The San Antonio City Council recently approved up to $2 million in funding for the design of a forthcoming community center and park along a heavily industrialized portion of the Northeast Side. This is the first community center in the Northeast Side of District 2.
Council approved funding for the design of the community center and park at a meeting on March 5. The project will be located near the intersection of Eisenhauer Road and Midcrown Drive, surrounded by apartments, suburban neighborhoods and a Pre-K 4 SA preschool.
The project, which will include an affordable housing component, is far from completion; however, officials see it as a way to address limited access to city resources and green space, which has been exacerbated by industrialization. In a news release following the council’s approval, District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez said the project could address a loss of green spaces amongst a large number of warehouses and industrial facilities.
“It is an honor to have facilitated the acquisition of this property and to prepare a shovel-ready project that will yield tangible benefits for a community that has long felt neglected,” he said.
Denise Hernandez-Borrego, the office’s policy director, told MySA via email that the park is unnamed, and future amenities and features would be determined through community engagement efforts after an architect is selected. Solicitation for a consult and work on the project’s design could take anywhere between 18 and 24 months.
District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez said the project could address a loss of green spaces amongst a large number of warehouses and industrial facilities. (Mason Hickok for MySA)
80 units of affordable housing planned for site
Hernandez-Borrego said the councilman reached out to the San Antonio Housing Trust (SAHT) with interest in developing the eight-acre parcel after driving along it “for the past several years.”
From April 2025 through October 2025, SAHT held several community engagement surveys to discuss best use cases for the property. The results pointed to a “strong preference for affordable older adult housing,” according to request for proposal (RFP) documents filed by SAHT on February 10, 2026.
Supportive housing elements, such as case management, mental and behavioral health counseling and financial literacy services, could be included with the housing component, according to the RFP documents.
The low-density housing units – 80 in total – would be designed for the older adult population. SAHT had acquired the land through an Inner City Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) #11 grant, according to the city news release. City documents indicate SAHT purchased the acreage on September 3, 2024.
SAHT, which will lead the delivery of the affordable housing component, will be the property’s long-term owner. The RFP documents stated that San Antonio could propose funding the construction of the park and community center through a 2027 General Obligation Bond. For financing purposes, SAHT would pursue a 2027 round of 9% Low Income Housing Tax Credits, according to the RFP documents.
In addition to the community center, park and housing elements, extended sidewalks and an improved intersection on Eisenhauer Road are also planned. Traffic calming elements are also planned along a portion of Midcrown Drive.
District 2 hopes to address lack of city facilities
District 2 officials, when discussing the project, pointed to a lack of city facilities and community spaces in the Northeast Side of the district.
“With the increase in industrial development, the need to preserve and create accessible green spaces is significant,” Hernandez-Borrego said.
This community center would be the first in this part of the district, which encompasses space east of Loop 410. Inside the loop, there are at least four community centers and four open play areas, a city map showed.
Hernandez-Borrego said this project is similar to a separate 12-acre project within the footprint of Copernicus Park. The latter will include a “senior center and affordable housing development,” she said.
The park space’s development aligns with McKee-Rodriguez’s goal of building eight new parks in District 2.
As it stands, Hernandez-Borrego said a new space in the Park Village neighborhood is complete. Two more parks, including the planned Eisenhauer and Midcrown site, are under design. The district is looking to acquire “two to three properties this year,” she said.
This article originally published at San Antonio approves $2M for first Northeast Side community center, park.