1800 Broadway, Coming Soon

Posted on January 13, 2012 by - Uncategorized

Here’s a report on a new apartment project being built on Broadway and E. Grayson across from the Pearl. Work is well under way at this point. Also cool that my friend, Patrick Shearer, had a quote in the article.

A new luxury development near the Pearl

By Valentino Lucio,  San Antonio Express-News, Friday, December 2, 2011

A new development that offers luxury living is moving into an area along Broadway that has seen a boom in residential construction.

Work already has started on the 1800 Broadway, a multifamily project that will become part of the redevelopment and urbanization efforts along the northern stretch of the River Walk.

Curtis Bowers Front Porch Realty, LLC San Antonio Southtown Lavaca King William

The 1800 Broadway will be comprised of 230-unit luxury apartment homes located just north of downtown near the Pearl Brewery. The project is expected to be completed in March 2013. ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF CRITERION DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS Photo: CRITERION DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS, COURTESY ILLUSTRATION

Situated at the corner of Broadway and East Grayson Street, the four-story complex, which boasts a modernized art deco design, will offer 230 luxury apartments, said W. Pretlow Riddick, principal and president of Criterion Development Partners, one of the firms developing the project.

Mosaic on Broadway – work begins

Posted on September 30, 2011 by - Uncategorized

I drove down Broadway this morning after having my car washed at The Wash Tub and passed by the start of construction on The Mosaic on Broadway. The Express-News wrote about the project last week. Below is their article. 

I’m excited to see even more residential construction along the Broadway corridor. This site is near The Pearl and Sam’s Burger Joint. If VIA moves forward with the Mayor’s suggestion there may soon be a light rail line running from The Pearl down to HemisFair Park. All good things for San Antonio’s growing center city.

More downtown residents expected with Mosaic project

Mixed-use Mosaic will add 120 residential units to growing tally.

By Valentino Lucio
[email protected]
Wednesday, September 21, 2011

 

The Mosaic on Broadway - front

The Mosaic on Broadway - Front Elevation

It’s going to become a bit easier to find an apartment near downtown in the coming year.

Next week, work will begin on the Mosaic, a mixed-use development that is expected to add to the Midtown urbanization that is occurring around the northern stretch of the San Antonio River Walk.

Welcome New Neighbors to 1221 Broadway

Posted on August 1, 2011 by - Uncategorized

The vacant building at 1221 Broadway now has new life. The first residents began moving in on Friday. Welcome new neighbors!

New life for longtime eyesore

First residents are moving into a long-unfinished, mixed-use development on Broadway.

By Valentino Lucio – San Antonio Express-News  Monday 8/1/11

The 1221 Broadway Building is seen in this Friday July 29, 2011 aerial pictures. I-35 is seen at the left of the frame going top to bottom. US 281 is seen at the top of the frame going left to right. Photo: Express-News, WILLIAM LUTHER

 

After sitting vacant for half a decade, the 1221 Broadway now has signs of life as its first apartment residents began moving in on Friday.

On its opening day, 72 people had signed leases and only five units were left.

The mixed-use project, which has an industrial urban style, will be released in five phases, and the first four are expected to be on line by October, said David Adelman, a principal at Cross & Co., which controls a partnership that owns the property.

The last phase, which will be a commercial front along Broadway, is expected to be completed by February. Those spaces will house the leasing office and could possibly accommodate a restaurant, Adelman added.

Summing up San Antonio’s Downtown Redevelopment Efforts Thusfar

Posted on July 25, 2011 by - Uncategorized

If you’re new to my blog or haven’t really been following the recent media about downtown redevelopment this is the perfect article for you. In this week’s Current writer Michael Barajas has written a very strong article defining the key players, the issues, and the history of the push for increased downtown development and revitalization of HemisFair.

I highly recommend reading this very well written and researched article. Thanks for writing it, Michael.

Will efforts to revitalize the city core draw locals back or simply extend the Disneyfication of the River Walk?

By Michael Barajas

Published: July 20, 2011

HemisFair Park Area Redevelopment Corporation CEO Andres Andujar Photos: Michael Barajas

Justin Arecchi remembers brainstorming with local developers and pioneers like Hap Veltman and downtown jazz staple Jim Cullum for hours at a stretch at the long-since shuttered Kangaroo Court restaurant and bar along the River Walk. A popular topic was how to make downtown world-class, a vibrant place for locals to live, work, and play. Even during those 1970s-era chats, Arecchi and the gang kept returning to one central issue, one that still swirls about today’s discussions as millions in taxpayer dollars pour into another round of planning to revive downtown. “We’d each get on top of our soapboxes to make our pitch,” Arecchi said. “And what was clear is that even back then, we all thought we just needed more people living downtown.”

