Y E A R I N R E V I E W

downtown alliance • public improvement district • centro partnership

It is our pleasure to present you with the 2012-2013 Annual Report, an overview of our accomplishments over the past year and a look ahead for things to come. It has been a very busy year for us, including a restructuring of our organization, the hiring of Pat DiGiovanni as our new CEO, and the reauthorization and expansion of the Public Improvement District. We hosted relevant programming in a continuing effort to educate our membership, and others, on the developments within the center city and the possibilities for its future. Our annual events – the Urban Spaces Tour, Urban Renaissance Luncheons, Live Centro, the Downtown’s BEST Awards and the Downtown Golf Tournament – were well-attended and continue to be favorites for both learning and networking. To further our efforts to better serve our Downtown Alliance members, we kicked off 2013 with the hiring of Eddie Romero as Membership Coordinator. Eddie’s focus is on membership recruitment and retention, specifically in developing more benefits that uniquely serve our diverse membership. We encourage all of our members to contact Eddie with any and all questions about membership and to find out ways that they can get more involved.

In the summer of 2012, the Public Improvement District commissioned a visioning and priority setting process to reauthorize and expand the current PID, both in size and services. One of the recommendations of the reauthorization plan was a restructuring of our current organization that would develop a stronger structural operating relationship between Downtown Alliance, the Public Improvement District and Centro Partnership. Found in other cities and considered a “best practice” in the downtown management field, this new structure, led by Pat DiGiovanni, will benefit our existing organizations by leveraging resources, creating cohesive marketing messages and strengthening the influence of downtown stakeholders. DiGiovanni’s career spans 30 years in local government, most recently serving as Deputy City Manager for the City of San Antonio. During his seven years with the City, he negotiated countless real estate and economic transactions and championed the redevelopment of downtown San Antonio drawing roughly $346 million in investment to the city’s core. As CEO of Centro San Antonio, Inc., DiGiovanni will lead our efforts to foster a vibrant and prosperous downtown that benefits the entire San Antonio community, focusing on guiding and advocating for development in the center city.

We want to thank our membership for their continued guidance and support. You play a key role in everything we do and we look forward to working with all of you to make our downtown a place of choice for locals and visitors.

Be Centro,

Ben E. Brewer, IIIPresidentDowntown Alliance and the Public Improvement District

table of contents

a new direction .........................................................................................................................4

programs and events ..............................................................................................................8

urban spaces tour...........................................................................................................10

urban renaissance luncheons .................................................................................... 12

live centro.......................................................................................................................... 14

downtown’s BEST awards ............................................................................................ 16

annual golf tournament............................................................................................... 18

public improvement district.............................................................................................. 20

planning and research .........................................................................................................26

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a new direction

Like most major American downtowns, San Antonio is served by several private non-profit organizations that collectively aim to improve the economic fortunes and quality of life in the center city. Despite ongoing economic uncertainty, the next ten years hold great promise for downtowns across the country, and San Antonio has fared better than many others. Global trends, including changing demographics, lifestyles and shifts in the world economic order, all bode well for urban centers.

For the past 31 years, the “Centro” family of organizations has grown as the needs of downtown San Antonio have evolved. With a consistent vision of a vibrant and prosperous center city, these organizations – Downtown Alliance San Antonio, Centro San Antonio Management Corporation, Downtown San Antonio Community Development Corporation and Centro Partnership San Antonio -- have worked to position downtown as a premier destination for visitors and locals by providing resources like membership support, advocacy, “clean & safe” services and a strategic vision for the future.

Established in 1982 as a 501(c)6 non-profit membership organization, the Downtown Owners Association was reorganized as Downtown Alliance San Antonio (DTA) in 1994. An advocacy group comprised of downtown stakeholders, DTA has worked throughout its history to make downtown an exciting place to live, work, shop, eat and play.

In 1999, the Public Improvement District (PID) was created and the Centro San Antonio Management Corporation was established to oversee the provision of “clean & safe” services, including streetscaping/beautification services, maintenance and ambassador services. A 501(c)4 non-profit community benefit corporation, the PID collects assessments from property owners within the District boundary that benefit from these services.

The Downtown San Antonio Community Development Corporation (DTCDC), a 501(c)3 non-profit charitable organization, was created in 2007 to foster downtown development and provide project assistance for downtown San Antonio, especially on behalf of our public partners.

