From the Lone Star Brewery to the hot real estate market, the best episodes of Commerce Street in 2021
In Commerce Street, a podcast from KENS 5, host Erica Zucco and producer Kristin Dean explored topics about business, the economy and technology in 2021.
San Antonio is a tech-savvy city on the rise with a rich history. In Commerce Street, a podcast from KENS 5, host Erica Zucco and producer Kristin Dean explored topics about business, the economy and technology in the Alamo City in 2021.
The year 2021 saw the continued economic recovery from the devastating affects of the COVID-19 pandemic. As people in San Antonio and around the country reconsidered their careers, many companies had to get creative in attracting staff. Meanwhile, people also reconsidered their living situations, creating geographic shifts and massive demand for housing. And we explored a manufacturing facility in Texas contributing to the development of the life-saving COVID-19 vaccine.
In February, an historic ice storm led to a power crisis in Texas, which could have years of impact on the economy. We also took a look the renovation of the historic Lone Star Brewery and how the expansion of the urban core in San Antonio is affecting suburban towns like Castroville.
Scroll through below to take a look at our best episodes of 2021! And if you have ideas for topics to tackle in 2022, please reach out to Commerce Street producer Kristin Dean.
Housing battleground in SA How the hot real estate market affected your walletbtitle here
"Are you in a situation to be able to compete in this market?"
That's the question that realtor Sara Briseno Gerrish says every first-time homebuyer needs to ask themselves in a real estate market where homes have been getting harder to find for about the last two years.
In this episode of Commerce Street, experts talked about how the seller's market is affecting rent and mortgage assistance programs, how first-time home buyers can still get the house of their dreams and the benefits of buying a home right now.
(From August 2021)
Help Wanted How businesses got creative to attract staff
Construction, trades and healthcare were just some of the industries that were in urgent need of staff over the last year. The pandemic put a pause on services and hiring in many companies, but as things roared back to life, there were thousands of job openings in the second half of the year.
A series of episodes in the summer of 2021 took a closer look at some of the companies urgently in need of staff and some of the incentives or bonuses they are offering. One company increased its pay scale to keep up with the demand, and another company is offered sign-on bonuses for registered nurses.
Lone Star Brewery A site of fascination in SA
The Lone Star Brewery site is one of fascination for San Antonians, and several owners have taken a shot at redeveloping the space since it closed years ago. This year, new owners and developers believe they have the right timing, mission and vision to make it stick.
Plans are underway to develop the historic buildings and massive 32-acre property near Lone Star and Probandt into a mixed-use development packed with apartments, shops, restaurants, art and culture, with input from the community helping to shape options and events at the site.
In this episode of Commerce Street, KENS 5 spoke with Peter French, director of development for San Antonio-based GrayStreet Partners, which is working with Houston-based Midway on the project.
(from March 2021)
Making the vaccine Inside a TX manufacturing facility
In early 2021, Texans and people across the country masked up and spaced out to avoid coronavirus as the COVID-19 vaccine rolled out to those who needed it the most. The hope was that the vaccine would be effective enough to, most importantly, save lives, but also prevent illness, put people back to work and get the economy moving again.
In this episode of KENS 5's Commerce Street, we spoke with W. Jay Treat, PhD, the Chief Manufacturing Officer and Principal Investigator for Texas A&M University's Center for Innovation and Advanced Development in Manufacturing about the center's involvement in vaccine manufacturing, and how the center could lead to more jobs in Texas.
(from January 2021)
The ice storm The Texas power crisis
The winter storm was early in 2021 but it won't be soon forgotten, especially by Texans who suffered through the cold weather without power and had to pay up to fix damage. We learned how unprepared our state was for days of record low temperatures and the toll they took on our power grid. The costs are still being tallied up and could be passed on in some ways to taxpayers.
In this episode of Commerce Street, we took a look at the overall economic impact of the winter storm power crisis. KENS 5 spoke with Dr. Taylor Collins, an assistant professor of economics at the University of the Incarnate Word, and Dr. Thomas Tunstall, the senior research director for the UTSA Institute for Economic Development.
'It is the next Boerne' Castroville experience transformative change
As San Antonio continues a trend of expansion and growth, towns west of San Antonio are seeing that expansion land right on their doorstep.
Castroville is currently home to about 3,000 people and a very unique history dating back to the mid-1800's. A new planned development would add hundreds of homes in the coming years.
In this episode of Commerce Street, the mayor of Castroville along with members of the community expressed their hope to maintain their "small town" feel while also welcoming the new residents. One of the developers spoke about the basics of the project, what makes Castroville appealing to San Antonio commuters and the difference between the town and other surrounding areas like Boerne.
(From December 2021)
Austin vs. San Antonio Their similarities and difference
Austin has grabbed national headlines for flashy companies moving headquarters and operations to the city. Meanwhile, San Antonio has been growing its cybersecurity industry and working to increase the level of residents with higher education and advanced technical skillsets.
In this episode of Commerce Street, KENS 5 spoke with professors in both cities to find out how they stack up next to each other-- and whether there's room for collaboration.
(From November 2021)