Bass Pro Shops, City-Base Landing Come to San Antonio

Two new developments planned in San Antonio will have a positive economic impact on the Alamo City.

Bass Pro Shops Coming to San Antonio

Gov. Rick Perry recently announced that Bass Pro Shops will open a Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World superstore in San Antonio at the intersection of IH-10 and Loop 1604. The store will be located directly across from Six Flags Over Texas and will be the anchor for The Rim, a 700-acre mixed-use development.

The new 700-acre retail and family entertainment center will employ approximately 3,140 full and part-time workers by the time it is completed.

"This project will create new jobs, make a capital investment of more than $1 billion and boost the San Antonio tourism industry and the entire economy," Perry said.

Perry added that The Rim will generate nearly $40 million in new tax revenue for state and local governments, "revenue that can be used for critical priorities like education, health care and transportation."

Wal-Mart Will Anchor City-Base Landing Shopping Center

The Brooks Development Authority, Hill-Granados Retail Partners and Wal-Mart recently announced that they have finalized the land acquisition to create the City-Base Landing Shopping Center in San Antonio. HGRP will begin construction on phase one of the 570,000-sq.-ft. shopping center to be anchored by a Wal-Mart SuperCenter located on 62 acres at the northeast corner of Brooks City-Base.

The revenue generated for the BDA by the sale of the property will be used to improve infrastructure, enhance the quality of life for current and future tenants, residents and neighbors and attract and retain new high-wage medical, scientific, defense and homeland security jobs at Brooks City-Base.

The design and building team includes the developer Hill-Granados Retail Partners LP, MDN Architects and Zapalac/Reed Construction Co.

Dallas PAC Names Parking Structure Architect

The Dallas Center for the Performing Arts Foundation has selected Dallas-based Good, Fulton & Farrell Architects to design the center's underground parking structure that will serve patrons of the center's five venues and the eastern end of the Dallas Arts District.

The multilevel underground parking structure will provide approximately 625 parking spaces and will be integrated into the overall design of the center's Grand Plaza.

The Parking Structure Architect Selection Team was chaired by Howard Rachofsky, a founding member of the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts Foundation's Board of Directors and Chair of the Site Design Committee.

The parking structure will be a complex facility and will be designed in concert with the venues it will serve. "The GFF team is highly qualified to bring their exemplary design services, strategic thinking and civic and professional leadership skills to this important project," Rachofsky said. "They have a stellar reputation and are well-known not only for excellent design services, but also for impressive personal service, cost-effective performance and extensive demonstrated experience in complex parking structure design for both above and below grade facilities."

The parking structure groundbreaking is scheduled for later this year.

Perry Calls for Renewal of Texas Enterprise Fund

Gov. Rick Perry recently announced that he would ask the Texas Legislature to reauthorize the Texas Enterprise Fund for $300 million, calling it a "wise investment for the future of Texas." He also said he will ask lawmakers to dedicate $300 million for a new program focused on fostering innovation, research and job creation in emerging high-tech industries like semiconductor manufacturing, biotechnology, nanotechnology, environmental sciences and advanced energy. Most of these funds would benefit Texas colleges and universities.

The proposed Texas Emerging Technology Fund is an outgrowth of the Governor's Council on Science and Biotechnology Development, which was appointed in 2002 and charged with recommending a course of action for the state in the emerging fields of technology and scientific research.

"The Texas Enterprise Fund has been an unparalleled success," Perry said. "In just 18 months, we have allocated more than $180 million from the fund to close deals with employers who are creating more than 15,000 new jobs and pumping nearly $6 billion into our economy."

The Enterprise Fund was a key factor in Texas landing one of the largest capital investments in the nation last year - the $3 billion Texas Instruments expansion - and in securing the largest job expansion announcement in the first quarter of this year - Vought Aircraft and the 3,000 new jobs the company is bringing to the state.

Texas must now take the next step of investing more in emerging fields of technology in order to remain competitive in the evolving world economy, Perry added.