Centro Partnership San Antonio (CPSA) was established in 2010 to provide vision and leadership, and to bring the energy and resources of San Antonio’s high-level public and private sector leadership to focus on improving downtown and the center city.

With the successful adoption of the Strategic Framework Plan for the Center City, the hiring of Pat DiGiovanni as CEO of Centro Partnership, and the proposed reauthorization and expansion of the Public Improvement District, a new approach was explored to build on the existing strengths of these organizations, and to create a sustainable structure that will lead downtown San Antonio into the future. In the spring of 2012, a process began to create a new organizational blueprint and identify new goals, including:

• Create an influential and sustainable champion to lead downtown revitalization and development

• Leverage and diversify funding for downtown improvements, management and development

• Maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of program initiatives

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a new directrion

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Pub

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CentroSan Antonio, Inc.

Centro Partnership

• Provide direct accountability, program design and governance control to diverse constituencies

• Develop an organization structure that is intuitive in its design and easy to administer

The organization’s leadership met with the four Boards of Directors to discuss the proposed growth of the organization. With the endorsement of all of the Boards, and the approved reauthorization and expansion of the Public Improvement District in May 2013, the organizational blueprint has started to become a reality. To accommodate our growth, the organization moved into its new offices at 110 Broadway on June 1, 2013. On October 1, 2013, our new organizational structure will be adopted under one, unified management company – Centro San Antonio, Inc., combining the previous management and development entities into an organization that will:

• Develop new membership programs and creation of innovative marketing strategies to attract locals to downtown

• Manage a re-engineered Public Improvement District that builds upon best practices in other major downtowns and diversity in programming to include business recruitment and retention

• Conduct research and development for civic innovation, initiate downtown development projects and create policy analysis

• Provide overall advocacy, vision and leadership for downtown San Antonio

“The family of CENTRO organizations is poised to accomplish positive and meaningful change for San Antonio’s downtown and center city in the next several years with a new direction and organizational structure and the right personnel in place.”

– Pat DiGiovanni, CEO, Centro Partnership

programs and events

Downtown Alliance’s annual educational and fun-filled walking tour provides a first-hand glimpse into downtown neighborhoods -- showcasing exciting residential, commercial and cultural spaces in the center city. In 2012, the Urban Spaces Tour explored the Cevallos/SoFlo Residential and Arts District on the southern side of downtown.

The 2012 Urban Spaces Tour included:

• Say Si - a year round, long-term, non-profit multidisciplinary arts program that provides students from every city council district the opportunity to develop artistic and social skills, tuition-free, in preparation for higher educational advancement and professional careers.

• Cevallos Modern Contemporary Homes - the first collection of urban, low-maintenance, single-family detached homes in the downtown San Antonio area.

• OCO Architects & Alamo Architects – these independent firms share their “office campus,” having renovated derelict warehouses into day-lit, open work areas, while maintaining much of the original shell and structure.

• Cleary/Zimmermann Engineers - originally built in 1930 for the International Harvester Co. of America’s San Antonio branch office, Cleary/Zimmermann recycled an industrial building into a chic workspace for their engineering firm.

• South End Lofts – built in the early 1900’s, it has been both a chandelier parts factory and a lumber company, today converted into for-sale residential units.

• Steel House Lofts – formerly the home of the Pedon Iron & Steel Company branch offices and warehouses, and designed by Atlee B. Ayers, one of the most famous architects in Texas, it is now a residential development consisting of 67 rental units.

• Cevallos Lofts – built in 2009 as affordable and market rate apartments designed to cater to San Antonio’s expanding professional population.

• Casa Hernan – a unique event venue created by acclaimed Chef Johnny Hernandez to reflect the warmth, history and beauty of interior Mexico.

This year’s tour was sponsored by Centro Properties/Kuper Sotheby’s International Realty, Terramark Urban Homes, University Health System, Greystar, The NRP Group, IBC Bank, Arispe Creative and SmithPrint. The tour was complemented by the fare of The Monterey at the opening reception at Say Si, and Chef Johnny Hernandez at the closing reception at Casa Hernan. Refreshments were provided by Alamo Beer, a loyal and consistent supporter of the Urban Spaces Tour.

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urban spaces tour

10 Photos courtesy of Arispe Creative

“I never realized there was so much going on in the SoFlo Cevallos neighborhood of downtown… and much more on the horizon!”

