Construction Boom Begins At Fort Sam; Includes 300-million Dollar Shops At La Cantera-like Shopping Center

[kingwilliam]

John Bann (left) and Michael Hartman, who are central figures in the transformation of Fort Sam Houston, discuss the construction projects.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/sto...AC.295fccf.html

Fort Sam preparing for BRAC building boom

Web Posted: 01/04/2008 11:30 PM CST

Sig Christenson

Express-News

The roar of heavy trucks throbs like a bass line beneath the whining of hydraulic tools and the banging of hammers outside the McWethy Troop Medical Clinic at Fort Sam Houston. But the sound it produces is discordant, like an orchestra tuning up before a concert.

The metaphor is apt because the projects under way only are warm ups for the work that's about to begin.

Starting this month, Fort Sam will be hit by a construction wave the likes of which hasn't been seen since the Depression, thanks to the 2005 Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission.

BRAC, as it's called, ordered 23 installations to shutter by 2011 and issued 2,513 closure recommendations, most of them mission realignments, but the news for San Antonio was mostly good. The fifth base closure round since 1988 will bring $1.56 billion in construction to Fort Sam alone.

In all, the closure round will pump about $2.1 billion into the post and a pair of Air Force bases. But nowhere will it be more pronounced than at Fort Sam, which will add 10,567 military, civilian and student personnel in the next three years.

The work already under way

[memebag]

Three hundred million shops??

Are they for ants?

[kingwilliam]

LOL, I corrected it.

[WarHorse]

Wow, sounds like they're going to be busy over there. Hopefully the older parts of the post will get some attention from all this construction. There are historic sections of Ft. Sam that haven't been used in 30 or 40 years.

I'd like to think that the new work will also help Government Hill, the historic neighborhood outside of the gates, but I doubt it. Even with historical designation, the area still hasn't started to turn around.

[kingwilliam]

Wow, sounds like they're going to be busy over there. Hopefully the older parts of the post will get some attention from all this construction. There are historic sections of Ft. Sam that haven't been used in 30 or 40 years.

I'd like to think that the new work will also help Government Hill, the historic neighborhood outside of the gates, but I doubt it. Even with historical designation, the area still hasn't started to turn around.

I wouldn't be shocked or surprised if private developers began to build up Government Hill. Fort Sam has never had this type of boom, no area anywhere near Government Hill has had the type of boom expected to take place in the next 3-4 years. It's unprecedented so what the future has for Government Hill is anyones best guess. However, in my opinion, one of the major key factors to great redevelopment of GH would be opening the New Braunfels Ave segment that runs through Fort Sam. I doubt the Military just re-opens it and allows traffic to move in and out of the base freely, however why not A) swap land with the city or tunnel New Braunfels Ave through Fort Sam. I'm not sure which would be more feasible but I'd venture to guess plan B would most likely be the best option. Though, would the Military allow such a thing?