SAN ANTONIO – Over the past eight years, District 3 Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran has been instrumental in the growth on the city’s South Side.
Viagran joined Leading SA on Sunday to discuss the next steps for her district and her own career as she nears her term limit.
“The progress has been amazing, transformative and I’m so proud,” Viagran said. “Some economic development we are seeing, the job growth with TJX, with the medical schools and in advanced manufacturing hub here in San Antonio, with Toyota and Navistar so close to one another. Navistar is an advanced manufacturing place and they are just building, so, the jobs are still open right now that people can start applying for. And that’s incredible because it also feeds into the work that we’re trying to do with the Ready to Work San Antonio program, which many of the voters voted for.”
Viagran has led projects in the past, but most recently, she became the tri-chair of the Alamo Redevelopment Plan.
“Our role is to reengage and utilize the Alamo Citizens Advisory Committee, have listening circles, see where we were before and also present and move forward with all of those new changes that the mayor discussed...,” Viagran said. “We would like to repurpose the Woolworth and the Crocket Building. We also know that we would like to see more flexibility in the streets and have the plaza more porous and more flexible for the people.”
However, a years-long effort already, the plan in any form has been a handful at times. Viagran said she hopes to workshop different ideas with community leaders in the weeks to come.
Viagran said that during her time on the council she has learned a lot and is keeping options open for public service once she reaches the end of her term.
“These eight years have been absolutely incredible,” Viagran said. “And I’ve learned so much and what I would love to do is continue to work in public service. I will always keep all options for public service on the table. But intergovernmental relations and working with governments at all levels, from the local to the state to the federal. That is something that I’ve done before. That is something that I love and I thrive in, and that’s something that I’ll be continuing in the future.”