In an ambitious move to draw major commercial employers and industrial operations to San Antonio’s Southeast Side, the Brooks Development Authority has finalized an agreement to assume control of 243 vacant acres beyond the perimeter of the former military installation it manages. The substantial parcel of land is being transferred from the San Antonio River Authority, marking a pivotal step in the ongoing economic evolution of the South Side.
The newly acquired acreage is situated south of Loop 410 along Southton Road. Under the terms of the transfer, the Brooks Development Authority will take charge of preparing the site for prospective commercial occupants, spearheading essential site-readiness operations that include land platting as well as the installation of vital infrastructure, modern utility networks, and access roadways.
Regional leaders emphasize that the Southton Road property boasts significant logistical advantages. Its expansive footprint is complemented by direct access to major highways, active freight railroad corridors, and the anticipated corridor for the South Texas Parkway, a planned east-west freeway project. These multifaceted transportation links are expected to make the location highly competitive for corporations seeking space to build substantial operations.
The transaction represents a critical piece of a broader regional economic development strategy championed by Brooks leadership, the San Antonio River Authority, and Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai. The collaborative initiative is designed to assemble, prepare, and market large tracts of shovel-ready land, thereby positioning San Antonio to better compete against rival metropolitan areas for high-impact corporate recruitment projects.
Leo Gomez, the chief executive officer of Brooks, characterized the transaction as a potential blueprint for future regional economic endeavors. According to Gomez, successfully transforming this parcel into a prime destination for corporate facilities could pave the way for the development authority to execute similar land-readiness initiatives on other large plots across the area.
The partnership originated from high-level discussions between Gomez and Sakai regarding strategies to make San Antonio more competitive for large-scale enterprise developments. The partners informally christened the initiative "Project Oso"—using the Spanish word for bear—because Gomez initially operated under the assumption that Bexar County held ownership of the Southton tract.
The San Antonio River Authority originally purchased the Southton Road property in 2007 utilizing financial resources provided by Bexar County. Historically, the river authority utilized the vacant terrain as a storage depot for excavated earth during the construction of the River Walk’s Mission Reach project, which finished in 2013. The agency will continue using the property for dirt storage during its upcoming West Side creeks restoration initiative under an agreement with Brooks.
Because both the river authority and the Brooks Development Authority operate as public entities, the land will remain under governmental ownership. Derek Boese, general manager of the San Antonio River Authority, noted that transferring the site to Brooks represents a valuable strategic opportunity to foster long-term economic prosperity across South San Antonio.
This latest property transfer marks a major programmatic expansion for Brooks, which was originally established in 2002 to oversee the decommissioning and revitalization of the former Brooks Air Force Base. Over the past two decades, the authority has transformed the original 1,308-acre military base into a thriving, multi-use master-planned community.
The converted base now features a diverse collection of commercial and residential assets, including single-family neighborhoods, modern apartment communities, schools, restaurants, shopping centers, walking trails, a hotel, a full-service hospital, and advanced manufacturing plants. The campus stands as a revitalized economic center in a historically underserved section of San Antonio that long struggled to secure private capital and public resources.
Brooks has successfully attracted private businesses by leveraging a suite of economic incentives, including property tax exemptions, a local tax increment reinvestment zone, and designations under the federal opportunity zone program. Today, the campus is home to more than 1,400 residents and supports over 3,000 on-site jobs, with thousands of additional residents and employees anticipated as upcoming commercial and residential projects open.
With only around 300 acres of the original 1,308-acre base remaining undeveloped, leadership began looking beyond the initial perimeter several years ago to sustain regional economic momentum. The authority has formally designated the territory within a 3-mile radius around the historic base as its primary zone of interest for strategic off-site expansion.
The Southton acquisition follows several other off-campus real estate ventures undertaken by Brooks in recent years. In 2019, the development authority purchased a 55-acre parcel near the San Antonio State Hospital, where SAMMinistries is now creating supportive service facilities and affordable housing options tailored for chronically homeless individuals.
Additionally, the development authority has collaborated with private developer NRP Group on two distinct ventures to construct tax-exempt, mixed-income multi-family housing complexes in the area, further expanding the availability of quality residential options on the South Side.
Roughly three years ago, Brooks expanded its environmental and recreational footprint by acquiring a 158-acre defunct golf course. That property is currently leased to Arboretum San Antonio, a non-profit organization that is transforming the open space into a botanical showcase featuring diverse regional flora and tree species.
To prepare the newly acquired 243-acre Southton property for prospective corporate tenants, Brooks intends to deploy its own capital while pursuing supplementary funding, likely through partnerships with the city or Bexar County. Gomez reaffirmed that the organization remains dedicated to utilizing its redevelopment expertise across the wider community to meet the area's strong appetite for economic development.
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