More housing and possible restaurant coming to SoFlo

Posted on July 24, 2011 by - Uncategorized

Construction begins tomorrow on Steel House Lofts apartments and it could possibly bring a restaurant from La Gloria’s owner, Johnny Hernandez. I’m really watching the SoFlo area transform into the next great place to live in downtown. I completely agree with Hernandez’s quote, “I see that neighborhood really coming to life in the next couple of years.” I have several friends that call SoFlo home and are happy to see the area become the next hot spot.

Earlier this week I attended the Centro Partnership’s first Downtown Strategy Workshop that is working to fulfill the Vision 2020 desire for increased downtown living. A lot of discussion was had about the great opportunities for development and revitalization in the neighborhoods that edge downtown. Steel House Lofts is a great example of what our city needs to satisfy our desire for increased urban living.

Steel House Lofts project

Construction on rental units will begin Monday.

By Valentino Lucio
San Antonio Express-News Sunday July 24, 2011

Renderings for the Steel House Lofts, located just south of downtown near South Flores and Alamo streets. Photo: COURTESY PHOTO Alamo Architects

Construction will begin Monday on the long-awaited Steel House Lofts, a project that will turn a nearly 100-year-old building that once housed iron and steel into a modern living space just south of downtown in the South Flores area.

Austin-based developer Dennis McDaniel bought the 73,000-square-foot building in 2006 with the idea of creating condos and townhomes. But the collapse of the economy and the real estate market put that plan on the back burner and the plan then morphed into rental units.

New outside dining venue coming to River North

Posted on July 3, 2011 by - Uncategorized

Andrew Weismann will soon be opening up The Luxury on the banks of the new northern Riverwalk expansion. I’m looking forward to riding my bike up and checking out the place as well as receiving a discount for riding. This looks to be a wonderful addition to River North.

This article was recently in the Express-News and was written by Valentino Lucio and photographed by John Davenport.

Cargo containers used for new restaurant

Name belies new eatery — it’ll be made of cargo containers.

By Valentino Lucio
[email protected]

Cargo containers aren’t just for shipping freight anymore. San Antonio chef and restaurateur Andrew Weissmann is using them for his newest restaurant, The Luxury.

Restaurateur Andrew Weissman will be opening a new restaurant on the banks of the San Antonio River called The Luxury that will be using cargo containers as buildings and landscaped patio areas for its guests to enjoy. Located at Jones and Avenue B near the San Antonio Museum of Art, Weismann plans on having spit roasted pigs and goats, burnt end barbecue sandwiches and an array of comfort foods.

Weissman, the owner of Il Sogno and The Sandbar restaurants at the Pearl Brewery, anticipates opening his newest venture next month. The eco-friendly hangout is situated at the corner of Jones Avenue and Avenue B, across the San Antonio River from the San Antonio Museum of Art.

Pearl Brewery is expanding its footprint

Posted on January 6, 2011 by - Uncategorized

Not only will they be expanding their footprint but they will be helping transform the Tobin Hill neighborhood by ridding them of some troublesome businesses.

Owner of Pearl Brewery buying up land across river
By Valentino Lucio – San Antonio Express-News

Pearl Brewery

Pearl Properties

The future of the Pearl Brewery looks brighter — and bigger. Silver Ventures, the owner of the historic brewery, confirmed it is cobbling together about 5 acres of land across from the 22-acre site and along the San Antonio River to possibly expand the urban village.

Currently, Silver Ventures is under contract to buy the nearby Alamo Lodge, an inexpensive motel that the city has been trying to shut down because of extensive criminal activity. It also recently purchased the next-door site of the former SWC Club, once a nightclub and now a boarded-up building. And, since 2008, it has owned an adjacent property that Oak Farms Dairy occupies.

Darryl Byrd, managing director of the Pearl, said that so far, there is not a plan for those properties, but that Silver Ventures is investing there because the area has potential.

“Right now there’s no timeline,” Byrd said. “But we’re looking at projects that are very positive for the neighborhood and the city. (Tobin Hill) is a neighborhood of great promise, with a great upside and a great future.”

Byrd did say that Silver Ventures is looking into developing a boutique hotel at the Pearl, but that right now nothing is in the works. Silver Ventures is working this year to develop more restaurants and apartment units, eventually adding a few hundred more residents to the Pearl, he said.