- Judy Blackmoore, Northside resident

Initiated in 1998, this luncheon series features presentations from the most successful downtown initiatives and revitalization programs in the country. Speakers cover a variety of topics such as transit and how transportation impacts, living, working and transforming downtown. With a renewed focus on the urban environment, issues like art in public spaces, safety and reenergizing the city center are discussed. The goal of the Urban Renaissance series is to engage, inform and inspire those who support downtown San Antonio as the definitive face of the city’s business, arts, culture, entertainment and political community.

September 17, 2012

TranSiT OrienTed develOpmenT – arriving in dOwnTOwn San anTOniOGrand Hyatt San Antonio

Downtown Alliance partnered with ULI San Antonio and the City of San Antonio Center City Development Office for an informative presentation on the successes and challenges of Transit Oriented Development (TOD). Jack Wierzenski, Director of Economic Development for Dallas Area Rapid Transit, shared his experiences with accommodating the significant residential and commercial growth along DART’s rail system and what San Antonio can expect as we explore transportation development in our center city. The luncheon was sponsored by VIA Metropolitan Transit, HNTB and Zachry.

november 19, 2012

The STaTe Of dOwnTOwnHyatt Regency Riverwalk

This program, sponsored by the Center City Development Office, Steel House Lofts, Weston Centre and the San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau, was Downtown Alliance’s annual presentation of the state of downtown, featuring speakers covering the convention and visitor industry, commercial office and retail leasing, and the downtown housing market. Our speakers included Casandra Matej, Executive Director of the SACVB, Lindsay Tucker, Vice President of CBRE, and Dennis McDaniel, Founder of Austin Fairchild Management Company.

January 22, 2013

diverSiTy Of The dOwnTOwn wOrkplaceSheraton Gunter Hotel

In partnership with Dream Week San Antonio, a 12-day, city-wide summit promoting an exchange of ideas on universal issues facing our multi-cultural communities, Downtown Alliance hosted this Urban Renaissance Luncheon to discuss downtown San Antonio’s distinction as the center of business diversity options. Sponsored by Center City Development Office, VIA Metropolitan Transit and Baptist Health System, this panel discussion featured Jeff Arndt, Interim CEO for VIA, Dirk Elmendorf, Co-Founder of Geekdom and David Goldberg, President of Baptist Health System, and was moderated by Trish DeBerry, Board Chair for Downtown Alliance.

urban renaissance luncheons

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“Downtown San Antonio is a great place to do business, and today we’re going to show you why!”

– Trish DeBerry, Downtown Alliance Board Chair

In 2012, Mayor Julian Castro, District 1 Councilman Diego Bernal, and Jim Mery, interim director for Downtown Operations, unveiled Downtown Tuesday, a new plan to bring the local community back to the center city. Downtown Tuesday offers parking at City-operated parking garages, parking lots and parking meters every Tuesday evening from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.

As a partner in this initiative, Downtown Alliance hosts Live Centro, a new program held on Tuesday evenings, that showcases a downtown residential property and gives those considering living downtown an opportunity to explore the urban lifestyle, as well as talk to current downtown residents.

In addition to providing residential properties the chance to give tours and answer questions, Live Centro has also peaked the interest of surrounding downtown businesses as an opportunity to market themselves to both current and future downtown residents.

Those who attended our Live Centro on July 17, 2012 at Alteza know exactly why it won an award for BEST Residential at our 2013 BEST Awards luncheon. Sitting on top of the Grand Hyatt, Alteza truly boasts some of the best 360 views of downtown and guests were able to tour several units, including the penthouse on the 35th floor.

Our Live Centro on August 14, 2012 at St. Benedict’s Lofts offered a glimpse of modern living in downtown’s King William District. Formerly St. Benedict’s Hospital & Nursing Home, and then St. Scholastica Convent, attendees were fascinated by this 66-unit adaptive use project and how some of the residents have decorated their spaces. Guests also got to enjoy one of the perks of living at St. Benedict’s Lofts… sampling appetizers from neighbor restaurant, Liberty Bar.

