{"id":22937,"date":"2026-09-11T12:21:41","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T12:21:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=22937"},"modified":"2026-09-11T12:21:41","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T12:21:41","slug":"in-2002-san-antonio-turned-a-1308-acre-air-force-base-over-to-brooks-for-redevelopment-24-years-later-after-3000-jobs-it-is-expanding-beyond-the-base-with-243-acres","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=22937","title":{"rendered":"In 2002, San Antonio turned a 1,308-acre Air Force base over to Brooks for redevelopment; 24 years later, after 3,000+ jobs, it is expanding beyond the base with 243 acres"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-134061340,imgsize-150510,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/the-brooks-development-authority-was-created-in-2002-to-redevelop-the-former-1308-acre-brooks-air-force-base.jpg\" alt=\"In 2002, San Antonio turned a 1,308-acre Air Force base over to Brooks for redevelopment; 24 years later, after 3,000+ jobs, it is expanding beyond the base with 243 acres\" title=\"The Brooks Development Authority was created in 2002 to redevelop the former 1,308-acre Brooks Air Force Base\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Ta7d_ img_cptn\"><span title=\"The Brooks Development Authority was created in 2002 to redevelop the former 1,308-acre Brooks Air Force Base\">The Brooks Development Authority was created in 2002 to redevelop the former 1,308-acre Brooks Air Force Base<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>In 2002, San Antonio turned its 1,308-acre decommissioned Air Force base over to the Brooks Development Authority for redevelopment. More than two decades later, the organisation is looking beyond the former base as it seeks to bring more major employers and development to the city\u2019s Southeast Side.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"2\"\/>The Brooks Development Authority is taking control of 243 vacant acres south of Loop 410 along Southton Road. The San Antonio River Authority is giving the land to Brooks, which will oversee the work needed to prepare the property, including platting and installing utilities and roads.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"4\"\/>The move seeks make large areas of land ready for companies looking for locations for major facilities. Officials said the 243-acre property could be attractive because it is close to highways and railway tracks, as well as a proposed east-west freeway known as the South Texas Parkway.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"8\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Brooks looks beyond the former base<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"10\"\/>Brooks CEO Leo Gomez said the organisation could use the project as a model for working on other large properties in the area. \u201cIf we can do it with this property, we can do it with others,\u201d he said.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"12\"\/>The Brooks Development Authority was created in 2002 to redevelop the former 1,308-acre Brooks Air Force Base after it was decommissioned. Over the years, the former military property has developed into a mix of residential, commercial and public facilities.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"15\"\/>The area now has apartments, single-family houses, restaurants, shops, schools, trails, a hospital, a hotel and manufacturing facilities. It has become a significant development area on San Antonio\u2019s South Side, a part of the city that has historically struggled to attract business investment and public amenities.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"17\"\/>The development authority has attracted companies partly because its land is exempt from property taxes. <!-- -->The area is also designated as a federal opportunity zone and has a tax increment reinvestment zone.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"21\"\/>More than 1,400 people now live at Brooks, while more than 3,000 people work there. The number is expected to increase as additional housing and facilities are developed. Property values in the area have also increased significantly.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"23\"\/>However, about 300 acres of the original Brooks footprint remain undeveloped, Gomez said. <!-- -->The development authority has also been considering opportunities outside its original boundaries for several years. Its focus is on sites within about 3 miles of Brooks.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"27\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Projects outside Brooks<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"29\"\/>In 2019, Brooks acquired 55 acres near San Antonio State Hospital. Part of that property is being used by SAMMinistries to develop affordable housing and supportive services for people experiencing chronic homelessness.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"31\"\/>Brooks has also partnered with developer NRP Group on two projects to build tax-exempt, mixed-income apartments.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"34\"\/><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"36\"\/>Another major property came under Brooks\u2019 control about three years ago, when the development authority purchased 158 acres of a closed golf course. The land is being leased to Arboretum San Antonio, which plans to turn it into a public space featuring different types of trees and plants.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"38\"\/>The latest deal gives Brooks another large property to prepare for potential development. Gomez said the idea grew out of conversations with Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai about having sites ready for companies that want to build major facilities.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"41\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Why the 243 acres matter<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"43\"\/>The effort is aimed at helping San Antonio compete with other cities when companies are considering locations for large projects.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"45\"\/>Gomez and other officials referred to the effort as \u201cProject Oso\u201d. \u201cOso\u201d means \u201cbear\u201d in Spanish. Gomez said he originally believed the Southton property was owned by the county.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"47\"\/>The land is owned by the San Antonio River Authority, which acquired it in 2007 using county funds. The authority used the property to store dirt removed during construction of the Mission Reach section of the River Walk, which was completed in 2013.