commercial real estate-project castle (San Antonio, Alamo: section 8, real estate market, Home Depot)

[smuboy86]

Project Castle, is something that Windcrest has been cooking up to revitalize their city and the area around it. Apparently it has been super secret, and every time it's discussed in city council meeting they go into a closed session. Rumors abound from tearing down windsor park mall and putting in a forum type shopping center, windcrest annexing camelot from San Antonio (maybe where project castle comes from), Windcrest announcing their own town center inside the current city limits, major TIF areas to boost development, an HEB plus being built in Windcrest. Does anyone have connections to the commercial real estate market, or has anyone heard anything concrete?

From the Herald
Windcrest City Council passed a resolution Jan. 22 to signal its support for a major economic development effort ongoing in the Walzem Road area.

The resolution endorses the actions being taken by the city and its economic development corporation in conjunction with the Walzem Road Area Revitalization non-profit organization.

Council and the Windcrest EDC held a joint executive session that provided participants with information about the effort, called Project Castle.

Mayor Jack Leonhardt declined to go into detail with the Herald about Project Castle, citing regulations concerning matters discussed in executive session. However, he said he is hopeful that this and other efforts will prove fruitful for all involved in the attempt to revive Walzem Road’s commercial outlook.

[wCat]

As a matter of fact, I saw the drawings for the "town center" about 4 years ago. I don't know anything about annexing Camelot or the mall. Obviously they can't do anything with that yet because it's not within the city limits.
The town center does however. It would be developed in that empty land behind Home Depot. It's was a very nice layout...mixed us....sort of the "old town" look on a newer scale.

I'm not sure the project is a secret, but maybe some of the details are. They do have a web site that explains some of it, but I don't know it off hand. Try a google of "City of Windcrest" newsletter.

[210]

I doubt its the town center just because that's been known for years and this project castle seems to e very top secret.

[smuboy86]

They can annex Camelot if San Antonio gives them the OK. San Antonio just allowed Converse to annex the Wal-Mart out by Judson that fell into San Antonio's ETJ. They also deannexed a subdivision out that way for Converse to take. San Antonio has ignored the Walzem-Eisenhauer-Ritiman corridor for long enough, let a city that has a stronger tie to the area take it over and put in some heavy TIF zones and fight back against decay.

[940]

Originally Posted by smuboy86

San Antonio has ignored the Walzem-Eisenhauer-Ritiman corridor for long enough, let a city that has a stronger tie to the area take it over and put in some heavy TIF zones and fight back against decay.

It's amazing to me why there'd even be decay. This area abuts against some of the nicest areas of San Antonio a bit further west. And the area is definitely middle class with pockets of upper scattered around. I sure hope that whatever is planned in secrecy comes to fruition and helps to drive more development for this entire area.

[210]

Originally Posted by 940

It's amazing to me why there'd even be decay. This area abuts against some of the nicest areas of San Antonio a bit further west. And the area is definitely middle class with pockets of upper scattered around. I sure hope that whatever is planned in secrecy comes to fruition and helps to drive more development for this entire area.

It's basically because that corridor lies within District 2 which is probably the least funded and most neglected district in the city.

You’ll notice on Walzem the left side (heading east on Walzem) is a lot nicer than the right side, that’s because the left side lies within Windcrest and the right side lies within San Antonio/District 2.

[smuboy86]

It's district 2 which is the East Side, trust me if it was District 10 it wouldn't be treated like this.

[tlynn]

There is an organization that formed 1 year ago called Walzem Road Area Revitalization, Inc. This group consists of citizens in the area of IH-35, O'Connor Rd., Crestway, Gibbs-Sprawl, Eisenhauer, and IH-35. They have been working with closely with the City of Windcrest, Bexar County and other agencies to cleanup neighborhoods, retain & recruit better businesses to the area, and promote the area as a great place to live, work & play.

I think it is great that the City of Windcrest has taken the lead to revive Windsor Park Mall in an effort to generate new developments of upper-scale housing south of Walzem Road as well as attract good corporate businesses that could help change the demographics to more closely match those on the north side of Walzem (Windcrest, et. al.).

I have also heard of "Project Castle" and hope that it is a success. Maybe the Northeast area of District 2 should ask for re-districting to District 10 in order to get some representation and attention.

[smuboy86]

More good news for Walzem, Windcrest a total upgrade and replace for the Walzem and Randolph Blvd exits.

http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/nbrne/2007/03/another_good_sign_walzem_road.html (broken link)
Chuck McCollough: Another good sign Walzem Road area
Most folks love to root for the underdog in a story. There is something about a comeback from adversity that people identify with. Call it the Rocky factor.

The Walzem Road area has been an underdog for a number of years. The area's economic decline could be measured by the activity at its largest bellwether — Windsor Park Mall, which is pretty much empty.

The Walzem area finally is moving back up, though it's hard to tell from the outside. A number of events and factors are falling into place to help the area's turnaround.

The latest was a Texas Department of Transportation briefing to the Windcrest City Council on Feb. 26 about a $10 million upgrade to Interstate 35 and its frontage road from Walzem Road to Randolph Boulevard.

That project will provide direct access off I-35 to a commercial area of Windcrest. Mayor Jack Leonhardt said developers and investors are very interested in what the project can do for the Windcrest/Walzem area.

The 28-month project, projected to start this September and be finished in January 2009, includes changing an entrance ramp into an exit ramp on the frontage road north of Walzem Road.

Other aspects of the road project include:

• A new entrance onto I-35 farther north on the frontage road. The new entrance will include a bridge spanning underlying roadways and connecting to Loop 410.

• Widening the I-35 northbound bridge over Walzem Road to handle a deceleration lane onto the main lanes of the frontage road.

• Six-foot-wide sidewalks along the frontage road from Walzem to Randolph Boulevard.

Windcrest lobbied TxDOT for the improvements over several years, and that effort paid off in a timely way.

Add that new transportation aspect to other news and you see a change coming.

• The Walzem Road Area Revitalization group, an alliance of neighborhoods and businesses fighting to make the area economically viable again, was formed.

• San Antonio Housing Authority is phasing out its Section 8 program in two nearby areas after deciding the program just won't work there. That move was hailed as helping improve the area's image.

• North East Independent School District is pouring millions of dollars into rebuilding Roosevelt High School.

• Jurisdictions in the Walzem Road area are cooperating more these days. Those include San Antonio and Windcrest (Walzem is their boundary), Bexar County, NEISD and the Alamo Community College District.

Windcrest officials and others have hinted that a major announcement is coming soon regarding the economic health of the Walzem Road area.

When it does come, the announcement will add one more chapter to the story of an area and the residents who refused to give up on it.

[turtlesoup]

Wow! This would be so cool!!!