River North
Andres Andujar Offers a Cohesive
Vision For Commercial Development

By LEIGH BALDWIN
Photography CYNTHIA CLARK

When Andres Andujar saw the San Antonio River Authority’s planned $180 million investment in River Walk expansion and improvements, his first thought was “How will this affect private development in the area?”

As group executive officer at 3D/I International (recently purchased by Parsons, a California-based engineering and construction company), the architecture firm responsible for many of the city’s most notable revitalization efforts, including Houston Street Court, it’s an obvious question for Andujar to ask. What surprised him is that he’s created an answer and is busy giving presentations and winning supporters throughout San Antonio.

Andujar cites the original River Walk opening in 1941: without an outlined commercial effort, the area languished, even becoming a red-light district, before HemisFair’s investment almost 25 years later. With excitement building about changes to the immediate northern reach of River Walk, encompassing the San Antonio Museum of Art and reaching the historic Pearl Brewery, there’s no question the area will be developed quickly. But this commercial development needs a cohesive vision to make the most of the opportunity, to help it evolve methodically to its highest potential.

Andujar’s plan focuses on 56 acres just north of downtown along Broadway. He calls the area River North and envisions a mixed-use utopia with plenty of residential and commercial space as well as redesigned streets and parks. River North is inspired by such transformed downtowns as Houston’s cultural district and that of Portland, Oregon, as well as famous plazas like Las Ramblas in Barcelona. Sounds lovely, but what will it take to motivate developers to get behind this vision?

Andujar’s suggestion is to create a tax increment finance district -- a TIF -- which agrees that property tax money made from the area is reinvested in that area. The potential is enormous: The property within River North’s boundaries is currently assessed at $43 million, but with proper development it could be reassessed at close to $1 billion. But the TIF is just a start. Building parking garages and improving streets and parks all take burdens off developers and improve costs. Offering discounts on fees and approvals is another incentive. Andujar comments that when 3D/I took on the Houston Street project, over $400,000 in fees were paid to the city.

In his research, Andujar discovered the city’s population is expected to grow by 450,000 in the next 20 years, requiring an additional 168,000 residential units. Some 4,200 residential units are possible within River North. Increased downtown living options are a primary goal of the River North vision. Andujar notes, “Currently, the only way you can get a river view downtown is from a hotel. The success of the hospitality industry has almost been detrimental to mixed-use development.” San Antonio currently has 11,000 hotel rooms, with more than 2,000 additional planned, but scarcely any downtown residential space.

River North will offer city dwellers an exclusive alternative to the McMansion developments outside the Loop. River improvements will negate the fear of flooding, so residential buildings can encompass pedestrian-friendly walkways and first floor storefronts. And environmentally, it’s the right thing to do. In Andujar’s opinion, why should we continue to cut down trees and build over the aquifer outside of town when we already have a strong infrastructure in the city center?

But will it be affordable? Andujar’s suggestion is to make residential offerings small enough to keep costs down. The essence of downtown living isn’t cheapening the project but remaining true to a real urban lifestyle that’s luxe but pared down. He also understands that downtown living will come in phases, with older buyers without young children making the first wave of investment before the area becomes truly family-friendly.

Crucial to River North is assuring that the streets have rhythm. Andujar advocates creating T-junctions rather than vehicular bridges over the river to preserve its pedestrian identity. Using 60 percent of curbs for on-street parking can create 1,000 parking spaces. Metering the area for visitors and offering permits to residents both generates income for the area and rewards downtown dwelling. Houston implemented a similar program and generated $60 million in restructuring revenue.

Andujar takes a further radical step, by turning seven-lane streets like Broadway into four lanes with expanded sidewalks, a landscaped median and ample parking, even a mass-transit lane eventually. With the somewhat blighted Avenue B, Andujar swears it will become “the place where SA kicks off its shoes.” At 58 feet wide, an improved Avenue B allows for two 10-foot sidewalks, two 8-foot lengths of parking, and two 10-foot lanes for traffic. These near-one-to-one proportions have a psychological purpose: They’re reminiscent of living rooms.

So what’s the root of Andujar’s incredible enthusiasm for this vision? His firm picks one community project annually, dating back to 1998, when the company decided to replace trees at the Weston Centre washed away in the flood. They also painted the Augustus Street bridge and instituted the downtown adopt-a-bridge program. This year, it’s River North.

Andujar’s plan was meant to be presented only once. But passionate support and a compelling need for a private development vision has pulled him deep into a huge project, even influencing the Downtown Alliance, where Andujar is incoming chair. Andjuar now frames the project within his company’s long-term vision and notes the firm will soon inevitably have clients interested in the area, so it’s natural to continue their research.

In the meantime, anyone with the opportunity to hear Andujar speak on what River North could be is sure to be inspired.