Closing out our 2012 program on September 18 was an evening at 1221 Broadway, a mixed-use development project in the River North area comprised of retail, office, loft apartments and parking. Live Centro was held on the pool deck where guests enjoyed great views of downtown and refreshments provided by Alamo Beer and Hertz On-Demand. Hertz was on hand to showcase their On-Demand Car Share program, which has a station at 1221 Broadway. They were able to educate guests and residents to the benefits of the program and signed a few new members.

We started our 2013 Live Centro program at Steel House Lofts, which had been one of our stops on the 2012 Urban Spaces Tour in November. Formerly the Peden Iron and Steel Company, it was purchased by Dennis and Jill McDaniel, who artistically transformed it into one of the premier rental properties in the SoFlo Arts District. Guests enjoyed a tour of several units and enjoyed refreshments at The Fruiteria, Johnny Hernandez’ latest culinary endeavor, located at the street level of Steel House Lofts.

Prior to the grand opening in April, Downtown Alliance got the opportunity to host a Live Centro at 1800 Broadway in the River North area on March 19. The most recent residential offering to open in that area, guests got a first look at the property, including a tour of several units, multiple community areas and a pool that will definitely get a lot of use in the warmer months.

On May 21st, we took our Live Centro event to the Can Plant at Pearl. At close to 100% occupancy, guests were able to explore a couple of model units, enjoy fare provided by Arcade Midtown Kitchen, and see what residential life is like at the ever-expanding Pearl Brewery complex. With a boutique hotel being built to open in 2014, a successful farmers market held each Saturday, and a steady influx of new retail, restaurants and businesses, the Pearl complex continues to be a catalytic development on the edge of downtown.

live centro

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“Downtown’s renaissance will be led by more individuals choosing to live in the center city, and this will lead to more office and retail development that will follow the new ‘rooftops.’ “– Dennis McDaniel, Steel House Lofts

Each year, Downtown Alliance recognizes those programs, people and places that have made a significant contribution to downtown with the “Downtown’s BEST” Awards. Initiated in 2001, the awards are divided among multiple categories that the initiatives that have made downtown San Antonio such a special place. The BEST Awards Program is a juried event and awards are presented at an annual luncheon program and serves as a key fundraiser for Downtown Alliance.

The 2013 BEST Awards received a record 85 nominations. Nix Health was this year’s presenting sponsor of the luncheon, which was held at the Westin Riverwalk on April 11, 2013. Pat DiGiovanni, 2012 Downtowner of the Year, passed the “downtown torch” to 2013 Downtowner of the Year, Irby Hightower, Founder of Alamo Architects. A Lifetime Achievement Award for Support of the Tourism Industry was posthumously awarded to Milton Guess. Additional Awards program sponsors included San Antonio Business Journal, the Westin Riverwalk Hotel, the Center City Development Office and SmithPrint.

Included in this year’s awards was the new People’s Choice Award for Downtown’s BEST Public Outdoor Space. The public was encouraged to nominate their favorite public outdoor space in downtown and then submit their vote online. Over 200 votes came in within the first hour of voting! The winner, with an overwhelming majority of votes, was the San Antonio River Improvements Project - Museum Reach Urban Segment, also known as the “Museum Reach.”

downtown’s BEST awards

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2013 BeST award winners

BEST Adaptive Use – Commercial Project Boiler House Texas Grill & Wine Garden

BEST Adaptive Use – Residential Project Steel House Lofts

BEST Arts & Culture Programming Courtyards: Architecture and Landscape Series

BEST Cultural Facility Briscoe Museum of Western Art

BEST New Construction & Art Incorporation UHS Robert B. Green Campus Clinical Building

BEST Interior Renovation Hilton Palacio del Rio Renovation

BEST Marketing Campaign Valero Alamo Bowl Downtown Partners Program

BEST Inaugural Event Milam Building/Over the Edge

BEST Street Event Paseo del Rio Assocation’s “Taste of Houston Street”

BEST Promotion San Antonio Museum of Art’s “Art of the Table – Aphrodite and the Gods of Love”

BEST New Business Incubator Geekdom

BEST Public/Private Partnership – Event Series City of San Antonio’s “Downtown Tuesday”

BEST Public/Private Partnership – Outdoor Space Constance & Crofton Pocket Park

BEST Residential The Alteza

BEST Restaurant NAO – New World Flavors at Pearl

BEST New Retail Space Dos Carolinas at Pearl

BEST in Sustainability Hipolito F. Garcia Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse

