Building in downtown: explained 🏗️

What is the Office of Historic Preservation?

The Tower Life Building | Photo by @photos_by_al3x

Over the past year, we’ve gotten to share exciting news about some upcoming developments bringing big changes to San Antonio’s skyline.

From the new Hemisfair hotel to the ninth-tallest tower, there’s no denying that there seems to be a sort of renaissance coming to the 210. However, you may be surprised to know that building in heart of the Alamo City comes with its challenges.

Three centuries of history

304. That’s about how many years have gone by since San Antonio’s founding in 1718. If you think “a lot can happen in one year,” imagine what can transpire over three centuries.

Actually, why not let us just give you an idea? Check it out.

The San Fernando Cathedral was founded in 1731.
The Battle of the Alamo was fought in 1836.
The original brewery at Pearl was founded in 1883.
The first-ever Fiesta started in 1891.
The 18th Amendment was ratified in 1919, marking the beginning of Prohibition.
Tower Life Building, the 210’s first skyscrapper, was constructed in 1928.
The newly-completed River Walk was dedicated in 1941.
The Tower of the Americas was built in 1968.

There’s no doubt that the 210’s history is one that holds a lot of cultural significance. In order to persevere its rich past, the City of San Antonio formed an office dedicated to maintaining our city’s uniqueness.

What is the Office of Historic Preservation?

The OHP is dedicated to protecting the historic, cultural, architectural, and archaeological resources that set our city apart from any other. Along with the Historic and Design Review Commission, the OHP oversees a design review process for exterior alterations to historic landmarks and districts. This also encompasses properties spanning the San Antonio River, public properties, and public art.

In short, the OHP is tasked with making sure we as a city don’t sacrifice the past to make way for the future.

BUILDING A BIGGER SKYLINE

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Friday, Dec. 9

Smash World Tour Championships | Friday, Dec. 9 | 4 p.m. | Tech Port Center, 3331 General Hudnell Dr., San Antonio | $19-$29 | Competitors from all around the world are vying for over $250,000 in prizes.
The Children’s Nutcracker and Holiday Market | Friday, Dec. 9, Saturday, Dec. 10 | 7 p.m. | Lila Cockrell Theatre, 200 E. Market St., San Antonio | $35-$55 | A talented array of young performers will share the stage for this production filled with dazzling costumes, multimedia-integrated scenery, and even an interactive surprise.

Saturday, Dec. 10

Holiday Bazaar | Saturday, Dec. 10 | 10 a.m.-3 p.m. | Ronald Reagan High School, 19000 Ronald Reagan Dr., San Antonio | Free | Shop 50+ vendors, mingle with others, and enjoy the sounds of the season.
Holiday Market Series at South Park Mall | Saturday, Dec. 10-Sunday, Dec. 18 | 11 a.m. | South Park Mall, 2310 SW Military Dr., San Antonio | Free | Find decor, handmade crafts, and gifts for all ages.
13th Kwanzaa Market Festival 2022: Celebrating Community and Culture | Saturday, Dec. 10 | 12-5 p.m. | Our Place, 3455 Martin Luther King Dr., San Antonio | Free | Black businesses and entrepreneurs can connect with African American consumers in the area to engage in trade and commerce.
Dean Z’s Rockin Christmas | Saturday, Dec. 10 | 7 p.m. | Empire Theatre, 226 N. St. Mary’s St., San Antonio | $45.50-$85.50 | Award-winning and internationally acclaimed entertainer Dean Z will sing your favorite rockin’ holiday hits.
All Bad Bunny Everything | Saturday, Dec. 10 | 9 p.m. | Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Marys St., San Antonio | $18-$25 | Check out this Bad Bunny-themed dance party at The Strip.

Sunday, Dec. 11

Holiday Gift Market at Hemisfair | Sunday, Dec. 11 | 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | Hemisfair, 434 S. Alamo St., San Antonio | Free | Stop by for snacks, beverages for the kids and adults, DJs, and jovial atmosphere.
Holiday On The Ranch | Eat, Shop, Play | Saturday, Dec. 10-Sunday, Dec. 18 | 12-8 p.m. | Black Barn Alpaca Farm, 3915 Highway 181 S., Floresville | $10-$15 | Take a sleigh ride through the country to shop, eat, and play with Santa and his favorite alpacas.

