Day 5: San Antonio

Ed Cross and The Vistana: Ed Cross, real estate investor and developer and CEO of San Antonio Commercial Advisors gave us a private tour of his project The Vistana.  The urban loft apartment project sits majestically on the corner of the main street that runs by the Mercado in the eastern part of downtown San Antonio.  The art-deco design reflects Mr. Cross's love of that style and the buildings connection to the service and luxury of the past.  The property was designed thoughtfully and intentionally with two tenant profiles - the single female nurse who places a high value on security and the "knucklehead" who needs a building to be technologically advanced but user friendly.  By imagining these two end users, it is easy to see how the project has paid close attention to every detail as it relates to its end users, the tenants.  In addition to functional design, Mr. Cross wanted to create a "wow factor" in each unit and achieved that goal through the use of huge picture windows showcasing the amazing view of San Antonio. 

1221 Broadway: Urban infill is not always small scale and 1221 Broadway is certainly a large and significant project.  Mr. Cross had shared with us the challenges - in both time and money - of acquiring this property from a failed developer.  His company took the project through the foreclosure process and completed construction on the 300+ unit apartment complex with parking garage and ground floor retail.  The location of the property is amazing and has contributed significantly to to the success of the project.  They were fully leased up in a mere six months and have begun construction on additional units and parking.  Located right next to the 'non-tourist' end of the riverwalk and near the Pearl Brewery development, the area is becoming a cultural arts area attracting a diverse tenant population.  Tim, the sales representative who gave us a tour of the property, is clearly tuned in to his prospective resident showing not only the buildings amenities, but also seeking out ways to make them feel at home during the process - like downloading and playing their favorite song over the wireless speaker system at the rooftop pool.  The use of color, designed by Lake Flato, and urban material gave the project a warm yet current vibe.

Friedrich Building: A planned mixed-use development, The Friedrich Building has struggled to take hold.  The former air-conditioner manufacturing building is home to a couple of businesses, but sits mostly vacant - a reminder that not all re-development projects are created equal.  The idea that the address "e commerce" would be a clever selling point did not help the project overcome the neighborhood challenges, despite its relatively close proximity to the AT&T Events Center.

Alamo Architects: The home of Alamo Architects was a cool adaptive reuse project.  Using an old industrial building that was formerly a truck repair shop, the company created a modern workspace with abundant natural light.  They used recycled building materials such as concrete sidewalks and walls and old doors for interior space dividers.   They also added lovely native landscaping and artwork making their small lot both interesting and relaxing.  The impact this office design has on clients and potential clients can be nothing but positive.

aect: Advanced Earthen Construction Technologies, Inc is an unassuming business located on a country road outside of San Antonio.  Despite its appearances, it is the home of cutting edge technology for manufacturing compressed earth blocks aka dirt bricks.  Lawrence Jetter gave us a tour and an education about the process of making and building with this simple, earth friendly building material.  Based on ancient practice of building with local material, Mr. Jetter's machines use the dirt from countries around the world to help residents build sustainable homes.

TAKE AWAY OF THE DAY:  Vision is the ability to see what is there  except when it comes to real estate where it often become the ability to see that which is not there – yet.  Whether is is a high-rise apartments building, a unique architecture office, or a machine that makes dirt bricks, bringing a vision to reality takes courage and hard work.