BEST Work in Progress Tobin Center for the Performing Arts

BEST New Parade Paseo del Rio’s “Here’s to Our Heroes” Military River Parade

BEST New Public Building (Wild Card) City of San Antonio’s Public Safety Headquarters

BEST Spa (Wild Card) Mokara Spa

BEST Tour Guide (Wild Card) Jamie Calberg

Photos courtesy of Greg Harrison

“Lots of folks have worked hard to make downtown a special place... and I’m honored and proud to be recognized as one of them.”– Irby Hightower, 2013 Downtowner of the Year

The Downtown Alliance has held successful golf tournaments for the last fifteen years. Each year, a portion of the tournament proceeds is donated to a downtown charity organization, and the remaining proceeds are used to further the DTA’s educational programs and to keep the downtown constituency informed as to the importance of a healthy center city. Our goal continues to be a cleaner, safer and friendlier downtown and the Golf Tournament functions as a fun way to convene our members and friends, and to raise funds for a good cause. It is yet another opportunity to reach out to the downtown community and build relationships between members, businesses, property owners and organizations in downtown San Antonio.

On May 13, 2013, Downtown Alliance hosted the annual “Downtown Golf Tournament” at Brackenridge Park Golf Course – “Downtown’s Golf Course.” Eighty golfers participated in the tournament and, along with the $650 raised on the activity holes – Designated Driver, Speed Hole and Play with the Pro – Downtown Alliance donated a portion of the tournament proceeds to Youth Orchestras of San Antonio (YOSA), whose mission is to enhance education, enrich the community and transform lives by pursuing excellence in classical music in a stimulating, nurturing and fun environment that is equally accessible to all youth.

After the tournament, golfers enjoyed dinner in the pavilion behind the clubhouse, provided by The RK Group, and listened to a YOSA string quartet as prizes were handed out for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in the tournament.

1st place – hard rock café team Mike BivianoEric CuellarBrian Rizzo Chris Werline

2nd place – centro San antonio team Ben BrewerPat DiGiovanniPaul GeisMike Slay

3rd place – Sa convention & visitors Bureau teamSteve ClantonRob FagenAndres MunozCraig Smith

annual golf tournament

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After dinner, guests participated in the annual raffle contest with prizes from local hotels, restaurants and businesses. Supporting sponsors of the tournament include:

1836 Asset Development, LLC

Baptist Health System

Block by Block

Bohanan’s Prime Steaks and Seafood

Cavender Cadillac

Cavender Fiat

Creative Civilization

DH Realty Partners

Grand Hyatt/Hyatt Regency

Hard Rock Café

Hilton Palacio Del Rio

Hixon Properties

Hotel Contessa

ISS Grounds Control

Jacobs Engineering

Linbeck

Marriott Rivercenter/Riverwalk

NIX Health

SA Greater Chamber

SA Transportation Co.

Spurs Sports & Entertainment

TSM Digital Printing

Travis Park Plaza

Westin Riverwalk

“This is one my favorite golf tournaments at one my favorite golf courses in San Antonio… right here in downtown!”

- John Beauchamp, Hixon Properties

public improvement district

In 1999, Centro San Antonio Management Corporation launched the Downtown Public Improvement District (PID) to provide unique supplemental services and improvements in addition to those provided by the City of San Antonio. These services include those provided by Ambassador Amigos, Streetscaping Amigos and Maintenance Amigos.

Ambassador Amigos play an important role in the District as goodwill ambassadors for downtown’s various users. Their high visibility positions them to be proactive in assisting downtown conventioneers, visitors, workers, residents, and downtown’s various law enforcement officials.

Equipped with two-way radios and local area knowledge, these uniformed Ambassadors are strategically situated throughout the District and in high-pedestrian traffic areas at key times of the day. They form a unique partnership with local authorities providing maximum assistance and safety throughout the District, thereby supporting overall crime prevention.

In the past year, the Ambassador Amigos:

• Assisted 1,006,012 downtown guests, office workers and residents with directions and service needs

• Manned the Mobile Information Kiosk at various locations daily

• Shared their training in specialized historical & geographical facts

• Boasted six-members who are certified as Professional Tour Guides

Maintenance Amigos supplement the City’s maintenance efforts by performing sidewalk cleaning, graffiti abatement, trash pickup, power-washing and weed removal. They perform services 7 days a week, 360 days a year.

