AGENDA - San Antonio Housing Authority

TRANSFORMATION PLANImproved bike- and car-share programs should beexpanded to the Eastside Neighborhood.Initiate street calming efforts withincommercial/retail corridors. Consider areduction in lanes, bike lanes, bump-outs,increased on-street parking, and other measuresto slow traffic.Improve pedestrian street crossing conditions.Add pedestrian crossing signage, enhancedpavement markings and lighting atkey intersections including Burnet, Lamar,and Houston Streets where they intersectwith New Braunfels.Address issues across the study area thatdiscourage walking. Prioritize improvementsto existing pedestrian facilities; considerusing pedestrian and multimodal level-ofservicemeasures for design of key intersections;focus on safety and access.Education CorridorWhile education initiatives will be fully addressedwithin the People TransformationPlan, highlighting the study area’s importanteducational institutions will have a positiveimpact by demonstrating that the communityis committed to prioritizing education.• Install “education corridor” bannersalong Mittman and Walters Street.• Collaborate with schools, NowCast andthe Promise Neighborhood initiative todevelop an active social media educationalcampaign to reach a broader andmore diverse market. An aggressive printmarketing campaign will also be utilizedat key locations across the neighborhood.Economic OpportunityThe City of San Antonio is an integralpartner in the pursuit of a dynamic andeconomically viable Choice Neighborhoodon the City’s eastside. The San AntonioHousing Authority will lead this effort in collaborationwith the City and other businessentities such as San Antonio for Growth onthe Eastside (SAGE).EXPAND AND DIVERSIFY ECONOMIC ACTIVITIESPartner with San Antonio for Growth onthe Eastside (SAGE). A key partner to theWheatley Choice Neighborhood Initiative isthe non-profit organization San Antonio forGrowth on the Eastside (SAGE). An economicdevelopment resource and dynamic presenceon the eastside of San Antonio, SAGEprovides support for current business ownersand recruits new business to the Choiceneighborhood and the greater eastside.As a partner in Choice Neighborhood, SAGEhas committed to bring new businessesinto the Eastside community. SAGE will:• Provide economic development grants tonew businesses who wish to be part ofthe community. To qualify, the businessesmust be new to the City of San Antonioand must make employment opportunitiesavailable to area residents.• Provide direct grants to businesses withinthe Eastside Choice Neighborhood Plan.These matching grants will be offered aspart of SAGE’s store-front program.Partner with ACCION Texas and the Cityof San Antonio Business Retention andExpansion program (BRE). Both programsprovide options and alternative paths toeconomic development and vibrant localcommunities. Small businesses and entrepreneursseek funding via these non-traditionalvehicles.EASTSIDE CHOICE NEIGHBORHOOD TRANSFORMATION PLAN49