than $120 in second quarter 2019. Read more on this story at the San Antonio Business Journal.
Thousands of City of San Antonio employees will work remotely through end of the year
Read full article: Thousands of City of San Antonio employees will work remotely through end of the yearSAN ANTONIO – Editor’s note: This story was published through a partnership between the San Antonio Business Journal and KSAT. Thousands of municipal employees will continue to work from home at least through Dec. 31 due to the surge in Covid-19 cases in Bexar County, city of San Antonio officials said. City Manager Erik Walsh shared that plan with the mayor and City Council members in late May, and most of the indicators affecting a return to work are trending in the wrong direction. Extending a work-from-home plan for thousands of employees could sway some businesses, whose leaders are looking for guidance regarding when to bring employees back to the workplace. Read more at the San Antonio Business Journal.