Also, a 1,000-seat riverfront amphitheater is expected to be complete this month. Byrd would not expand on how that space would be used once open.

In total, the three new riverfront properties include seven parcels that Silver Ventures can use for redevelopment. It wasn’t disclosed if the existing structures on each property will stay or be demolished. Byrd wouldn’t disclose the sales prices of the properties, but they had a Bexar Appraisal District value in 2010 of more than $3 million total.

For the past two years, Silver Ventures has owned the 1.6-acre Oak Farms Dairy site across the river from La Gloria Ice House in the Pearl. The dairy currently rents the property and uses it to store company vehicles.

The largest property is the Alamo Lodge, made up of five parcels. Tenants there were told in December they would have to move out by Feb. 15 because the motel would be closing.

The motel for years has been riddled with crime. Some tenants said drug deals and fights are common there, prompting the police to visit the area often.

The city filed a lawsuit against the property’s owners last year in an attempt to clean up the motel. The lawsuit cites various criminal offenses, including homicide and drug violations. The lawsuit is ongoing and the owners of the Alamo Lodge were not available for comment.

Last week, Silver Ventures acquired the SWC Club, which is closed for business. The club also had a controversial past, which includes various assaults and the shooting death of 33-year-old Jesse Quintero in May 2007. The club’s previous owner was not available for comment and it was unclear why the property was sold.

“I have watched the River North area begin to transform into a bustling community that is uplifted by this kind of urban redevelopment and look forward to seeing more projects like this enhance our downtown area,” said District 1 Councilwoman Mary Alice Cisneros, whose district includes the Pearl.

“The city of San Antonio has been committed to working with the private sector to help revitalize our city’s urban core,” Cisneros said.

Staff Writer Brian Chasnoff contributed to this report.

Renting Downtown

Posted on August 19, 2010 by - Uncategorized

***This post was originally published in August 2010 and has become one of the most read posts of my blog. Due to its popularity I’ve moved it to the landing page on my site. Please click here for the list that I keep up-to-date as a lot more inventory has been developed over the past couple of years. Places to Rent in Downtown and Southtown ***

 

Four years ago I moved from the northern suburbs to Milmo Lofts off S. Flores and Durango. I found it very difficult to track down an apartment as there wasn’t a formal list of places or a website that had everything listed. Also at that time I was just getting my real estate license so I didn’t have access to the MLS or really even know any good downtown real estate experts.
Fast forward four year and A LOT has changed!!! I’m now a downtown real estate specialist, friends with all the other downtown agents, and the demand for downtown living as spawned several new downtown apartment complexes.

Jennifer Hiller at the Express-News wrote this great article.

A few years ago, people who wanted to rent an apartment downtown took whatever they could find because the options were so limited.
Now, however, there’s a bigger variety of housing downtown and renters are more likely to be able to choose between small studio spaces, rental homes or large lofts — without the expense and hassle of making a big down payment on a mortgage.

“You don’t have to buy downtown. You can rent,” said Lisa Schmidt, a downtown resident and real estate agent.

While San Antonio’s downtown still is in the early stages of residential demand compared to other major cities, living downtown is drawing in more and more people who are lured by what the lifestyle has to offer.

Many of the new downtown renters are military people who have been transferred to San Antonio as part of the growth at Fort Sam Houston under the Base Realignment and Closure process, said Debra Maltz, a broker and real estate agent with Centro Properties.

“The BRAC folks have made a difference. A lot of them don’t want to buy because they know they’re here for a finite period,” Maltz said. “They’re used to living in other cities downtown. I think that’s had an effect on downtown. They like the whole concept of living in a closer-knit community, which downtown offers.”

Young singles long have been attracted to downtown rentals, but Maltz said that now empty nesters are selling larger homes and trying out urban living.

They’ll often rent for a year to decide if they like the lifestyle.

Some of the newest large rental properties include the Vistana, a 247-unit Art Deco-inspired apartment building that opened in 2009 on

North Santa Rosa and the 66-unit St. Benedict’s on South Alamo Street, a King William-area project originally planned as condos but converted to a successful rental development.

The San Antonio Housing Authority recently opened HemisView Village Apartments across from HemisFair Park.

Although a handful of the 245 units are set aside for public housing or those who qualify for affordable-housing tax credits, 184 units are being rented at market rate to the general public.

The project includes balconies, a pool, a parking garage, a fitness and amenity center, and many units with big storefront-style windows and views of the Tower of the Americas.

“We’re really proud of the look and the feel,” said Lourdes Castro Ramirez, president and CEO of SAHA.

