photo courtesy of joelwillis
2009 is a great year to be in construction here in San Antonio, Texas.
New projects that will begin (or have already started) are all over our great city and with that comes jobs, population growth, and more tax revenue. San Antonio's low cost of living, warm weather, short winters, and the work of various people through the city are bringing in new business and a need for expansion. University Health System will begin work on the South Texas Medical Center and add a million square feet of space to the area (at the cost of $899 million), construction has already begun at Brooke Army Medical Center (an expansion costing $724 million), North East Independent School District (NEISD) is expected to bring about $69 million worth of new construction, and thanks to the Base Realignment and Closure Committee (BRAC), San Antonio is set to build over $700 million of construction projects. Predictions for 2009 call for about 1 billion in new projects. That's over 3 billion total in construction projects. Now excuse while I go find my hammer and saw.
A new home available for immediate move-in on Zurich at Woods Of Alon.
Recently I received news that another house at KB Home's Woods Of Alon community would be entering the market as an inventory home. I will get some photos of it this week if possible to show you a sneak peak of it, but in the meantime, I thought I'd send the news out. Its a gorgeous 1 and 1/2 story 4 bedroom home, right on the edge of the community's greenbelt. The back of the home faces onto the greenbelt, as does the right side of the house, meaning one side of the house has no neighbors. Many of the windows face out to the greenbelt and offer great views of the man made lake that KB Home has built. The covered patio out back was a smart upgrade as it allows for some relaxation while staring off towards the lake. Huge kitchen, gas cooking and built in oven and microwave make it perfect for the cook in the family. They just lowered the price on it as well and its now being offered at $345,434 (it was up at $377,000+ when it first was released, but they moved it down and incorporated a large incentive on the home, so that the price reflects everything at once). There are now 7 houses in Woods Of Alon (out of a planned 325), one is still being built and 2 are in different stages of final finishes. I just saw the new neghbors moving in on Saturday, so the community is starting to show some signs of life (and those neighbors put some great flowers outside their garage in large pots...I will have to stop by and mention that to them). Woods of Alon is growing and now with interest rates going so low, I have a feeling there will soon be some new houses popping up in there. The interest level is definitely high, so I expect to see quite a few homes going up within the next few months. I'll try to get those pictures back to you soon.
photo courtesy of cliff1066
(the photo is of Brooke Army Medical Center)
Warrior and Family Support Center work completed.
A 12,000 square foot community center built for the use of families of wounded soldiers, at the cost of $5 million, is finally finished. What started as a simple room in the post's guest house became a great gift to these soldiers families as builders, contractors, and donors gave time and money to complete the project. The center first opened in 2003 at 1,200 square feet, but as the war grew in scope (and sadly, injury to soldiers) and the families of wounded soldiers began to pour in the cramped space was too small to handle it and volunteers and staff were overworked and understaffed. The Bob Woodruff Family Foundation generously donated $100,000 and have announced an additonal $100,000. If you don't know who Mr. Woodruff is, you should read about him and his inspiring story (I was always a fan of his work at ABC) and the work he has done to help wounded soldiers.
In an effort to pay off $500,000 in debt and build a new park next to the center (to the tune of $1,000,000), Returning Heroes Home, is accepting donations in order to help. They are a non-profit on the grounds of Fort Sam Houston and have dedicated their time, energy, and money to helping "wounded warriors and their families heal and reconnect their lives."
photo courtesy of paulwoolrich
There are still many opportunities in downtown San Antonio.
Stephen W. Yndo's recent report states there will be as many as 1,813 new residential units by 2011 in downtown San Antonio and areas just north of the city. With a recent rise in number of urban-dwellers, San Antonio's downtown areas, could see some changes coming. With many projects already in the works; including the old Pearl Brewery, St. B's (located at the site of the former St. Benedict's Hospital), Judson Candy, Altexa, Vistana, and Vidorra. Several more projects are being started next year and 2010.
Since I first San Antonio, I always loved downtown.
I think downtown San Antonio offers an eclectic mix of European and Mexican styling. With our German roots and Spanish and Mexican heritage, San Antonio is a rather unique city in the United States. The Riverwalk and the Alamo only add to the excitement of the downtown area. As the city center grows, I look forward to seeing more and more urban residential units as well as some much needed additions (a great grocery store would certainly help attract young urbanites - HEB, we need you!). Although gas prices have declined, I do think the recent spike in prices will encourage more people to move closer to jobs, entertainment, shopping, and dining - all of which our little downtown has to offer.
photo courtesty of jmtimages
If you're anything like me, you occasionally look up into the night sky.
Recently, while out on the deck with my wife feeding the strange cat that lives in our backyard, my wife and I noticed two very bright lights in the sky near the crescent moon. We began to wonder what the lights were (aliens spacecraft was my first thought, but she shot that theory down) and couldn't stop thinking and wondering about them. She offered the theory of the North Star, but they were out of place and there's only one North Star. I thought perhaps they were planets, but I have never seen the planets quite that bright. A little research later, and we discovered that they were the planets Jupiter and Venus. The brighter one is Venus and apparently if you look close enough at Jupiter you may see two of its moons nearby (I guess my eyes aren't that good, I have yet to see them).
Thanks you KSAT News and Steve Browne.
Whenever I have a celestial question, I turn to my favorite weatherman, Steve Browne of KSAT News. I like Steve, because he isn't just a weatherman, but a source of all sorts of great San Antonio knowledge. I believe it was actually John Honore who I learned the info from, but the fact is, I think Steve Browne is great.
No matter who gave me the info, this is an exciting event.
So I did a bit more research on the internet and apparently the next time these planets will be this close will be in 2052 (wow, I'll be old). I think I'll enjoy it now while I can. Look up in the sky tonight and see if you can spot them.
Former PA-based rockstar turned real estate agent in San Antonio, Texas providing an "all access pass" to real estate in San Antonio.
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