Thursday, Dec. 15

Geeks Who Drink | Thursday, Dec. 15-Thursday, May 25 | 7-9 p.m. | Tech Port Center, 3331 General Hudnell Dr., San Antonio | Free | Geeks Who Drink brings the nation’s best live-hosted pub quiz to Tech Port Center every Thursday, starting Thurs., Dec. 8.*

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS

Up on the housetop… reindeer hooves? 🎵

Trutech Tech_Trutech Wildlife Service_MULTI

Go ahead and check “free home inspection” off of your holiday wishlist. | Photo provided by Trutech Wildlife Service

Friends + family may not be your only guests this holiday season. Ringtails, peacocks, snakes, bats, raccoons + squirrels are all common intruders of San Antonio homes. If left unchecked, it can wreak havoc on your property and health.

The good news: Wildlife removal experts can identify, remove, and prevent pest animals from entering your home — and with a free home inspection from Trutech Wildlife Service, you can make sure Santa is the only one in your chimney this Christmas.*

GET A FREE INSPECTION

Weather

78º | Partly cloudy | 20% chance of rain

Development

Judson ISD will expand its reach with the construction of a nearly $80 million middle school near the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa. According to a public filing, the 189,833-sqft project is anticipated to break ground in February 2023. 🏫
The Tower of the Americas is slated to receive $11.7 million in improvements. The project will focus on structural repairs and emergency lighting, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.. 🏗️

Health

Metro Health is investigating a tuberculosis case involving Clark High School and Brandeis High School. As of yesterday, the individual is off-campus. Those with clinical questions about TB should call the Metro Health TB Chest Clinic at (210) 207-8823. 🏥
The UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry is concluding a record-breaking year with a total of nearly $35 million in research grants. The 28 awarded grants span key areas of research for the institution. 🦷

Biz

USAA announced it will be vacating its downtown office space by the end of 2022. CEO Wayne Peacock told the the Business Journal that the decision is largely due to a post-pandemic shift to hybrid and remote working. 💼 (San Antonio Business Journal)

Arts

A new mural by Colton Valentine was unveiled across from the San Antonio Museum of Art — this one depicting jolly old Santa Claus with a Big Red in hand. You can find this puro mural at 317 W. Jones Ave. 🎅 (MySA)

Seasonal

Bar-B-Cutie will celebrate its fifth year in business with holiday festivities galore. This free event will feature no-cost professional photos with Santa, a crafting station, a hot cocoa bar, and a “Texas Snowball Fight.” Head to the smokehouse on Saturday, Dec. 17, from 2-6 p.m. to join in on the fun. 🌟

Shop

Wanna gift outside the box this year? Opt for an experiential gift from Uncommon Goods. From monthly gift subscriptions (like this Game of the Month Subscription) to hands-on classes taught by expert instructors (like a Raindrop Cake Class or Paint Your Pet Class), there’s something for everyone on your list.*

Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.

Consider SATX squeaky clean 🧼

San Antonio ranks No. 27 cleanest city in the US

For the study, InsureMyTrip examined data on the percentage of electric vehicles sold within Washington. | Photo via Unsplash

Here’s some fresh news. San Antonio was ranked the No. 27 cleanest city in the US by InsureMyTrip.

The travel insurance comparison site looked at government and consumer data sets, comparing data on hand sanitizer demand, restaurant cleanliness, recycling collector quantity, garbage disposal satisfaction, electric vehicle market share, and particulate matter pollution to reach its findings.

InsureMyTrip then standardized the data and gave each city a score between 0 and 10, with 0 being the worst and 10 being the best — except for particulate matter pollution, where 10 represents the least polluted. Here’s how San Antonio scored:

Hand sanitizer demand: 1.04
Restaurant cleanliness: 10
Recycling collector quantity: 3.13
Garbage disposal satisfaction: 5.13
Electric vehicle market share: 0.57
Particulate matter pollution: 6.84

San Antonio’s overall score was 4.45. San Diego (No. 2), Tampa (No. 4), and Raleigh (No. 15) were also featured on the list.

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Iván.

Editor’s pick: Did you know that San Antonio has one of the shortest skylines of any major US metro? Our friends at the Express-News shared a comprehensive guide to answering everything you might be wondering about tall buildings in the 210 — I highly recommend giving it a read.

Missed our last newsletter? We’ve sharing everything we saw at Holiday at the Park at Six Flags Fiesta Texas.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Ivan Briones, Britt Thorson, Dayten Rose, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Carolyn Hudson | Advertise with us.

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