ALAMO HEIGHTS, Texas – The City of Alamo Heights is growing upward.
Alamo Heights City Council granted Embrey Partners a special use permit Monday to build a new, five-story apartment complex in the 100 block of Arcadia Place.
The permit allows for construction up to 65 feet or six stories, as well as an additional 12 feet above that for stair and elevator towers. Apartment complexes in Alamo Heights are typically limited to 35 feet, or three stories.
Height became the primary concern for many residents, who asked for a compromise on the height allowed under the permit from five floors to four along Arcadia Place and Cleveland Court.
At the request of residents and Mayor Al Honigblum, Embrey Partners Executive Vice President Brad Knolle announced the company would reduce the height to four stories in front of 115 Arcadia Place, a historic home which has been there for 130 years.
When asked by Councilman Karl P. Baker why the developer could not extend that concession along the full residential corridor, Knolle said the lost rentable square footage would result in an “enormous” impact on the construction budget that would not make the project financeable.
Councilman Trey Jacobson said he understood the passionate feelings from both sides, describing the project as a “monumental” change for the community.
Residents told KSAT they believed what was approved Monday would be used as a template for future developments in the city.
“If this happens, if they break the code, if they go over regulations, they can do that anywhere in Alamo Heights,” resident Casey Thomas said, “and they should not be able to do that.”
CPS Energy, San Antonio Water Systems and Alamo Heights Public Works must sign off on the project prior to construction beginning. Embrey said on its website that it intends to begin construction in early 2027.
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