Austin Apartment Complex Gets $1M for Green Upgrade

Austin Biz Journal

 

The 60-unit St. George's Court affordable housing complex has qualified for more than $1 million to fund energy-efficiency upgrades.

The property is one of four Texas apartments splitting a $7.2 million award from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development. The agency portioned the grants from a $100 million federal stimulus act program meant to create jobs and save money for low income residents. In total, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act allotted $13.61 billion for HUD-administered programs.

St. George's is the only Austin apartments property receiving funds. The complex, which offers an on-site food pantry, is owned and operated by an affiliate of St. George's Episcopal Church and was built partially with HUD funds. Residents are primarily low-income seniors.

Other Texas properties receiving funding through the grant include: Coolwood Oaks in Houston, 168 units; Country Club Village San Antonio Apartments, 82 units; and Fox Run Apartments in Victoria (loan), 150 units.

The program is part of HUD's green retrofit program, which pays for upgrades that save energy, cut water use and improve air quality.

Committee Holds off Deals for Apartments

Seguin Gazette Enterprise

SEGUIN — The city’s abatement committee, in its monthly meeting Thursday, took no action on a request for the city to consider granting property tax abatements for builders of multiple-family housing developments.

The possibility of granting abatements for apartment complexes was brought to the committee by Jim Price of American Realty Associates who said he had been working with Ron Inscore, developer of the Ranch at State Highway 123, a 180-unit complex scheduled to begin construction in April.

“We all recognize that Seguin needs good multiple-family housing,” Price said, reminding the group of the need for such housing after Caterpillar and its suppliers go into production. He said industrial development and housing development are linked.

Price said new residents who start out living in apartments in Seguin eventually will become homeowners in Seguin and those who work here but live in New Braunfels apartments probably will become homeowners there.

Providing committee members with a photo of San Antonio apartments built by Inscore in San Antonio and additional data about the local complex, Price said the Ranch at State Highway 123 will cost an estimated $12.8 million. This includes almost $1.5 million to buy the land and $10.2 million for construction. During construction, an estimated average of 100 workers will be at the site earning some $16,000 per day.

Price said the opening of the Ranch at State Highway 123 would produce only five new jobs with an annual payroll estimated at $118,000. However, the developer will pay fees totaling more than $313,500 to the city of Seguin, and the city’s annual taxes on the complex, based on the current rate, will amount to more than $59,000.

The committee also was given a chart comparing rental rates for the Ranch at State Highway 123 with the rates at existing apartment complexes in Seguin. Of the 180 units to be built, 124 are one-bedroom units renting for $593 to $888 monthly, 48 are two-bedroom units renting at $998 monthly and eight are three-bedroom units renting at $1,186 monthly.

“We have several other proposals,” City Manager Doug Faseler said, pointing to sites on a PowerPoint map where other apartment complexes are in various stages of pre-construction development. “As you can see, we’re getting a lot of interest in multiple-family housing.”

Terry Trevino, executive director of the Seguin Economic Development Corp., showed the committee a chart listing cities that city staff had contacted about offering tax abatements for multiple-family housing and San Antonio apartments. The cities included New Braunfels, San Marcos, Schertz, Kyle, Buda, Converse, Hutto and Fort Worth. None of the cities offer such abatements except for low-income housing or projects in reinvestment zones.

“We fully understand the need for housing in the community,” Trevino said. However, “I cannot favorably recommend an amendment to our guidelines.”

County Judge Mike Wiggins asked about the legality of granting abatements for apartment complexes.

City Attorney Andy Quittner said the complex would have to be located in a reinvestment zone, and Trevino said the Ranch at State Highway 123 is not in a reinvestment zone.

When Chairman Mark Herbold called for a motion on the issue, Wiggins suggested the committee take no action. “There’s clearly a number of questions that need to be answered,” Wiggins said, adding that taking no action might be preferable to voting to deny the request. “It doesn’t slam the door nor does it open the door.”

After hearing no objections to Wiggins’ recommendation, Herbold said: “The consensus of the board is to take no action.”

The committee also voted to recommend approval of abatements for two businesses locating in the downtown historic district.

Advanced Home Health at 200 S. Austin St. claimed improvements totaling $126,575 and, based on the current tax rate, will receive an abatement amounting to $582 per year for five years for a total of $2,910.

The Ticket at 204 S. Austin documented improvements totaling $46,339 and will receive an abatement amounting to $213 per year for a five-year total of $1,065.

