O’Neill Conrad to Design Youth Facility; Pearl Redevelopment Tops Off

By Camelia Bulea, Associate Editor

Local firm O’Neill Conrad Oppelt Architects was recently chosen to design the first of three buildings for Kendall County 4-H and Junior Livestock Joshua Springs Park and Preserve. The 63,000-square-foot facility will feature an equestrian and livestock arena/show ring, spectator stands, livestock pens, horse stalls, wash racks, bathrooms and RV hookups.

The project last year received a grant from Texas Parks & Wildlife for the construction of a pavilion on a 33-acre site. Additionally, Kendall County requested the state to fund $500,000, a sum granted with the condition that the organizations match it dollar for dollar.

According to the San Antonio Express-News, structure works to the first building, called the Kendall County Youth Agriculture & Equestrian Center, would begin next year. The new center is planned to eventually hold three large buildings. The final stage will be able to host meetings in a multi-use center, as well as exhibitions and dancing. Moreover, officials of the 4-H Horse Club plan a full range of projects within the new center, such as archery, team-building, environmental studies, rainwater catchment and work on food plots.

In other real estate news, the first of the four buildings in the Pearl Parkway project developed on the former Pearl Brewery site was inaugurated by its developer, Silver Ventures. The redevelopment project will bring additional multifamily residential, retail, restaurant and office space to the San Antonio community. The San Antonio Area Foundation will occupy 18,000 square feet of space in the Lab Building, which should be ready for move-in next June.

The project is an important part of the San Antonio River Walk extension, as by the summer of 2012 it will offer more than 300 residential units. A long-term plan also includes a hotel designed by Ford, Powell & Carson Architects.