Which big San Antonio construction projects are on track for 2026?

Whether it’s years-long efforts to preserve historic buildings or proposals for a massive new downtown arena, construction and development projects are flowing through San Antonio.

Long-term projects to retrofit community buildings, including Basila Frocks on the West Side and Founder’s Hall on Broadway, will reach their conclusions. City officials also say that construction work on downtown streets could finally be winding down.

We checked in on some of San Antonio’s biggest projects to see how far they’ve come in 2025 and how far some still have to go in 2026.

Basila Frocks sits on the corner of North Zarzamora and Martin in the Gardendale neighborhood on the West Side. Credit: Amber Esparza / San Antonio Report

Basila Frocks opens in January

After seven years of community efforts to preserve the historic Basila Frocks building on the West Side, nonprofit Prosper West is planning to open the building to visitors in January.

“The project is completed,” said Ryan Kuhl, President and CEO of Prosper West. “All the tenants are currently moving in.

The 20,000-square-foot building on the corner of Zarzamora and Martin streets has been used as a dressmaking factory, restaurant, event space and office since the 1900s. Now it will house local businesses, nonprofits, an office for County Commissioner Justin Rodriguez, a coffee shop and a shared retail space for early-stage small businesses.

Kuhl said Prosper West purchased the building in 2018 and has worked with the DreamOn Group, a local developer and property manager, to renovate and lease the space. Prosper West is holding a ribbon cutting for Basila Frocks in December and will open it to the public in January.

“There’s a long history in that building and the surrounding neighborhood is the one that created that,” Kuhl said.

‘Project Marvel’ underway

A rendering of the San Antonio Sports and Entertainment District. Credit: Courtesy / Populous

The San Antonio Spurs secured $311 million in funding for a proposed downtown arena from Bexar County when voters approved an increase in the county’s venue tax in November.

The $1.3 billion arena would be funded by another $489 million from the City of San Antonio and $500 million from the Spurs. City officials and the Spurs executed a non-binding agreement for that money that included a $1.5 billion commitment for downtown development from the team.

The Spurs have not commented on their next steps, but city officials have started to discuss the next stage of negotiations — turning the non-binding agreement into a binding one.

UT San Antonio and the city have largely demolished the Institute of Texan Cultures on César Chávez Boulevard to make way for the new arena. On Dec. 17, the city’s Planning Commission approved a plan to acquire a federal office building and parking lots, also on César Chávez Boulevard.

That 5.7-acre federal property is in the Project Marvel footprint. The Spurs have offered to help the city purchase the land for $30 million. City council members will have an opportunity to approve the deal in 2026.

San Antonio Airport on schedule

Construction of a new terminal and expansion of an older one are running right on schedule, according to Tim O’Krongley, San Antonio International Airport’s deputy aviation director for planning, infrastructure and development.

The airport plans to complete an extension to Terminal A — three new gates that will load passengers from the ground — early next year. That will add 37,000 square feet of space, two levels of seating areas and new food and retail options.

The larger addition is a new terminal and parking garage, scheduled to open in 2028. Terminal C will include 18 new gates and have 850,000 square feet with an indoor courtyard, airline club lounges, concession space and a modern federal inspection station.

A rendering of planned upgrades to the San Antonio Airport with an expected completion in 2028. Credit: Courtesy / San Antonio Airport, Corgan

O’Krongley said San Antonio City Council supported these efforts by guaranteeing the maximum price of construction for the new terminal.

In 2026, the airport will also begin pavement rehabilitation on one of its runways.

Green Line, Silver Line on different timelines

VIA is planning to add to Advanced Rapid Transit (ART) lines to San Antonio in the next five years. These bus lines will move more quickly using dedicated bus lanes and more efficient bus stops.

Construction has already started for the Green Line, a north-south bus that will run from San Antonio Airport to Southtown. So far, construction has focused on relocating utility infrastructure on the planned route, said Celine Dobbs, VIA’s communications manager.

Major construction to sidewalks, intersections and bus stops will begin next year, she added. VIA is scheduling work at night to reduce traffic disruptions.