In the past year, the Maintenance Amigos:

• Collected over 55,431 bags of trash – a total of 693 tons

• Power washed in District a total of 31 million square-feet of sidewalks

• Power washed 10,185 bus stops

• Removed weeds from 1,125 block faces of District sidewalks

• Removed 129,617 gum spots from District sidewalks

• Removed 12,000 graffiti tags & stickers

• Provided contract maintenance services for City of San Antonio (COSA) Downtown Operations on the River Walk, the San Antonio River Authority on the Museum Reach and the Mission Reach, and the Pearl Farmer’s Market & Sunday in the Park

Streetscaping Amigos provide planters and plant materials to help “soften” downtown’s public right-of-ways. These improvements help enhance the pedestrian experience for our many downtown workers, residents, and visitors. The District is responsible for maintaining these improvements. This includes watering, fertilization and replacing seasonal vegetation as necessary. The Streetscaping Amigos program intends to expand in scope each year, as funds are available.

In the past year, the Streetscaping Amigos:

• Planted 2,016 bougainvillea plants

• Planted 3,360 pansies

• Planted 3,360 petunias

• Regularly pruned, fertilized and treated for insects

• Dispensed thousands of gallons of water to supplement rainfall

• Regularly replaced missing and dead plants as necessary

public improvement district

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“The Public Improvement District has been a win-win for the downtown area. Property owners have invested to support a cleaner, greener and better informed public realm, and the public sector has seen their investments better maintained and utilized.”

– Nelson W. Wolff, County Judge, Bexar County

estimated annual assessment budget

70%

15%

15%

Environment - $2,300,000

Amigos - clean, safe, hospitality and landscaping

Beautification, business recruitment and retention, image marketing and strategic leadership & advocacy

Economy - $500,000

Management, administration, contingency and reserve

Management - $500,000

Over the 2012-2013 fiscal year, the Downtown Public Improvement District implemented special projects and capital improvements, including:

• Partnering with COSA Downtown Operations to provide funding for a grackle “relocation” program

• Partnering with Downtown Alliance and Centro Partnership to provide funding for a downtown strategic plan with focus on housing, parking, hospitality & office attraction

• Utilizing handheld PDA’s to conduct landscaping surveys for COSA on the River Walk, at Milam Park and Travis Park

In addition to regular duties, each Amigo serves as additional “eyes & ears” for the SAPD Downtown Bicycle Patrol & Park Police. For the past 12 months, all Amigos have worn pedometers while performing their duties. This resulted in 56,877 miles walked, or the equivalent of walking 2.3 times around the earth’s equator.

For the past 14 years, the PID has helped to accommodate downtown’s growing residential population, enhance its office and retail market, and position downtown as a premier convention and visitor destination. In the summer of 2012, efforts began to explore the continuation and expansion of the District and Centro hired Progressive Urban Management Associates (P.U.M.A.) to conduct an inclusive reauthorization community process. Options for the future of the PID were discussed with more than 50 stakeholders that participated in a series of public roundtable discussions. In addition, an online survey was conducted and over 300 downtown property owners, businesses, employees and residents responded with their opinions on the PID. The key conclusions were:

“clean and Safe” has workedDowntown stakeholders agree that the supplemental cleaning and safety services funded by the PID have succeeded to make downtown San Antonio safer and more attractive, and helped change the perception of downtown to that of a clean and safe place. The services provided in downtown are some of the best in the country and additional beautification programs should be added to the existing services.

The pid is an investment in downtown San antonio and an important public/private partnershipThe PID is an investment in the future of downtown and the public/private partnership leverages resources and provides a unified voice to guide a variety of policies and issues affecting the District.

downtown is growing in importance in the region and the pid should expand its services to include image/marketing and business recruitment programsDowntown stakeholders recognized that creating and maintaining a vibrant, full-service downtown will help to attract more jobs and young professionals to downtown. The PID should add additional programs to focus on image and marketing to attract locals to downtown, and economic development programs to focus on street-level business recruitment and retention and housing development. Stakeholders also agreed that a longer service term of 10 years, with a formal 5-year review, makes sense to provide stability and certainty in programming.

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“The services provided by the PID are valuable to the San Antonio community, providing a consistent level of maintenance and security for all pedestrians, whether they are downtown workers, residents or just visiting… our urban areas are destined for significant growth and the PID is a key component of our City’s future.”