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"50\"\/>The river authority still plans to use the property for storing dirt connected to its work to restore creeks on the West Side. It has permission from Brooks to continue doing so, according to general manager Derek Boese.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"52\"\/>The property must remain under public ownership. Both the San Antonio River Authority and the Brooks Development Authority are government entities.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"55\"\/>\u201cThis property represents an opportunity to think strategically about the long-term economic future of South San Antonio,\u201d Boese said in a statement.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"58\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Brooks plans to invest in the site<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"60\"\/>The Brooks Development Authority will spend some of its own money to improve the property, Gomez said. It is also likely to seek financial assistance, although he did not specify where that funding would come from. He said the city or county could be possible sources.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"62\"\/>The development authority sees the Southton property as part of a broader effort rather than an isolated project. The goal is to build on the development that has taken place at the former Air Force base and extend that work into the surrounding area.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"64\"\/>\u201cBrooks is not stopping at its boundaries. This region is hungry for development,\u201d Gomez said. \u201cBrooks is a tool our community can use to continue what has happened on the former base in the region, and that\u2019s what we intend to do.\u201d<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/world\/us\/in-2002-san-antonio-turned-a-1308-acre-air-force-base-over-to-brooks-for-redevelopment-24-years-later-after-3000-jobs-it-is-expanding-beyond-the-base-with-243-acres\/articleshow\/134060471.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Brooks Development Authority was created in 2002 to redevelop the former 1,308-acre Brooks Air Force Base In 2002, San Antonio turned its 1,308-acre decommissioned Air Force base over to the Brooks Development Authority for redevelopment. More than two decades later, the organisation is looking beyond the former base as it seeks to bring more [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22938,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22937","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-31"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-brooks-development-authority-was-created-in-2002-to-redevelop-the-former-1308-acre-brooks-air-fo-150x150.avif","medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-brooks-development-authority-was-created-in-2002-to-redevelop-the-former-1308-acre-brooks-air-fo-300x169.avif","medium_large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-brooks-development-authority-was-created-in-2002-to-redevelop-the-former-1308-acre-brooks-air-fo.avif","large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-brooks-development-authority-was-created-in-2002-to-redevelop-the-former-1308-acre-brooks-air-fo.avif","1536x1536":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-brooks-development-authority-was-created-in-2002-to-redevelop-the-former-1308-acre-brooks-air-fo.avif","2048x2048":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-brooks-development-authority-was-created-in-2002-to-redevelop-the-former-1308-acre-brooks-air-fo.avif","blogsy-small":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-brooks-development-authority-was-created-in-2002-to-redevelop-the-former-1308-acre-brooks-air-fo.avif","blogsy-small-tall":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-brooks-development-authority-was-created-in-2002-to-redevelop-the-former-1308-acre-brooks-air-fo.avif","blogsy-small-square":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-brooks-development-authority-was-created-in-2002-to-redevelop-the-former-1308-acre-brooks-air-fo.avif","blogsy-small-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-brooks-development-authority-was-created-in-2002-to-redevelop-the-former-1308-acre-brooks-air-fo.avif","blogsy-medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-brooks-development-authority-was-created-in-2002-to-redevelop-the-former-1308-acre-brooks-air-fo.avif","blogsy-medium-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-brooks-development-authority-was-created-in-2002-to-redevelop-the-former-1308-acre-brooks-air-fo.avif","blogsy-large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-brooks-development-authority-was-created-in-2002-to-redevelop-the-former-1308-acre-brooks-air-fo.avif","blogsy-wide":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-brooks-development-authority-was-created-in-2002-to-redevelop-the-former-1308-acre-brooks-air-fo.avif"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"admin","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"The Brooks Development Authority was created in 2002 to redevelop the former 1,308-acre Brooks Air Force Base In 2002, San Antonio turned its 1,308-acre decommissioned Air Force base over to the Brooks Development Authority for redevelopment. More than two decades later, the organisation is looking beyond the former base as it seeks to bring more [&hellip;]","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36"],"magazineBlocksPostViewCount":1,"magazineBlocksPostReadTime":5,"magazine_blocks_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-brooks-development-authority-was-created-in-2002-to-redevelop-the-former-1308-acre-brooks-air-fo.avif",400,225,false],"medium":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-brooks-development-authority-was-created-in-2002-to-redevelop-the-former-1308-acre-brooks-air-fo-300x169.avif",300,169,true],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-brooks-development-authority-was-created-in-2002-to-redevelop-the-former-1308-acre-brooks-air-fo-150x150.avif",150,150,true]},"magazine_blocks_author":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/author\/admin"},"magazine_blocks_comment":0,"magazine_blocks_author_image":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g","magazine_blocks_category":"<a href=\"#\" class=\"category-link category-link-31\">\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36<\/a>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22937","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=22937"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22937\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/22938"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=22937"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=22937"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=22937"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}