Noi Mahoney

Temp workers laid off at SA Toyota plant

A company that supplies 208 contract workers to the Toyota auto plant on SA's South Side recently learned they would not be rehired when the plant resumes operations in November. These positions were well-paying jobs, between $13 to $15 an hour.

San Antonio freelance writer Tony Cantu broke the story:

A recently released layoff notice to state officials reveals new details on the fate of more than 200 temporary workers put out of work from the recent South Side Toyota temporary plant shutdown.

Aerotek Inc., a national staffing company with offices at 10010 San Pedro Ave., notified state and city officials in June of plans to lay off at least 200 of its temporary workers at the Toyota plant’s assembly line.

Documents show the layoff ends employment for 208 workers – eight more than previously disclosed. The jobs lost offered better-than-average wages locally; assembly workers having earned the highest wages at an average $13.88 an hour topping out at $15.23 an hour on the high end of that pay scale.

"Due to economics, high price of fuel and low sales of large trucks, Toyota had to make a business decision," Aerotek’s account manager Jon Boggess said. "We were supplying employees for their assembly line, but unfortunately our workforce was eliminated."

Earlier this year, Toyota plant officials disclosed they would halt production at the facility until November to help rid itself of its existing inventory of Tundra trucks produced there.

 

(Above, an aerial photo of the South Side Toyota plant by Jerry Lara/ San Antonio Express-News)

Unique townhouses slated for Lavaca neighborhood

Architect Lewis S. Fisher is in the beginning stages of developing four townhouses on a small sliver of land in the Lavaca neighborhood south of downtown S.A. No price range yet, but my guess would anywhere from $200,000 up to $400,000 per unit.

Here is where he's building them. 

 

Lone Star Brewery redeveloping as condos

Yet another brewery is slated to be redeveloped into condos, shops and restaurants. This time its the Lone Star Brewery just south of downtown on the edge of Roosevelt Park. (Photo by Gloria Ferniz/ San Antonio Express-News)

Creighton A. Welch, a reporter for the Express-News, has the story here. No word on how much the condos will go for once completed, but my guess would be in the $200,000 to $400,000 range. From the story:

"Austin-based B. Knightly Development & Construction bought the 22.8-acre site Aug. 1 and plans to turn the brewery, vacant since 1996, into an urban community.

Plans for the site, along the San Antonio River near Roosevelt Park, include multifamily housing, commercial space, a bar, beer garden, microbrewery and boutique hotel, according to the May 15 City Council minutes that approved a zoning change of the site."

Several years back it was the old Pearl Brewery off Broadway that was redeveloped into condos, shops and businesses.

Bargain hunter's nirvana

(Mission Open Air Flea Market owner Joel Dauley, left, with vendor Robert Sanchez. Photo by Steve Valdez)

Mission Open Air Flea Market

Contrary to rumors, Mission Open Air Flea Market is not being sold to H-E-B. Also, no one from U.S. immigration has ever set foot on the 23 year-old flea market, said its owner Joel Dauley.

"The rumors about H-E-B, and immigration, not true," Dauley said with a chuckle on a recent summer day.

What is true is that the flea market located at the intersection of Loop 410 South and Moursund Boulevard is expanding. Mission Open Air Flea Market recently leased about 8-acres of land next door. The land previously belonged to Lozano Trucking Company.

Dauley said they are moving the flea market’s administrative offices to the new property. The land will also house maintenance facilities and additional parking for the flea market.

"We opened in 1985 with a half-acre," Dauley said. "We had to buy 14 different properties over the years to get to where we are now. Today, the market has 45-acres."

On weekends, people come for the bargains, but also to share "local" gossip, taste the food and visit with friends.

"This is the South Side mall," Dauley said. "It’s a mall without walls. It’s a little bit of Mexico, 10 miles from downtown."

(Brenda DeHoyos shows off her merchandise at the Mission Open Air Flea Market off Moursund Boulevard. Photo by Steve Valdez)

UPDATE: Southside build up continues

Ashley Heights aims for upscale life-style

Thursday, 07 August 2008

Workers work on a home at Ashley Heights, a new gated community off Roosevelt Avenue and Ashley Road. Photo by Noi Mahoney By Noi Mahoney Editor Surrounded by historic Spanish missions, a venerable flea market and mostly working class homes is a new high-end residential development called Ashley Heights. Ashley Heights is being constructed on 20-acres of land on Ashley Road, just west of Roosevelt Avenue. The new development’s design includes one- and two- story homes in a gated community. Prices range from $160,000 to $195,000. “We just saw growth on the South Side, and how things were taking off,” Mike Hollaway Custom Homes owner Mike Hollaway said. Hollaway is owner of Rio Custom Homes, Ashley Heights’ builder. Rio Custom Homes is a part of Mike Hollaway Custom Homes. “With the Toyota plant, Palo Alto College, the growth along Southwest Military Drive, there is a huge change of the community on this side of town,” Hollaway said. REST OF STORY HERE

McCreless Mall is back!

