SAN ANTONIO – In an effort to continue expanding its downtown footprint, the University of Texas at San Antonio has signed a letter of intent to purchase One Riverwalk Place, an 18-story office building near its Southwest Campus.
While the purchase would need to go before the University of Texas System Board of Regents for consideration and a vote of approval, the announcement comes as the university continues to leverage its presence in downtown San Antonio.
“The opportunity to acquire One Riverwalk Place is so strategic for us. It’s adjacent to our Southwest Campus, affords programmatic and placemaking opportunities and is an incredible building and facility for our keen interests in academic innovation and the arts,” UTSA President Taylor Eighmy said in a UTSA Today story.
The building, built in 1981, was previously occupied by USAA. UTSA expects it to hold capacity for various academic departments and support services.
Moreover, documents from a May 20 meeting with the UT System noted envisioning student residences and experiential learning spaces to be housed in the building.
Should the proposed purchase be approved, UTSA would spend the next year communicating with academic colleges and community stakeholders. This process would continue throughout the 2024-2025 academic year, finishing with an anticipated move to secure in the summer of 2025, according to the university.
“Our continued investment in downtown San Antonio promises to support positive development for San Antonio and the overall growth of the university,” said Veronica Salazar, UTSA executive vice president for business affairs and chief financial officer.
The UT System Board of Regents is expected to vote on the acquisition during its Aug. 21-22 board meeting.
Expanding its downtown presence
UTSA’s San Pedro I is a 167,000-square-foot, $91.8 million facility housing its School for Data Science and programs focusing on national security. The university broke ground on its sister building, San Pedro II, in October 2023.
“These facilities create tremendous collaborative opportunities to support San Antonio’s workforce needs while simultaneously connecting students with meaningful career-engaged learning,” said Heather Shipley, UTSA provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.
At the end of May, the university closed the Institute of Texan Cultures at its Hemisfair site, anticipating a temporary move to the Frost Tower as it finalized plans for the museum’s permanent home.
In line with its campus master plan and goal of building sustainable partnerships, UTSA hopes to benefit from students’ proximity to business and community partners.