Special Purpose Centers
JBSA-Lackland / Port San Antonio
The following section provides the results of the regional center analysis and measures how a center performs relative to the future vision for its category.
This regional center is home to JBSA-Lackland and Port San Antonio, the former Kelly Air Force Base. Redevelopment of The Port, a 1,900-acre site, is creating an economic engine for San Antonio. This master planned employment center and foreign trade zone currently has over 12,000 employees. With only about 40% of Port San Antonio’s land utilized, full development of the site could potentially support an additional 35,000 jobs. Located between I-35, Loop 410 and US Highway 90, Port San Antonio has strong highway connectivity as well as direct air and rail access. Tasks Ahead: This employment-focused regional center will benefit from expanded housing options for JBSA-Lackland and Port San Antonio employees.
Rotterdam, Holland has focused on developing housing in and near historically single use office and industrial areas to create stronger community and decrease congestion.
How to use the Regional Center Profiles
This study uses data from the Comprehensive Plan Initial Studies, the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS), VIA Metropolitan Agency, WalkScore.com and the U.S. Census, including the Location Affordability Index (LAI). The analysis utilizes nine indicators of existing conditions that illustrate differences between the centers. The indicators are grouped by type:
- Social: Job diversity, Housing and Transportation (H&T) Index, Per Capita Income
- Connectivity: Transit Utilization, Walkability, Median Commute Distance
- Mix of Uses Ratio of Workers to Residents, Residential Density, Employment Density
An analysis of potential for land development complements the regional center profiles. It includes indicators for population and employment per developed acre and the percent of acres developed in each center.
The city and stakeholders developed aspirational scores and ideal measures of success for each of the indicators, tailored to the three regional center types. Comparing the existing conditions scores in each center to the aspirational scores shows how each center is performing well and where it needs improvement to reach its potential.
Aspirational scores vary based on the urban form, land use mix and anticipated specialization of each of the three regional center types. For example, Activity Centers have high aspirational scores for transit use and residential density, while these criteria are less relevant for Logistics/Service Centers and Special Purpose Centers based on the descriptions of the regional center types on page 5.2
How well a center is currently meeting its aspirational score is demonstrated by bar graphs. The profiles on the following pages tell the story of each regional center’s analysis. Each one provides:
| Strengths | A |
|---|---|
| Introductory Text | B |
| Locator Map | C |
| Key Economic and Demographic Facts | D |
| Existing Conditions and Aspirational Scores | E |
| Tasks Ahead | F |
| Precedent Photo | G |