McCreless Mall site comes back to life

Some 6,000 people attended a special preview of the new H-E-B Plus at McCreless Market last Thursday. Photo by Steve Valdez By Steve Valdez Contributing Writer On the corner of East Southcross and South New Braunfels boulevards, over looking Interstate 37, H.E. Butt Grocery Co. unveiled its newest mega-store at the site of the old McCreless Mall last week. Called McCreless Market, the new 142,000-square-foot store, the fourth H-E-B Plus to open in San Antonio, combines groceries with general merchandise, such as furniture, clothing and expanded sporting goods. The new store also has a Spoons Café, an in-house bakery and a pharmacy, but no one-hour photo lab. There is also a new electronics section that specializes in computers, digital media players and laptop computers. “This store will be able to offer much more services, from pharmacy to bakery and deli, that (the H-E-B store on South Presa Street) could not offer,” H-E-B Plus General Manager Larry Gembler said. “This will give them a much larger location for them for more of a one stop shop.” H-E-B closed its store No. 6, located at 2701 S. Presa St., in advance of opening its new H-E-B Plus at McCreless Market. H-E-B also closed a longtime store on Fair Avenue. REST OF THE STORY

New Lowe's on S. Zarzamora Street

I got a call from an excited lady saying when's the new Lowe's on South Zarzamora Street opening?

I didn't know Lowe's was opening a South Side store. I found out not only were they opening one in July, they are opening another one on Goliad Road in 2009.

Here is an excerpt from my story:

A new Lowe’s is set to open on South Zarzamora Street near Interstate 35 South. The new 117,000-square-feet store will feature 40,000 products, as well as an additional 31,000 square foot garden center offering flowers, bushes, trees and garden supplies.

.  Officials for the national retailer said the new Lowe’s would open at the end of July.

"Construction is moving along smoothly at our south San Antonio site," said Maureen Rich, a spokeswoman for Mooresville, N.C.-based Lowe’s. "A store of this size represents an average investment in the community of approximately $18.5 million and creates up to 175 new jobs."

Residents protest H-E-B closings

The S.O.S Group held a rally on Sunday at the H-E-B at 2701 S. Presa St.

Ruben Espronceda, chairman of the S.O.S. Group said no residents or neighborhood associations were given the opportunity to speak with H-E-B representatives on how closing the H-E-B supermarkets would impact the community.

San Antonio-based H-E-B supermarkets is shutting down two longtime South Side stores by July 31. The two closures are in advance of opening its new H-E-B Plus! at the old McCreless Mall, according to H-E-B officials.

The two H-E-B supermarkets that are closing are located at 3524 S. New Braunfels Ave., and 2701 S. Presa St.

Espronceda said H-E-B could harm the community by closing the stores.

"There are several key elements in keeping a neighborhood thriving and growing, including fire safety, educational opportunities and access to retail are the most important," Espronceda said. "Why would H-E-B want to disrupt this delicate balance?"

Espronceda said his group would speak with city officials to see if any compromise can be reached.

The closure of the two stores will likely affect many South Side residents who are used to shopping at them. Patrons of the South Presa Street H-E-B will be more affected, since the new H-E-B Plus! would be more than two miles away.

To help those people who may have a longer commute, H-E-B spokeswoman Dya Campos said H-E-B would be offering free shuttle service through VIA Metropolitan Transit Park & Ride within a one-mile radius of the South Presa Street location.

"We worked with VIA and worked out a plan offering all our customers at the South Presa location free shuttle service to McCreless Market," Campos said. "Customers can go to any bus stop within a mile radius of South Presa Street, and will be able to catch a VIA to McCreless. They just tell the bus driver they are going to H-E-B at McCreless and H-E-B will pick up the tab."

The new H-E-B at McCreless Market opens Aug. 1.

H-E-B closes two Southside stores

San Antonio-based H-E-B supermarkets is shutting down two longtime South Side stores by July 31. The two closures are in advance of opening its new H-E-B Plus! at the old McCreless Mall, according to H-E-B officials. “We will close both those stores,” said Dya Campos, an H-E-B spokeswoman.

Bikini Car Wash reopens

The Bikini Car Wash on South Flores didn't stay closed for long. It's owner, Ricardo Arsate already bought the necessary equipment to reopen, much to the chagrin of many South Side Residents. (Kelsea Burgess cleans a truck at the Bikini Car Wash on South Flores Street last week. photo by Steve Valdez for the Southside Reporter)