<\/p>\n
San Antonio is getting bigger. But what does its future look like?<\/p>\n
mbell\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
San Antonians are looking to the future, but not everyone’s convinced it’s looking bright.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In a post<\/a> on the r\/sanantonio subreddit, locals sounded off on what the future of San Antonio<\/a> will look like after one user wrote that they “have a hard time seeing this city being able to recover from” job loss, data centers, high home prices, urban sprawl and more. In response, Alamo City residents had a lot to say, but opinions differed.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Manufacturing and industry could transform San Antonio<\/p>\n The user who opened up the conversation said San Antonio may be “getting reaped to become a company town to some impending move of a large california based corporation.” However, one commenter\u00a0said, “You actually want companies moving in. Those bring jobs, high salaries and increase your tax base,” and another wrote that San Antonio needs the money and capital that large companies can pour in.\u00a0<\/p>\n To that end, some commenters mentioned an influx of manufacturing on the city’s Southside as a boon that could give residents “an opportunity to level up.” Toyota <\/a>has called the area home for over 20 years, and even more retail and industry are headed\u00a0to nearby\u00a0Von Ormy<\/a>.\u00a0However, many locals under the thread were concerned about water availability if more data centers move in.<\/p>\n San Antonio is only getting bigger, and that means traffic<\/p>\n One commonly agreed-on topic was traffic. In the words of one commenter, the city is headed for “more of the same, just bigger and more crowded.” Another said San Antonio “as a whole is only growing.\u00a0I see it increasing in price as more people are moving into San Antonio and that will make prices for housing increase. All the highways they are improving will help in the long run. So many things are being improved like the airport<\/a>. So it will only get more attractive to outsiders from other states looking to relocate.”<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The numbers back up the idea that San Antonio is getting bigger, as the city recently moved up in the ranks. It finally became the sixth-largest U.S. city<\/a>, beating Philadelphia for the title with a 1.46 percent annual increase, based on estimates. The question is: will housing and infrastructure keep up?<\/p>\n San Antonio needs a stronger community<\/p>\n However, economic strength\u00a0isn’t the whole battle. The original poster said many residents of the booming Far Westside <\/a>regret being so far from the city’s core when it comes to socializing. To that point, one commenter said, “A strong\/connected community is always the backbone of innovation and growth,” and will put more money in locals’ pockets in lieu of large corporations.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n But do locals think that’s achievable?\u00a0<\/p>\n “The sad truth is a lot of people in San Antonio don’t actually contribute to the city as much as they think they do,” one commenter wrote. “They shop and eat at big chains exclusively instead of supporting local businesses, they don’t show up to vote in local elections, and many live outside of city limits so they pay no taxes but are the first to complain.”<\/p>\n