The 1,900-acre Port San Antonio campus, immediately south of the country’s seventh-largest city’s downtown, is home to over 80 public- and private-sector companies and 13,000-plus workers in such fields as aerospace, defense, cybersecurity, robotics, and advanced manufacturing. The campus’ annual economic impact exceeds $5 billion.
In 2015, the Port—located at the former Kelly Air Force Base, which closed in 2001—revealed plans to focus its economic development on the goal of creating 5,000 new jobs by 2020. On February 27, the Port’s Board of Directors authorized its CEO Jim Perschback to negotiate development plans with American Triple I Partners to advance its strategic objectives.
The goal is to “leverage our Port’s unique platform and partnerships to physically and virtually connect the region’s large and well-established nature industries with the region’s innovators, and facilitate commerce and collaboration between then—leading to the development of new technologies that also have applications on a national and global scale and, as a result, drive regional economic growth,” reads the “Tech Port San Antonio” proposal that Port San Antonio presented last month.
The initial phases of the predevelopment agreement would support recent expansions by a growing number of cybersecurity firms moving onto the Port’s campus.
Port San Antonio would convert and enlarge a 130,000-sf industrial facility on its campus for an innovation center and office space for cybersecurity and defense tenants. It would also like to add a space for industrial fabrication. Image: Port San Antonio
The Port is considering a fitout of an existing flexible 130,000-sf industrial facility for an Interim Innovation Showroom and Education Center. The building—which could be expanded to 200,000 sf with the addition of a second floor—would include on its first floor a 36,000-sf 1,500-seat-capacity Technology Arena, a 49,000-sf expansion of the San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology, a 30,000-sf Industry Showroom, and 42,000 sf of coworking and maker spaces.
The predevelopment agreement also envisions150,000-sf of cybersecurity offices for a Security Operations Center, and shared/rentable space for commercial and defense operations, built to meet Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities (SCIF) standards.
The first building of the complex is already nearly fully leased by cybersecurity company tenants such as CNF Technologies and Lockheed Martin
Improvements in one building on campus would add an arena, museum, and coworking space. Image: Port San Antonio
The predevelopment agreement foresees the creation, by 2021, of a 120,000-sf industrial fabrication and laboratory space with about 15,000 sf for open and segmented offices. The remaining, divisible space would offer multiple bays ranging from 20,000 to 50,000 sf. The Port suggests that this building could be located to provide tenants and users with access to the Port’s industrial airport.
The Port plans to pursue the establishment of an “Other Transaction Authority” to facilitate the commercialization of technologies developed through the innovation center and regional innovators, and to provide the government with rapid access to R&D and prototyping.
America Triple I Partners is a New York-based investment advisor focused on infrastructure private equity. Its Chairman and Co-CIO is Henry Cisneros, the former San Antonio mayor who under President Clinton was Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development He also cofounded CityView, an investment management and development firm dedicated to urban living. American Triple I Partners is affiliated with the investment bank Siebart Cisneros Shank & Co. Its team includes William Thompson, who for eight years was New York City’s Comptroller.
Sundt Infrastructure Development is expected to support the investment group during predevelopment.
Following a 120-day predevelopment period established by the memorandum of understanding, during which additional design and feasibility research will be conducted, the Port and Triple I could formalize separate agreements for phased construction of the two projects.
Related Stories
Products and Materials | Sep 29, 2023
Top building products for September 2023
BD+C Editors break down 15 of the top building products this month, from smart light switches to glass wall systems.
Building Owners | Aug 23, 2023
Charles Pankow Foundation releases free project delivery selection tool for building owners, developers, and project teams
Building owners and project teams can use the new Building Owner Assessment Tool (BOAT) to better understand how an owner's decision-making profile impacts outcomes for different project delivery methods.
Fire-Rated Products | Aug 14, 2023
Free download: Fire-rated glazing 101 technical guide from the National Glass Association
The National Glass Association (NGA) is pleased to announce the publication of a new technical resource, Fire-Rated Glazing 101. This five-page document addresses how to incorporate fire-rated glazing systems in a manner that not only provides protection to building occupants from fire, but also considers other design goals, such as daylight, privacy and security.
Green | Aug 7, 2023
Rooftop photovoltaic panels credited with propelling solar energy output to record high
Solar provided a record-high 7.3% of U.S. electrical generation in May, “driven in large part by growth in ‘estimated’ small-scale (e.g., rooftop) solar PV whose output increased by 25.6% and accounted for nearly a third (31.9%) of total solar production,” according to a report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Digital Twin | Jul 31, 2023
Creating the foundation for a Digital Twin
Aligning the BIM model with the owner’s asset management system is the crucial first step in creating a Digital Twin. By following these guidelines, organizations can harness the power of Digital Twins to optimize facility management, maintenance planning, and decision-making throughout the building’s lifecycle.
Sustainability | Jul 26, 2023
Carbon Neutrality at HKS, with Rand Ekman, Chief Sustainability Officer
Rand Ekman, Chief Sustainability Officer at HKS Inc., discusses the firm's decarbonization strategy and carbon footprint assessment.
Mass Timber | Jul 11, 2023
5 solutions to acoustic issues in mass timber buildings
For all its advantages, mass timber also has a less-heralded quality: its acoustic challenges. Exposed wood ceilings and floors have led to issues with excessive noise. Mass timber experts offer practical solutions to the top five acoustic issues in mass timber buildings.
Green | Jun 26, 2023
Federal government will spend $30 million on novel green building technologies
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will invest $30 million from the Inflation Reduction Act to increase the sustainability of federal buildings by testing novel technologies. The vehicle for that effort, the Green Proving Ground (GPG) program, will invest in American-made technologies to help increase federal electric vehicle supply equipment, protect air quality, reduce climate pollution, and enhance building performance.
3D Printing | Jun 20, 2023
World's largest 3D-printed building completed in Florida
Printed Farms, known for completing Florida’s first permitted 3D-printed house in Tallahassee, announces the completion of the world’s largest 3D-printed building: a luxury horse barn.
Mechanical Systems | Jun 16, 2023
Cogeneration: An efficient, reliable, sustainable alternative to traditional power generation
Cogeneration is more efficient than traditional power generation, reduces carbon emissions, has high returns on the initial investment, improves reliability, and offers a platform for additional renewable resources and energy storage for a facility. But what is cogeneration? And is it suitable for all facilities?