- Graham Weston, Chairman, Rackspace

downtown san antonio pid boundaryIn addition to continuation and expansion of services, a careful analysis of expanding the boundaries of the District was explored based on density, uses, traffic generator and possible future development. The larger study area included encompassing the CHRISTUS San Antonio and Baptist Medical Center Hospitals, the area west of Hemisfair/south to Cesar Chavez/east to the SA River, and the area south of Dolorosa to Nueva.

In early 2013, petitions were distributed to all property owners in the existing PID and the proposed expansion areas, requesting their support of the reauthorization and expansion. On May 16, 2013, after submission of a valid petition with signatures of support from a majority of property owners comprising a majority of property values, a public hearing was held to hear comments of support or opposition. On May 30, 2013, City Council unanimously voted to approve the reauthorization and expansion of the PID for the new term to begin October 1, 2013.

The 10-year PID term includes an estimated annual assessment budget of $3,300,000, with an additional $600,000 in estimated public and private sector contributions.

The programs and budget fall into the following categories:

environment (existing services)• Ambassador Amigos• Maintenance Amigos• Streetscaping Amigos

economy (new services)• Beautification - initiatives that could include directional

signage, lighting, furniture, art installations and other cosmetic improvements that visually enhance downtown’s public realm.

• Business Recruitment & Retention – a program that will focus on attracting new and retaining existing businesses to the center city, filling empty storefronts and offices, and will serve as a primary one-stop point of contact for business prospects looking to locate and grow in downtown.

• Image & Marketing - marketing strategies targeted to our local population include building off the “buzz” arising from downtown’s emergence as a destination for dining, entertainment and urban living.

• Leadership & Advocacy - capitalizing on the PID’s established role as a respected advocate for downtown in collaboration with strategic partners on initiatives to advance the center city.

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“In the SA2020 Vision Report, it is abundantly clear that downtown is a high priority for the thousands of citizens that participated in the visioning process. I have said that this is the ‘Decade of Downtown.’ The public and private sectors are working together to ensure the long term viability and economic success of our city… and the public improvement district is one of those key investments in our future.”

- Mayor Julián Castro

planning and research

In 2011, Centro Partnership worked with other stakeholders to develop the Strategic Framework Plan for the Center City, which serves as the road map for the growth and development of the center city over the next decade. As stewards of the Plan, Centro is setting a core strategic vision and planning concepts to fulfill that vision, as well as serving as the liaison to the City on future master plans for targeted growth areas, and strengthening our role of policy advocate to develop and support key positions. Implementation of the Strategic Plan began over the past year, with Centro at the helm of several key projects, including a city-wide survey on current perceptions of downtown, a study of the Northwest Quadrant of the center city, and the strategic alignment of workgroups and partnerships to achieve the SA2020 Vision goals for downtown.

downtown perception SurveyIn June 2012, Downtown Alliance and Center City Development Office partnered on a market research survey on current perceptions of downtown San Antonio. The objectives of the survey were:

• To measure the frequency with which adults go out in downtown San Antonio

• To learn the reasons why adults go downtown

• To determine one’s likelihood of moving downtown

• To measure the importance of various characteristics downtown has in making adults want to go out more often

• Create a baseline survey to be used on an annual basis

Over 500 responses city-wide were received and, of those surveyed, most did not live in downtown and had never lived in any downtown city in the country. Of those who would consider moving to downtown, the majority live inside Loop 410, are single and between the ages of 18-54. Of our local visitors to downtown, close to half visit downtown a few months a year, a third visit monthly, and most come downtown for festivals and events, dining, the arts and sporting events. Overall impressions of the majority surveyed were that downtown is very clean and very safe, but they would like to see more variety in transportation options in and around downtown, and more seating areas, public areas, outdoor dining and unique, one-of-a-kind retail shops. In general, respondents are looking for convenient parking at a fair price, a safe environment, a walkable community and a stimulating street-level experience. We anticipate that the perception survey will be conducted annually to measure changes in the public opinion regarding the center city.

planning and research

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northwest Quadrant StudyWith some of the most underutilized properties in the center city, the Northwest Quadrant is roughly bounded on its west side by the VIA West Side Multimodal Center & Medina Street, the San Antonio River to the east, Nueva Street on the south, and Elmira Street & IH 35 on the north. There is already a growing focus on this area, with major public investments planned to take place over the next few years for the Westside Multimodal, Romano Plaza, Commerce Street, Main Avenue and Soledad Street. A Streetcar initiative and San Pedro Creek improvements are also being considered and planning efforts for both of these projects are currently underway. In April 2013, Centro partnered with Bexar County to study the Northwest Quadrant of downtown for future uses for the publically owned property and its ability to stimulate growth in that area. The study includes the involvement of key stakeholders and the public through the process of public workshops.

