SAN ANTONIO – Mayor Ron Nirenberg said he hopes fans flocking to San Antonio for the Final Four spend some time checking out the city's East Side.
Nirenberg made the remark during a quarterly breakfast that was attended by East Side business leaders.
The mayor also spoke about investment in the East Side and how he's working to make sure people aren't negatively impacted by it.
A work in progress showing promise summed up Nirenberg's message to business leaders with a stake in the area.
"Thank you for rolling up your sleeves and doing the work that this city so desperately needs you to do," Nirenberg said.
San Antonio for Growth on the Eastside put on the first quarter East Side business briefing Tuesday morning.
With the Final Four coming to the Alamodome this weekend, Nirenberg said he hopes fans will venture into the neighborhood and visit areas like Sunset Station.
"I mean, look where we are in Sunset Station. It's beautiful out here," he said. "You know, I think the East Side is on the rise, you can see that here, clearly. And we're thrilled that visitors will get to experience our city in that way."
Convincing Gov. Greg Abbott to put federal dollars into low-income areas of Bexar County, investing a larger share of the infrastructure budget into East Side roads and sidewalks to make them look more like that of the North Side, Nirenberg touted much progress to the crowd.
Nirenberg said with the investment, there is worry for some of the most vulnerable citizens on the East Side.
"Ultimately, some residents, unfortunately, are feeling the crunch and have to move," he said, referring to rising property values.
The mayor said a priority is making sure there is a place to live for all income levels and getting rid of red tape for builders is a solution.
"We want to make it easier and more profitable for the private sector to develop sustainable, quality, affordable homes," Nirenberg said.