Market Square & La Villita Belong to San Antonioans (sales, real estate)

[Nix54]

Market Square & La Villita, like the Governor's Palace belong to the Citizens of San Antonio. It is part of our heritage & legacy.
I can still remember back in the 60's when Market Square was truly a Market Square, vendors selling fresh fruits & vegetables from area farms and throughout the United States. As you drove by in an open car you could smell the fresh produce. Many Chinese restaurants lined the area as did the small Cortez family restaurant from humble beginnings. At Market Square you could eat in or bring home delicious fried fish & Mexican food.
I congratulate the Cortez Family food empire for their hard work and admire what they have reaped. It is the American Dream found in San Antonio.
But to sell these landmarks to private enterprise is wrong. Market Square is the third most expensive real estate in San Antonio. La Villita is not that far behind.
Three years ago my wife & I were interested in being a vendor at the Market Square. We were told by the City of San Antonio there was a waiting list. Our name & information was reluctantly taken for formality sakes. We figured we would never be called. We were right.
If we were ever vendors at the Market Place we wanted to feature better quality curios & food at very reasonable prices, Coney Island style hot dogs for a dollar, fresh ground gourmet Mexican coffees, etc. We'd rather make a fast nickel than a slow dime. We would feature great items & above all great service.
Here is what needs to be done to the Market Square...
One, Market Square needs a promoter/manager, not just a City Employee pushing a pencil. He or she in reality is running a Mall and should have an office onsite.. They should have knowledge of promotions & hands operations every day of the site.
Two, the rental to vendors needs to be a fair rent for both the City & the vendor. Some vendors are paying only $200 a month and that includes utilities. Where in the world can you get that kind of rent plus utilities? Is it a wonder that some family vendors have been there for over 20 years and have passed on the business from generation to generation. It is the best kept business secret in San Antonio! The newly adjusted rents could even include a percentage to the City of San Antonio. With highr rent comes better facilities, bathrooms & promotions. Market Square could finally become moneymaking for the City of San Antonio. There also needs to be some kind of contract that would make it fair for all interested vendors to participate, not just the select few.
Three, the City of San Antonio should set standards as to what can be sold at Market Square. Some of the items found there are literally junk, even some of the Mexican bottled vanillas have expired expiration dates.
Four, the vendors should be required to attend yearly seminars in customer service. A basic course in employee etiquette. The vendor has to remember that they are on City property and in a way are representing the City of San Antonio. They are representing us to the visiting world.
Market Square can be a fun place both for tourist and vendor, throughout the years it has soured. Save a part of San Antonio.
As for our dreams of being vendors at the Market Square we are still waiting, just hope its in our lifetime.

[ryneone]

I say it the city can't managed it any better it needs to go.

The citizens who want to keep it need to make case for why. You can sell it and keep people from tearing it down. This problem speaks to incompetence in government in general.

How can you operate this popular tourist destination at a loss?

[catriona]

What I found interesting about this subject is that there was some negotiations to sell the properties going on behind closed doors. Once those negotiations came to light, those that were negotiating suddenly were singing a different song. Will the public outcry cause an investigation into what exactly is going on with these two properties?

An investigation into why the properties are having problems is needed. The OP states that some vendors are only paying $200/month, including utilities. Prime downtown property and only $200/month? Something's not right there, if that is true...

If the city can't effectively manage the properties, they may need to contract out the management, but in no way should they ever even think about selling it.
The OP is right, LaVillita and Market Square belong to the citizens of SA. They certainly should never be sold to a politically connected family, even if that family has been a major tenant in the property for a long, long time.

[djw]

I think I missed something. Please post an abbreviated version of whatever events prompted this thread and/or what exactly is being discussed.
Was there a question in there somewhere?

Thanks!

[perticusrex]

Heres two articles I found on ksat.com :

Cisneros Sets Record Straight About La Villita, Market Square - San Antonio News Story - KSAT San Antonio (http://www.ksat.com/news/18719712/detail.html - broken link)
Market Square Retailers Have Ideas For Funding - San Antonio News Story - KSAT San Antonio (http://www.ksat.com/news/18726498/detail.html - broken link)

[OzzyRules]

I heard that the loss was around $200,000/year. As a citizen, I don't mind putting up the 10 to 20 cents per year it would cost me in taxes to keep this historic area.

[djw]

Originally Posted by perticusrex

Heres two articles I found on ksat.com :

Cisneros Sets Record Straight About La Villita, Market Square - San Antonio News Story - KSAT San Antonio (http://www.ksat.com/news/18719712/detail.html - broken link)
Market Square Retailers Have Ideas For Funding - San Antonio News Story - KSAT San Antonio (http://www.ksat.com/news/18726498/detail.html - broken link)

Ahhh, that explains it! Thanks. Guess I've missed more news in the last few days than I thought.

I would have thought that much like the sales tax on sporting goods goes to the Texas Park fund (or something to that effect), that the sales tax on goods at La Villita and Market Square would stay there. Is that not the case? I agree that they should have on-site management to get a real feel for day-to-day operations.

[Dopo]

History museum and anything that has to do with history and culture
it's not profitable and will never be

So people that want that to be profitable, they are just trying to take something that is priceless to make money.
What's wrong with subsidizing San Antonio's historic jewels?
Besides, isn't that why San Antonio is one of the cities in the US that gets the most tourists?

Should we sell the Riverwalk because it's not profitable?
I don't see anybody paying to walk in the Riverwalk
but I bet the whole city of San Antonio gets millions of dollars in tourism because of the Riverwalk.

[HisLilSecret]

Originally Posted by ryneone

I say it the city can't managed it any better it needs to go.

The citizens who want to keep it need to make case for why. You can sell it and keep people from tearing it down. This problem speaks to incompetence in government in general.

How can you operate this popular tourist destination at a loss?

While the city may not be competent enough to manage these historic landmarks, selling them would be even worse! I can see turning management over to a private company, but, IMO, selling Market Square and La Villita would be like selling the heart and soul of the city. It may not mean much to someone who wasn't born and raised here or anyone who cannot appreciate our rich history, but those people are few and far between.

[ryneone]

Originally Posted by HisLilSecret

While the city may not be competent enough to manage these historic landmarks, selling them would be even worse! I can see turning management over to a private company, but, IMO, selling Market Square and La Villita would be like selling the heart and soul of the city. It may not mean much to someone who wasn't born and raised here or anyone who cannot appreciate our rich history, but those people are few and far between.

Thanks but I was born and raised here. (except for a short stint in Phoenix) All I'm saying if they cant turn it around something needs to be down.

If you own a business you don't keep unprofitable departments because they are symbolic. Whether you sell it or shake up its management the status-quo can't be tolerated.