Comments on: Conference center, hotel bolster tourism ambitions

By: Ted Marchut

Ted Marchut — Tue, 27 May 2008 16:34:04 +0000

Also, many of the guests there will likely be here because of the university and the Outlet Mall. They will not necessarily be new faces. There will be some, to be sure, but the hotel will not be booked solid with people who would not otherwise have been here.

By: Ted Marchut

Ted Marchut — Tue, 27 May 2008 16:30:56 +0000

I question how much of the development is to support that conference center. Development in that area has been nearly continuous since long before the conference center was planned, from outlet mall expansions, to the Honda, Nissan, Dodge and Toyota dealerships, to the Starplex and the new shopping center with Best Buy, Sam’s etc, and on and on, there has not really been a shortage of development there and it is unlikely that the 1,000 out of town guests for the conference center register as much more than a blip compared to the 7 million visitors for the Outlet Mall and tens of thousands of cars that pass by each day on 35.

Like any other development on that stretch, the conference center adds to the draw, but it is part of a cumulative impact. I doubt it is a significant driver for development in and of itself.

By: Dan

Dan — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:26:45 +0000

My comments make both points, Ted. The conference center would not have benefitted from this additional development above the river, because it would not have been there. Obviously not every bit of development on I-35 is because of this facility. However, a lot of additional development occurs around conference centers throughout the country to serve the 350-1000 guests that arrive from out of town. To see a financial return was supposed to be the rationale of the city to invest millions into this project. It was poor fiscal judgement all along to consider allowing this above the river.

By: Apache Fog

Apache Fog — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:07:29 +0000

IH-35 is an economic engine that will keep San Marcos prosperous. The conference center is a nice addition but I don’t think it’s possible to say how much other development can be attributed to it. The reconfiguration of the ramps between WW and McCarty is a good thing and our city officials need to do all they can to work with TxDot and private developers to add or reconfigure other ramps. Good ramp placement can add tremendous value to land. The Posey Rd overpass needs to be rebuilt and a Posey overpass over the RR tracks installed now, before more development occurs and the price goes up.

By: Ted Marchut

Ted Marchut — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:28:54 +0000

I’d bet most of that development is being driven by the Outlet Mall, as well as the growth along the IH35 corridor in general, just as these factors make the location attractive to the conference center. If the conference center was built above Aquarena Springs, all of this development would have almost certainly happened on 35 anyway.

If your point is that the conference center would not have benefited from this development, if it were above Aquarena Springs, I’ll buy that. If your point is that the development would not have happened (which sounds like your point, based on the tax base comment), you’re way off.

By: Dan

Dan — Tue, 27 May 2008 01:44:42 +0000

It may seem boring and close to the highway, but the article was about all the additional development being generated around the facility. Development that would never have been possible above the river. One of the main reasons they are booking large conferences is because of the current location being close to the outlets.

By: Apache Fog

Apache Fog — Mon, 26 May 2008 18:20:56 +0000

I was on that Aquarena property recently. What a grand location for a resort hotel. Views, woods. Instead, crap. I hope the hotel is succesful but I sure wouldn’t want to go to a conference there. It all turned out for the best since the woods will remain but still, the current hotel location is BORING. Could they have placed it any closer to the freeway?

By: Dan

Dan — Sun, 25 May 2008 17:35:08 +0000

Very little of this additional development or the resulting tax base and increase in tax dollars would have occured if this was built above Aquarena Springs.