SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio City Council approved the design process for a senior center and affordable housing component on the East Side during a council session last Thursday.
The forthcoming senior center will be located at 4911 Lord Road.
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In mid-April, the San Antonio Independent School District’s Board of Trustees approved the sale of the land, which is about 12 acres, to the city. City council approved the acquisition on May 9, according to last Thursday’s council presentation.
The sale of the property had reportedly been in the works for more than a year, according to an SAISD news release. The sale was not a part of the district’s rightsizing measures approved last year.
District 2 identified the site as important due to its proximity to the nearby Copernicus Park and Community Center, according to a city memo.
Multiple city departments are facilitating the center’s design, which is expected to take 12-18 months.
Funds totaling $1.8 million will be appropriated from the Inner City TIRZ to fund the project, the memo said.
District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, whose council district the center will occupy, has pushed for the project for several months.
“Since 2021, one of my highest priorities has been the development of a new, stand-alone senior center for residents of District 2,” Councilmember Jalen McKee-Rodriguez said in a city news release.
In June, the councilman’s office held a community meeting to discuss what seniors in District 2 hoped to see from the center.
“With design set to take between 12-18 months, we anticipate this project will be shovel-ready ahead of the 2027 Bond program and will be prepared for many other funding opportunities,” McKee-Rodriguez said. “We will let no stone go unturned to make this Senior Center happen.”
Last Thursday’s approval also included improvements at Copernicus Park and concept master planning for affordable senior housing nearby.
Other next steps include landing an architect to facilitate the center’s design and additional community meetings, the release said.