The Infinity Dimension

 

Cost and Payback Analysis: 

 

The design philosophy revolved around engaging the local community and making Full Goods a destination, and this has made it a huge social and economic success. Full Goods has commanded higher tenant rates and increased demand for future density on the development as a whole.

 

The Pearl Brewery redevelopment has grown exponentially since Full Goods was completed, as existing buildings were adapted to new uses, and new construction began to infill the gaps in between the historic structure. Many developments are planned and underway due to the momentum created by the Pearl’s transformation. As the project has grown, it has increased in popularity and each new phase has been rapidly leased despite less-than-ideal economic conditions.

 

Full Goods makes the business case for green development in San Antonio, as its live/work spaces command lease rates that are 50% more than the city standard.

 

Process and Results: 

 

The Pearl Brewing Company was the largest brewery in Texas in 1916. In the years following up to 2001, the site was eventually abandoned and neglected. The Pearl Brewery redevelopment gives the site new life, preserving its historic character while incorporating new sustainable technology.

 

For over a decade, the design team for the Pearl Brewery has worked to transform the Brewery into a destination embraced by the community. Beginning in 2002, the design team hosted a charrette that included the developer, local historians, city leaders, and local entrepreneurs. The owner, his staff and the design team visited other brownfield site conversions such as Portland’s Pearl District, Vancouver’s Granville Island, Seattle’s Pike Place Market, and The Distillery in Toronto. These precedents were documented and analyzed to craft a detailed vision for the Pearl Brewery development.

 

A local preservation firm developed a historic survey plan to identify the existing structures of historic relevance and strategize how best to integrate the site’s unique historic buildings into the future development of the project. The urban design team then sought to find the highest and best use for each of the existing structures to be reused. In addition, strategies for connecting the development to adjacent arterial roadways as well as to a planned extension of San Antonio’s historic river walk were also integrated into a subsequently developed phasing scheme.

 

The following year, the master planning process began in earnest with another charrette that led to a conceptual master plan that centered the project on the historic Brewhouse and established goals to crafting a meaningful urban experience around it. This was then developed into a phasing plan that called for the initial renovation and focused on the adaptive reuse of Full Goods as the key catalyst project. From the onset, sustainability was a core focus of the redevelopment plan.

 

 

Rating System(s) Results: 

Rating System: 

LEED

 

Rating Date: 

2010

 

Score or Rating Result: 

Gold