San Antonio Housing Authority and McCormack Baron Salazar celebrate the ribbon-cutting for the first phase of the Choice Neighborhood Initiative
The San Antonio community celebrated the opening of the first phase of East Meadows Apartments, part of the community-wide revitalization effort enhancing the Eastside of San Antonio with a sustainable mixed-income neighborhood.
The event commemorating the Ribbon-Cutting was held on Friday, October 14 at 9:30 a.m. at 1019 N. Mittman, San Antonio, Texas, beginning with a press conference, followed by a ribbon-cutting and tour of select housing units.
Located on what was once the site of Wheatley Courts, one of the oldest public housing developments in San Antonio, East Meadows was developed with the assistance of a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Choice Neighborhoods Implementation (CHI) Grant awarded to the San Antonio Housing Authority. SAHA, in partnership with the City of San Antonio and many others, has transformed this community.
“The comprehensive approach to transforming distressed areas into viable and sustainable mixed-income neighborhoods is a catalyst for more economic development in the Eastside of San Antonio,” said David Nisivoccia, SAHA Interim President and CEO. “East Meadows signifies a new beginning for our community, our residents and their families.”
East Meadows Phase 1 includes 215 family apartment homes. Community amenities include a business center, community room, central park, gazebo, picnic areas, green space and playground, swimming pool, fitness center, social services for adults and children, and parking for both cars and bicycles. Scheduled to open in the summer of 2017 is the 4,200-square foot BiblioTech digital library operated by Bexar County. Once completed, all phases of East Meadows will meet the Build San Antonio Green (BSAG) Level II which includes energy efficiency, water conservation, site requirements and indoor air quality health requirements.
The Eastside Neighborhood has also received several other federal grants / designations including a Byrne Criminal Justice Grant, a Promise Neighborhood Implementation Grant and a Promise Zone Grant. These programs support a holistic approach to neighborhood investment focusing not only on housing and economic development, but on people, education, services and safety measures.
“We are excited about East Meadows and proud of what this means to our community. Opportunity lives here,” shared Morris A. Stribling, DPM, Chairman of the SAHA Board of Commissioners. “East Meadows will quickly become a neighborhood of choice as we welcome new and former residents home.”
“Creating more affordable housing is a national challenge for every community,” said Julián Castro, U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. “This project highlights the impressive progress San Antonio is making to give more families a place to thrive. It’s a great example of a community that is using innovative solutions to meet today’s energy efficiency and technology connectivity standards.”
The $41.7 million development for East Meadows’ Phase 1 was funded through a variety of sources. Financial partners include the Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs, RBC Capital Markets, Capital One, N.A., and the City of San Antonio. The Phase 1 development team, led by SAHA and McCormack Baron Salazar, includes co-developer San Antonio Housing Facility Corporation, general contractor SLSCO, Ltd., and architect KAI Texas. Pre-leasing is underway for the first twelve residential buildings, which include affordable and market rate units.
“Long term investment in communities begins with great design and a commitment to provide supportive services for the residents of East Meadows,” said Tony Salazar, President of West Coast Operations at McCormack Baron Salazar, one of the nation’s leading developers of integrated urban neighborhoods. “The ribbon-cutting of East Meadows exemplifies the vision of the community and the commitment of the development team to create a vibrant mixed-use neighborhood.”