A jubilant crowd left San Antonio City Hall on Thursday declaring a big win for East San Antonio.
They came in support of a project that they said could jump-start development near the AT&T Center.
Echo East developer Barbara Gervin Hawkins said, "Hallelujah God!" to the applause and delight of her supporters.
Excitement swept through the crowd when they got what they came for, approval of the sale of 10 acres of city-owned land to the George Gervin Youth Center, a nonprofit organization led by Hawkins for many years.
"When I think of this project, it's not about just bricks and mortar. It's about transforming a community," Hawkins said.
The plan is to use the property and an adjacent 10-acre parcel to build Echo East, which would include new apartments, a boutique hotel, and retail space just one short block from the AT&T Center.
"When I look at that corridor, that AT&T/Coca-Cola corridor, what I see is an opportunity of a lifetime, to train young people to work, to get contractors engaged and also to provide a quality of living space as well as retail services for people," Hawkins said.
Hawkins added that this effort is an extension of the work the Gervin Center has been involved in for years.
“A lot of people don't know, because we don't dance in the end zone, but we've built over $50 million in projects: single family homes, multi-family homes, commercial structures. So this is just an addition to what we've been doing already,” Hawkins said.
Hawkins also said that she hopes the success of the project will be an inspiration to area youngsters.
“Think big, dream big, work hard, persevere and life is yours for the taking,” Hawkins said.
Neighbors called the approval great news.
“It’s going to transform things,” said Keith Toney, who previously served as a District 2 council representative.
"It's about the pride and the dignity and respect that people are going to gain as a result of something like this happening,” Rev. Herman Price said.
“I believe it's going to bring some quality housing to the east side,” said Patrick Jones, who came in support of the plan. “I believe it's going to produce some jobs for the community and we're looking forward to that."
The item was approved without comment on council's consent agenda, even though a staff report listed concerns about the economic viability of the plan.
District 2's current representative, Cruz Shaw, said that the contract includes strong language that will protect the city's interests, since tax money from a TIRZ is being used to make the land purchase.
Shaw said that many constituents have reached out to him to express support of the venture.
The vote by council Thursday provides a Chapter 380 economic development grant in an amount not to exceed $450,000 for the purchase price of the land.
The developers said that conceptual work has already started but it will be almost two years before dirt will turn.