One of the reasons I have not been posting as much lately is because I had been away in my hometown of San Antonio on a family matter. I had not been there in about 2 years, and found the city booming as always, with new highways, neighborhoods and shopping centers cropping up everywhere, pushing the city limits further and further north. Eventually I predict it will fuse with the smaller cities along Interstate Highway 35 between itself and Austin, which lies 70 miles to the north.
While there I paid a visit to a favorite success story, the Blue Star Arts Complex. People probably get tired of hearing me talk about it, but I truly believe that it presents a good example of what redevelopment of lower Hyde Park Ave could look like. To briefly reframe, the complex is an old warehouse district that lies along the San Antonio River south of downtown which has been repurposed to house art galleries, studios, creative offices, a micro-brewery, a bike shop that rents bikes, performance space, and residential space. It has become a cultural engine in its own right, anchoring more arts and leisure development all over the once has-been neighborhood. I continue to believe it can be a good model for Hyde Park parcels at the lower end of Hyde Park Ave. A similar mix of outdoors and arts uses would tie nicely with existing uses like the nearby Sprague St art complex and the DCR reservations. Performance space is also a good choice because parking could be created and there is little adjacent residential use.
These photos were taken on a late morning in August on a hot, humid, very sunny day, so there are not a lot of people around due to the time of day and the heat. But what you can see is how a small warehouse district can be repurposed, with a little paint and some imagination, to give new life to a whole neighborhood.
San Antonio River
The Blue Star Complex is located on the banks of the San Antonio River. Work is underway right now to create a pathway along the river.
I am not sure what work is underway in the photos below, but I was struck how much it looks like the stuff going on at the Mother Brook at the LE Mason site. But I don’t believe this is a remediation or clean up. The San Antonio River has not been contaminated like the Mother Brook.
The relation of the San Antonio River to the historic Victorian neighborhoods near it reminds me of the Neponset River and its adjacent neighborhoods. Notice how the private property lines of the houses do not come to water’s edge. That permits the city to create recreational space along the river for everyone to enjoy.
On this side of the river, Blue Star has a barbeque station set up with picnic tables.
The Blue Star Arts Complex
A pedestrian avenue brings visitors from the parking lot into the complex.
Here is a quick look around at the various studio, gallery and business space:
For me the centerpiece is the Blue Star Brewing Co., which brews delicious beer on the premises. There is indoor and outdoor seating.
The complex includes a small amount of residential space that looks out over the river.