Sa2020In May 2012, Centro Partnership became the lead partner for the Downtown Development vision area of SA2020, with a responsibility to provide strategic assistance and meaningful data measurements to maximize the impact of that vision area, as well as work closely with SA2020 to provide a forum for strategic thinking and planning, and to connect the city’s key private, public and non-profit leaders in achieving the goals created by the public during the SA2020 Vision process, including:

• Increase downtown housing units

• Increase the number of people working downtown

• Increase transportation mode options in downtown

• Decrease downtown crime rates

• Increase activities and visitation by locals to downtown

Because Downtown Development is one of the few vision areas that intersects with the other ten vision areas of SA2020, Centro has begun collaborating with other lead and opportunity partners on events and initiatives, including the Career Block Party in May 2013 at Pearl, an event during Destination College: College Week, where students toured the businesses at Pearl and learned about all of the recent residential developments in downtown. Centro is also partnering with ULI San Antonio and the SAISD Foundation on a new web site that focuses on schools and family life in the center city.

In the spring of 2013, Centro began establishing workgroups to study downtown housing, job growth and quality of life, in an effort to measure data and develop plans and initiatives geared towards achieving the goals for Downtown Development. These workgroups are comprised of representatives from several lead and opportunity partners, including the City of San Antonio, the San Antonio Housing Authority, HPARC, B-Cycle, VIA and SA Arts.

“Centro Partnership has shown tremendous leadership around the SA2020 goals for downtown development, creating three high-level working groups focused on setting achievable strategies to increase housing, jobs and quality of life downtown. “

– Jeanne Russell, Chief Strategist, SA2020

www.SA2020.org

Do

wntown Development

First, I would like to take an opportunity to thank the members of the various Boards of Directors of Centro San Antonio, Inc., downtown business leaders and Centro staff for welcoming me as the new CEO of Centro. We hit the ground running on January 2 and we are poised for a very exciting and productive year ahead.

As we move forward, we have several long-term goals that we are continuing to focus on. We want to increase economic competitiveness in downtown by attracting businesses and jobs. We want effective, safe and reliable transportation options in and around downtown. We want to create a “place of choice,” where locals and visitors have a clean and safe place to live, work, shop and play.

The reauthorization of the Public Improvement District proved that stakeholders within downtown are willing to invest in its future. Of the new services provided, we are particularly excited about bringing a business recruitment and retention program focused on downtown that will help to fill vacant storefronts and provide a more vibrant street-level experience. In addition, we look forward to supporting both new and existing downtown businesses with a new branding and messaging campaign for downtown that will communicate what many have known for years -- that downtown is the place to be.

Jane Jacobs, author of The Death and Life of Great American Cities, said, “Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” The enthusiastic public participation in the workshops for developing the Strategic Framework Plan for the Center City, as well as the vision process for SA2020, has been crucial in developing the blueprint for the future of downtown, and we want to continue this partnership by expanding our diverse base of membership and key stakeholders. With many important initiatives ahead of us, your membership and involvement in Centro remain crucial in creating a round-the-clock urban experience that is clean and safe for everyone.

Over the last several years, the Centro family of organizations has partnered with civic leaders to revitalize our downtown. As Deputy City Manager, working with Centro on the Strategic Framework Plan for the Center City was one of the most rewarding. As CEO of Centro San Antonio, Inc., I am thrilled to be working with a great team as we prioritize the catalytic projects that will make the Strategic Plan a reality. We know that there is much work to be done, but we know that we are moving in the right direction and are fully committed to fulfilling the aspirations that our citizens have for downtown. Great cities have great downtowns, and we are on the rise. Downtown is the essence of San Antonio. Come live it, come work it, come and be a part of it.”

Be Centro,

Pat DiGiovanniCEOCentro Partnership