Plan Framework

The NE I-35 and Loop 410 Area Regional Center had 18,600 jobs in 2018 and is forecast to grow by 8,200 jobs by 2040. Employment is generally evenly distributed between medium- and high-wage jobs, with about 40% of the workforce earning between $15,000 and $40,000 per year and about 40% of the workforce earning more than $40,000 per year. The percentage of the workforce earning mid-to-high wage salaries is slightly higher in the Regional Center than in San Antonio as a whole. Unlike other employment hubs in San Antonio, jobs in the NE I-35 and Loop 410 area are not tied to a dominant major employer; rather, multiple employers create the large job base.

Economic activity in the Regional Center has been heavily influenced by its connectivity to several locally and regionally significant transportation corridors. Easy access to I-35, Loop 410, and the Wurzbach Parkway has made the NE I-35 and Loop 410 area one of the most active in the San Antonio region for the trade, transportation, and staging of goods and freight. Almost 20% of the Regional Center’s jobs are within the Transportation and Warehousing employment sector.

While distribution and industrial activities will continue to be an important part of the Regional Center’s economy, the area is also an emerging sports, recreation, and entertainment destination. Within the past ten years, the Regional Center has become home to Toyota Field, Morgan’s Wonderland (the world’s first amusement park specifically designed for those with disabilities), the Northeast Independent School District’s Heroes Stadium, and the South Texas Area Regional Soccer Center. These sports and entertainment destinations are located within the Longhorn Quarry and are part of a larger Master Development Plan (MDP) for redevelopment and adaptive reuse of the former quarry site. The MDP calls for a mix of retail, commercial, and residential development and presents an opportunity for additional economic growth in the Regional Center. Outside of the Longhorn Quarry, a new School of Science and Technology campus opened near Weidner Road and I-35 in 2020. A new multi-family development is also planned in this vicinity.

Although the Regional Center’s location makes it an attractive commercial hub, much of its current retail and office space is older and less desirable as housing growth to the north of the plan area has driven the development of newer, more competitive commercial areas further northeast along I-35. The office vacancy rate in the Regional Center hovers at around 21%, which is more than double the 9% vacancy rate for the County. The retail vacancy rate in the plan area is about 9%, which is also higher than the County average of about 4%.

In recent years, there has been a focus on economic development and reinvestment in the NE I-35 and Loop 410 area. A Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ), federally designated Opportunity Zones, and a commercial property enhancement grant program are financial tools available within the Regional Center to assist with reinvestment efforts.

The NE I-35 and Loop 410 Area Regional Center Planning Team assessed the plan area’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges over two Planning Team meetings devoted to economic development. Highlighted among the Regional Center’s assets are its location within the region, access to major transportation routes, diversity of the employment base, and unique mix of anchor businesses and institutions such as the entertainment venues at Longhorn Quarry, Children’s Rehabilitation Institute TeletonUSA, the Animal Defense League, and the Capitol Aggregates cement facility.

Despite a number strengths and promising new developments, the plan area does face some challenges to its economic growth:

• Uncertainty of Future Connectivity – The Regional Center’s access to major transportation routes is one of its biggest assets. There is, however, some uncertainty as to the area’s future connectivity with I-35 and the Wurzbach Parkway. The planned expansion of I-35 consists of installing upper deck travel lanes with limited access to the Regional Center. Construction of the upper deck will also impact the visibility of businesses to travelers. Additionally, stakeholders in the Regional Center area have identified a direct connection between the Wurzbach Parkway and I-35 as a needed infrastructure improvement. However, there are currently no plans or funding for a direct connection between I-35 and the Wurzbach Parkway. Changing travel patterns can have both positive and negative impacts on the NE I-35 and Loop 410 area business community.
• Lack of Awareness and Regional Identity – Despite its diverse employment base and unique anchor businesses and institutions, the NE I-35 and Loop 410 area is less recognized than other areas in the region as a major destination. The plan area could benefit from organized promotion of its existing assets to attract new visitors and businesses.
• Regional Competition – The San Antonio area has a wealth of tourism and entertainment destinations. As the NE I-35 and Loop 410 Area Regional Center continues to grow as a tourism and recreation destination, there may be limits to its potential due to competition from elsewhere in the region. To overcome this challenge, the plan area should build on its unique assets and visitor base created by Morgan’s Wonderland, Children’s Rehabilitation Institute, Toyota Field, and the youth sports facilities rather than replicate entertainment options present elsewhere.

Based on the analysis of existing conditions and assessment of strengths and weaknesses, target industries and economic opportunities were identified for the NE I-35 and Loop 410 Area Regional Center. The target industries and economic opportunities are meant to help organize the City’s economic geography and provide guidance on the role that the Regional Center can play in the City’s overall economic development efforts. They also give direction to the City and its economic partners as to what areas are best suited for certain opportunities when they arise. The target industries and economic opportunities for the NE I-35 and Loop 410 Area Regional Center are:

• Logistics Center for San Antonio – Connectivity to major regional transportation routes makes the NE I-35 and Loop 410 area attractive to businesses seeking industrial and warehouse space in a central, easy-to-access location. These areas need support and protection from encroachment of incompatible uses in order to preserve existing businesses and help capture future opportunities for small manufacturing, regional distribution, and other industrially-oriented users.
• Destination for People with Disabilities – The NE I-35 and Loop 410 Area Regional Center features a unique concentration of assets in the Longhorn Quarry area that make it an international destination for children with special needs and their families. Children’s Rehabilitation Institute provides rehabilitation care for children across the United States and Mexico with neurological, muscular, and skeletal disorders, while Morgan’s Wonderland amusement park and its companion waterpark, Inspiration Island, are the first “ultra-accessible” parks of their kind in the world. Morgan’s Wonderland also operates an accessible sports complex that is run in concert with South Texas Regional Adaptive and Para Sports (STRAPS), an organization that coordinates and conducts adaptive and Paralympic-style sports for wounded service members and veterans as well as other youth and adults. There is opportunity to promote this area as an accessibly-oriented family destination in order to grow visitation and attract supporting businesses, services, and amenities.
• Live, Work, and Play Center – The master-planned Longhorn Quarry redevelopment aims to be a destination mixed-use community offering housing, commercial, retail, recreational, and entertainment options. The redevelopment has already added major “play” attractions with Toyota Field, Morgan’s Wonderland, and the youth sports facilities. It has also brought the first new multi-family housing development to the Regional Center in decades, with more units planned. To the east of the Longhorn Quarry, a reclamation in support of a new linear park is underway along Beitel Creek. Continued support for the Longhorn Quarry redevelopment is needed to ensure the area reaches its full potential as a mixed-use hub.