Having been recommended for approval by the Main Street Advisory Board and the Abatement Committee, the tax abatements for Advanced Home Health and The Ticket will be submitted to the City Council for final approval.

Ground Broken For Greenbelt In San Antonio

My San Antonio

As a child growing up on the West Side, Robert Ramirez always was warned to stay away from nearby creeks: They were just too dangerous, adults told him.

And though he lived on one side of a creek and went to school on the other, he obeyed the rules and never went exploring.

Decades later, Ramirez stood alongside those banks he was told not to frequent and saw a very different vision for their future.

“I'll match this part of the Zarzamora and Apache creeks against any other creek and any other part of the river in the county,” said Ramirez, co-chairman of the San Antonio River Authority's Westside Creeks Restoration Oversight Committee.

“It's been a hidden jewel,” he said.

Ramirez was among those gathered Wednesday afternoon beside Zarzamora Creek, just before it meets Apache Creek, for the groundbreaking of a linear park and revitalization project, spearheaded by the San Antonio Alternative Housing Corp.

“This, to me, is a sanctuary,” said Rod Radle, the housing organization's executive director. “It's one that's not utilized.”

This might be one of the last places someone would look for wildlife — in the middle of a highly urban area just north of Our Lady of the Lake University, where the creek is hidden among houses, a warehouse and an apartment complex.

But by springtime, this back alley will be transformed into a greenbelt that runs 8/10 mile, from General McMullen to West Commerce Street and Elmendorf Lake.

Six large bridges will span existing drainage areas that run the length of the greenbelt. The park will include two trails: a 6-foot-wide concrete path, for strollers and the wheelchair-bound; and the other, a 4-foot-wide crushed-granite trail for joggers.

Exercise stations also will be included, in addition to benches.

More trees will be planted; and, unlike some city parks, the lights will remain ablaze all night. Parks and Recreation will patrol and maintain the park, Radle said.

The project was paid for with money accumulated from a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, attached to another San Antonio Alternative Housing initiative, the Rosedale affordable housing development. The river authority also provided finishing funds for the project.

The park is scheduled to open in late March or early April.

Radle and other volunteers already have started clearing out much of the brush and trash from the area. But plastic soda bottles, egg containers and even mattresses still litter the ground.

Despite the trash, the creek already is an impressive expanse, stretching 50 feet across in some places, lush with plant life like rain lilies, its gently flowing waters shaded by large, overhanging trees.

On Wednesday, egrets swooped above the water's surface, behind a tent set up for the groundbreaking. Radle already has spotted a turtle laying eggs in the creek's muddy banks.

“I feel inspired,” said Roberto Rodriguez, secretary of the SARA board and its District 2 representative. “Look at this.”

He raised his arms up and pointed to a large nest in a tree overlooking Zarzamora Creek.

Revitalization of West Side creeks long has been of a dream of Rodriguez, a vision that was, until recently, largely ignored.

The West Side soon may reap the benefits of good timing: last year, the SARA launched its Westside Creeks project, an effort to revitalize the Alazan, Apache, San Pedro and Martinez creeks.

That project still is in the planning stages, but the San Antonio Alternative Housing creek project falls within its boundaries and serves as a good pilot project for future development, said Rudy Farias, SARA water resource and community development manager.

Former Mayor Howard Peak, on hand for the groundbreaking, has championed creation of such hike trails through the Linear Creekway Parks Advisory Board, which he chairs.

Bexar County, in conjunction with the city, also has stepped up efforts to improve nearby Elmendorf Lake and its adjoining park near OLLU.

The time is now, many said Wednesday, to finally make something happen.

“We want a rebirth of the waterways on the West Side so they become a center of community activity, and enhance San Antonio apartments and housing,” Bexar County Commissioner Paul Elizondo said.

Galaxy Builders Wins Awards For Texas Apartments

San Antonio Business Journal

Galaxy Builders Ltd. earned construction awards for two apartment complexes the company completed earlier this year.

San Antonio-based Galaxy earned a first place award in the Multifamily Residential category by the Associated General Contractors Texas Building Branch for its work on the Town Square Apartments project in Converse. The company also won an “Excellence in Construction” Eagle Award for the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) South Texas Chapter for The Park at Brushy Creek, a complex of Round Rock apartments.

Galaxy earns its two awards based on project safety, ingenuity and scope of work.

“These projects directly reflect our company and staffs’ commitment to quality and attention to detail,” says Arun Verma, president of Galaxy Builders.

Galaxy is a privately owned general contracting firm. The company has specialized in the building of multi-family and commercial construction projects since 1991.