The Green Line should be 25% complete by July and begin service in 2028.

The Silver Line is at a much earlier stage. Dobbs said VIA will move to its final design stage and try to begin construction of the east-west bus line by the end of 2026. The Silver Line is scheduled to begin service in 2030.

Alamo Plaza is nearly done

Street entrances and roadways to the Alamo, the Shops at Rivercenter, hotels and other attraction in the area remain closed off due to construction along Losoya Street and the former Alamo Plaza road. Credit: Amber Esparza / San Antonio Report

Alamo Plaza may have felt like one massive construction zone in 2025, but parts of the historic site’s ongoing work is reaching completion, said Emily Baucum, associate director of public relations at The Alamo. In May, the Texas Cavaliers Education Center was completed. It will open in March.

The Alamo Promenade, a walkway between the Alamo Plaza, the Shops at River Center and Commerce Street, had a ribbon cutting in November. The Paseo del Alamo, a large walkway connecting the Alamo to the River Walk, will be completed in spring, Baucum said. Those street and walkway completions could better facilitate pedestrian movement through downtown.

Preservation of the walls and limestone foundations, like installing moisture and temperature monitoring, the Alamo Church and long barrack will begin in spring 2026.

The Visitor Center and Museum are still on schedule to be completed in late 2027.

South Alamo Street, Zona Cultura and city street projects

Delays to City of San Antonio street improvement projects have drawn concern from local business owners over the last several years. City officials say two of those projects, often delayed by utility challenges, should be completed early in 2026 and bring improved roads, sidewalks, lighting and landscaping.

Parts of San Saba Street have begun to reopen around the Zona Cultural, the area around Santa Rosa Street, the Historic Market Square and Milam Park in downtown.

The ongoing construction along South Alamo Street has directly impacted businesses like the Magik Theatre and others in the Hemisfair area. Credit: Amber Esparza / San Antonio Report

“This project is scheduled to be substantially complete in January. We were planning to be done in December, but certain items, like traffic signal installation, are taking longer than expected,” said Nick Olivier, public relations manager for the city’s public works department.

Construction on South Alamo Street was originally set for completion in 2024. Olivier said the project will be substantially complete by June 2026. Issues with underground utilities have delayed road construction, Olivier said, but city officials said those issues have been resolved.

The city should finish rehabilitation work for Comanche Park’s trails and historic tower in 2026. Improvements for streets and sidewalks on Culebra and Toepperwein roads should start in 2026.

UIW’s Founders Hall nears completion

Renovations for the University of the Incarnate Word’s new Founder’s Hall are 93% complete, according to UIW spokesperson Michael Valdes, and will be done by the end of March. The university launched efforts to expand its campus into the former AT&T building on Hildebrand Avenue and Broadway in 2019.

The building will house the university’s School of Math, Science and Engineering and the School of Media and Design, as well as the Student Health Center, UIW Police Department and classroom space.

Movement on long-rumored Lonestar Brewery

In December, GrayStreet Partners, owners of the Lonestar Brewery property south of downtown, told the San Antonio Express-News that development company Southstar was trying to buy the land for a large development.

Southstar would not comment on the property, which includes parcels on both sides of the San Antonio River near Probandt Street and Steves Avenue.

“We don’t comment on projects until we own them and have a plan in place,” said Gretchen Howell, Southstar’s chief operating officer.

New University Health Hospitals

University Health is building two new five-story hospitals, both set to open in 2027.

The Retama Hospital should be completed in late 2027 and will bring 146 hospital beds to Northeast San Antonio. The Palo Alto Hospital is being built on the South Side a stone’s throw from Texas A&M University-San Antonio and will have 166 beds. It’s facing infrastructure challenges that are causing slight delays.

Read more about University Health’s new facilities here.

University Health is building its Palo Alto Hospital between the VIDA community and Texas A&M University-San Antonio’s campus. The hospital is slated to open in 2027. Credit: Amber Esparza / San Antonio Report