Market-rate rent ranges from $741 for the smallest units to $1,314 for a three bedroom. And the public housing units are scattered throughout the two buildings, with the idea of creating a true mixed-income community. “It’s definitely the future of public housing,” Ramirez said. “From a financial perspective, it’s the only way you can make project work. From a social policy perspective, you have more role models and an environment where people can socialize across economic groups.”

Although it’s not in downtown proper, new rental units soon will be available at the Pearl Brewery’s new Culinary Institute of America building, just north of downtown off of Broadway. The 25,000-square-foot structure will house several restaurants and be neighbor to apartments, the Twig bookstore, a third location for Bike World and a 1,000-seat amphitheater.

But on the upper floors there are also eight apartment units, including two penthouses. Maltz said recently that five units were pre-leased. “There is a huge demand to live at the Pearl Brewery,” she said.

Architect Jim Poteet, a longtime resident of King William who is known for his modern renovations of historic properties, said that for a long time it seemed that home and condo owners were the only ones living downtown. “I think the rise of rental is the thing that’s now bringing people downtown to test the waters. As a format it can be apartments, lofts, faux lofts or condos,” Poteet said.

And more rentals make sense as part of larger economic trends, he said. “I think the economy has shown people that homeownership, that urge to buy a house or to have a house as the cornerstone of your financial portfolio, was overstated. It feeds into a rental trend,” Poteet said. “It’s all to the good for downtown. We need all kinds of housing. We need ownership. We need infill projects. We need rental.”

And if people want to rent a more traditional home, there’s the historic King William and Lavaca neighborhoods, which have some rental homes and smaller offerings, such as garage apartments. Maltz recently rented a new contemporary house that’s tucked into Lavaca.

“You see infill housing a lot in Houston and Dallas. I think it’s wonderful that we are starting to see it here,” Maltz said. “It’s so expressive and so urban.”

Some of the places where you can rent downtown:

12welve 2wenty1 Loft Apartments – 210.354.1212

235 E. Commerce Apartments

Majestic Towers/Brady Bldg Apartments, 222 E. Houston St. – 210.224.1144

Pearl Brewery, 306 E. Grayson St.

Vistana, 100 N. Santa Rosa Ave. – 210.226.5638

720-724 N. Saint Mary’s Apts.

Blue Star Residences and Lofts, 1410 S. Alamo St. – 210.225.6743

The Brackenridge at Midtown, – 210-822-2500 (Opening January 2014)

Cadillac Lofts, 317 Lexington Ave. – 210.223.5638

Calcasieu Building Apartments, 214 Broadway – 210.472.1262

Can Plant Residences at Pearl, 503 Ave. A

Casa Lavaca, 502 Eager St.

Cevallos Lofts – 866.295.0250

Dielmann Lofts, 710 S. Medina St. – 210.223.1178

Exchange Building, 152 E. Pecan St.

Granada Apartments, 301-11 S. St. Mary’s St. – 210.225.2645

HemisView Village, 401 Santos St. – 210.212.8808

Losoya Building, 221 Losoya

Marie C. McAguire Apartments, 211 N. Alamo St. – 210.477-6378

Maverick Apartments, 606 N. Presa St. – 210.886.9555

Metro House, 213 4th St. – 210.271.0051

Milmo Lofts, 319 S. Flores St. – 210.223.1178

Morris Apartments, 128 E. Main Plaza – 210.225.3188

Palacio del Sol, 400 N. Frio St – 210.224.0442

Refugio Place, 300 Labor St.

Reuter Building, 217-219 Alamo Plaza

Robert E. Lee Apartments, 111 W. Travis St. – 210.354.1611 email: robert_e_lee_apts AT prm DOTCOM

Soap Works Apartments, 500 N. Santa Rosa Ave. – 210.223.9500

The Madison, Madison at Beauregard streets – 210.544.5416

Tobin Lofts, N. Main at San Antonio College Campus – 888-696-3145 (You must be a student of any higher education institution in the US.)

Toltec Apartments, 131 Taylor St.

Town Center Apartments, 601 N. Santa Rosa Ave.

Villa Hermosa, 327 N. Flores St. – 210.477.6611

Whitherspoon Building, 601 N. Alamo St.

 

Source: Downtown Alliance

Spotlight on The Pearl Brewery complex

Posted on July 28, 2010 by - Uncategorized

News 4 WOAI recently did a great story on all of the wonderful things happening at The Pearl Brewery complex. This revitalized space is quickly establishing itself as the anchor point for the Northern expansion of the downtown core and the Riverwalk. This is one place you need to check out!

http://www.woai.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=855384