on Jun 22, 2012

City of San Antonio Adopts HR&A Growth Plan and New Incentive Policy

San Antonio’s City Council today adopted a plan for implementing growth and development in the City’s Center City developed by HR&A, and unanimously passed one of its key recommendations, a clear and consistent incentive policy for downtown housing. HR&A worked with the City’s elected officials, staff, and a newly-formed public-private partnership of civic leaders to create a Strategic Framework Plan for the fast-growing City.

 

The plan focuses on achieving a target of 7,500 new housing units in the downtown by 2020 through financing, infrastructure investment, and other innovative tools, which will in turn support the City’s competitiveness, job creation, and quality of life. Investments will be prioritized in four key priority growth areas to extend the vibrancy of San Antonio’s great neighborhoods, tourist destinations and convention activities, and its unique RiverWalk.

 

The new incentive policy will provide a predictable package of tax incentives, fee waivers, loans and grants for quality new downtown housing, bringing transparency and leveling the playing field for developers. Council members and developers lauded the policy for its potential to normalize land values and provide greater certainty and speed of approvals to developers.