From the San Antonio Express-News:
In recent years, San Antonio has seen visible signs of growth, expansion and redevelopment. ZIP code by ZIP code, neighborhood by neighborhood, new opportunities have emerged across the city, with one notable exception.
Time has stood still on the city’s Inner West Side, one of San Antonio’s most historic and proudest communities. Although the community sits just blocks from the booming downtown area, it remains there, lost in time and overlooked by the thriving growth the rest of the city is experiencing. Today, the West Side is at a critical juncture. For instance, while the long-standing Alazan-Apache Courts housing community was built in 1940, other historic housing communities in diverse geographies have undergone redevelopment of affordable housing and improved with social service enhancements such as technology, education and health services.
The Inner West Side has been waiting for its moment to advance and accelerate its vital role and services in serving thousands of residents who reside in this community which stretches from I-35 westward toward St. Mary’s University. The interesting dichotomy of the Alazan-Apache Courts is that it is both revered and misunderstood. Most importantly, for generations it has served as home and shelter to thousands of families who contribute to our community’s workforce, culture and vitality as consumers who purchase goods and services from local businesses and the biggest brands in America. Simply put, families who contribute to the vitality of our community and who reside in communities like Alazan, and throughout the West Side, deserve better.
That is why the San Antonio Housing Authority (SAHA) is committed to delivering an immediate upgrade to the Inner West Side by initiating new developments geared toward improving the quality of life of the community. SAHA is proposing to build an $18 million, 88-unit mixed-income, multifamily development in the heart of the historical West Side which comes nearly 85 years after former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt lent her support for the development of the Alazan-Apache Courts. Just south of this new proposed development, SAHA is also proposing to build a $24 million, 200-unit mixed-income development on a 3.7-acre piece of land along Alazan Creek between S. Laredo and S. Frio Streets. Each new development is designed to improve the quality of living for West Side residents including current SAHA residents with modern amenities such as central heating and air conditioning and a resident swimming pool.
Read the San Antonio Express-News' article "It’s the West Side’s turn ," featuring the San Antonio Housing Authority.