Lost in all the hoopla over the recent announcement of the Lone Star Brewery redevelopment is the rebirth of the old Mission Road power plant located nearby.
Douglas Architects recently unveiled drawings and plans for the plant’s redevelopment as a 250,000-square-foot mixed-use project that would include shops, restaurants and condominiums.
“I think we need something like this, and like the Lone Star Brewery, this is going to be a catalyst for the South Side,” Scott Smith, director of environmental planning and compliance for CPS Energy, said.
CPS Energy owns the 100-year-old power plant, which was closed in 2002. Located next to the Lone Star Brewery, the power plant is also close to established parks, such as Roosevelt and Concepcion, as well as older neighborhoods such as King William, Lavaca, Riverside Park and Roosevelt Park.
Candie Beltran, president of the Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Association, said overall that CPS Energy’s plans address what residents wanted. CPS Energy employees met from January through March with neighbors and officials such as Mayor Phil Hardberger and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff to discuss a feasibility study for possible uses.
“When they asked everybody what they wanted to do with (the power plant), everyone had different thoughts,” Beltran said. “Some wanted a museum, others wanted a library. I think they kind of put everyone’s ideas and picked everything. When it is finished everyone will be a happy, especially with Toyota anchoring on the end of the South Side.”
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