Big Changes Coming as Bexar County Plans $10 Million Purchase of New Employee Facility

Big Changes Coming for Bexar County Employees!

If you’re in San Antonio, you may have heard about the recent buzz surrounding Bexar County’s plans to purchase a vacant building in the Lone Star neighborhood. That’s right! The county is set to buy this empty space for a cool $10 million. The property was previously home to The Children’s Shelter, a foster care provider, and it has much to offer.

A Little About the Property

The building sits on a 1.5-acre plot at 612 Nogalitos St. and boasts a whopping 35,000 square feet of usable area. Along with that, it comes with another 25,000 square feet dedicated to parking and storage. The property is currently owned by CAN Industries Inc. and, according to Dan Curry, the director of the county’s facilities management department, it’s in pretty good shape. In fact, it only recently underwent a remodel in 2021.

Why the Purchase?

But why buy this property in the first place? Well, it turns out that Bexar County is looking to move employees from some of its other locations, especially facilities in the bustling downtown area. Despite the property being assessed at $11.5 million, the sluggish market means the county will be acquiring it for somewhat less. In fact, Curry pointed out that this price is around half of what it would cost to build a brand-new facility from scratch.

Now here’s an interesting tidbit: the county plans to finance this purchase through debt issuance. Pretty smart, right?

Plans for the Future

After acquiring the building, the county is also plotting to invest about $3 million to make it more accommodating. This includes upgrading security measures with security cameras, as well as adding furniture and equipment to enhance the workplace experience. While it’s still up in the air about which departments are moving in, employees currently stationed at the courthouse annex downtown and Vista Verde Plaza will likely be the first to pack their bags.

Speaking of packing, it’s worth mentioning that the added storage space will come in handy for items like air conditioning units and compressors. That’ll certainly help streamline operations!

Support from County Commissioners

County commissioners appeared to be on board with this plan as they unanimously agreed to move forward with the transaction. Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai expressed his delight, stating that the acquisition would significantly increase the county’s available space and help ease parking challenges in downtown.

In fact, Commissioner Rebeca Clay-Flores shared that after her early meetings with various county departments, it was clear that staff members were running out of room to do their jobs effectively. Since then, the county has brought on more positions, scattering some employees across different buildings and floors. Clay-Flores remarked, “I’m really happy to support this so that our county employees can have the space that they need.”

Looking Ahead

It looks like this move is going to make a big difference, not just in terms of space, but in providing a more functional and organized workplace for those serving Bexar County. With the county making these changes, it’s clear that they are investing in the future—both for their employees and the community they serve. Stay tuned for what’s next as San Antonio continues to grow and evolve!