What Happened to the Project Vicinia in San Antonio Texas: How’s It Going and Why It Stalled?

The development world in San Antonio has been no stranger to ambitious dreams and grand master plans. Among those is Project Vicinia, a concept that once promised to revolutionize urban life on the city’s far West Side. But as time passed, questions began to circulate: what happened to the project Vicinia in San Antonio Texas? Why hasn’t the promised transformation materialized? Where does the project stand today?

This article explores the history, vision, delays, and current status of the Vicinia project through a comprehensive lens, while analyzing the broader implications it has for urban development in the region.

The Grand Vision Behind Project Vicinia

When first announced in 2019, Project Vicinia was hailed as one of the most transformative urban plans San Antonio had ever seen. Designed as a 97-acre master-planned community, Vicinia was intended to become a walkable, mixed-use development inspired by principles of New Urbanism.

The plan included:

• Residential homes (townhomes, condominiums, apartments)
  
• Retail stores and cafes
  
• Civic buildings and office space
  
• A central public square
  
• Bicycle lanes and walkable infrastructure
  
• Connections to public transit and green spaces
  

Developers envisioned a European-style urban village where residents could live, work, shop, and relax—all within a 10-minute walk from their home. The project was intended to support San Antonio’s broader goals of sustainable, higher-density development and reduce dependence on cars in a historically suburban part of the city.

Location: A Strategic Investment

Vicinia is located near West Military Drive and Potranco Road in San Antonio’s fast-growing far West Side. This area has seen rapid population growth over the last decade, making it an ideal candidate for a mixed-use, transit-oriented neighborhood. The developers, operating under PMI 2016, believed the location could serve as a model for urban design in suburban settings.

Approximately 59 acres of the land were purchased from VIA Metropolitan Transit, the regional public transportation authority, who had originally considered using the land for a transit hub.

Public and Governmental Support

In its early stages, the project received a warm welcome from city officials and community leaders. As part of the city’s 2017 bond package, Vicinia was awarded $10.8 million for infrastructure improvements. These funds were used for:

• Road construction
  
• Bike lanes
  
• Sidewalks
  
• Drainage and stormwater systems
  

The developers also contributed nearly $4 million worth of engineering services and right-of-way access in support of the public infrastructure work.

With both public and private money involved, expectations were high. By 2020, initial infrastructure was in place. Roads were paved, curbs installed, and sidewalks constructed. Yet, by mid-2025, that’s where the progress seems to have stopped.

The Pandemic Disruption

One of the major roadblocks that impacted the development was the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The timing of the pandemic proved disastrous for the next phase of Project Vicinia.

• Financial markets tightened.
  
• Construction costs rose.
  
• Labor shortages became common.
  
• Interest in high-density living shrank temporarily.
  

As a result, the initial momentum stalled. Many of the homebuilders and investors who had shown early interest in the project either pulled out or put their involvement on hold indefinitely.

Economic Headwinds and Rising Costs

The real estate market faced continued challenges even after pandemic restrictions were lifted. Rising interest rates, inflation, and record-high insurance premiums made financing large-scale residential or commercial development much more difficult.

Developers cited the following economic pressures:

• Cost of materials increased dramatically post-pandemic.
  
• Insurance rates for multifamily housing developments surged.
  
• Lenders became hesitant about funding long-term, high-density projects.
  

As these costs piled up, the financial feasibility of Project Vicinia began to look uncertain. Despite the site being shovel-ready with public roads in place, no vertical construction began.

Missed Opportunity in 2022 Bond Package

Hoping to revive progress, the developers submitted a proposal for an additional $18 million in funding from the city’s 2022 bond program. These funds would have supported the construction of a multi-use parking garage to serve both future residents and a proposed VIA transit hub.

However, the request was denied.

City leaders decided not to allocate the funding, stating other projects ranked higher in terms of priority and public need. The rejection of this request dealt a serious blow to Vicinia’s momentum and left developers with fewer options to incentivize partners.

The VIA Transit Hub That Never Materialized

A key component of Vicinia’s appeal was its location next to land owned by VIA. Originally, the idea was to integrate a transit hub into the neighborhood to promote walkability and access to public transportation.

Yet, VIA Metropolitan Transit never advanced its own plans for the site. As years passed, no firm commitment came from the agency to develop a transit station at Vicinia. Without this component, one of the central pillars of the “transit-oriented development” concept weakened, making the project less attractive to investors focused on sustainability.

Legal and Administrative Complications

Vicinia also got caught in controversy when a former city official — previously involved in development services — was found to have issued false letters targeting unrelated property owners for code violations. Although Vicinia wasn’t directly involved, the association with administrative misconduct cast an unwanted shadow over development efforts.

While no legal charges were brought against the Vicinia project or its developers, the bad publicity may have further cooled investor confidence.

What Exists Today at the Vicinia Site?

As of mid-2025, the Vicinia site stands as a puzzling symbol of unfulfilled ambition.

Here’s what currently exists:

• Roads, sidewalks, curbs, and bike lanes
  
• Drainage and stormwater systems
  
• Clean and ready land parcels
  
• Zoning approvals still intact
  

But what’s missing is more glaring:

• No homes
  
• No retail shops
  
• No office buildings
  
• No civic spaces or central square
  

To the average passerby, the site looks like a large, unused patch of land with brand new roads and no buildings.

Developers’ Current Stance

Despite setbacks, the developers maintain that the project is still alive. They state that the master plan remains unchanged and that they are actively looking for builders and commercial partners who align with the project’s original vision.

However, the absence of construction over the last five years raises questions about whether the developers can realistically secure the support and capital needed to continue.

Why Hasn’t Anyone Built Yet?

The hesitation from builders stems from several overlapping factors:

• The cost of building mixed-use communities is higher than traditional subdivisions.
  
• Long-term returns take years to materialize, making the project unattractive to short-term investors.
  
• The site lacks the foot traffic or nearby transit infrastructure that usually supports mixed-use developments.
  

Some experts also suggest that the city’s zoning and permitting process for these types of developments can be lengthy and complex, which further deters prospective developers.

Community Reaction

Local residents have shown mixed reactions to the stalled project.

• Some are frustrated by the lack of progress, pointing to it as an example of government waste or failed private planning.
  
• Others remain hopeful that the site can still become something special if properly managed and revived.
  
• A few have called for converting the land into a park or educational campus if private development proves unworkable.
  

Community members have also expressed concern that the unfinished development might attract illegal dumping or other nuisances if left unattended.

Could Vicinia Still Be Revived?

Despite the delays, there is still potential for Vicinia to be completed—though likely with a revised timeline and potentially a scaled-down version of the original concept. The land is already prepared, zoning is in place, and infrastructure is complete.

If economic conditions stabilize and developers regain confidence in urban infill projects, Vicinia could attract new interest. Alternatively, the original developers might sell portions of the land to third parties for segmented development.

Another possibility is that a public-private partnership could emerge to reimagine the site for civic, educational, or hybrid use.

What the Vicinia Case Teaches Us

The story of Vicinia provides valuable lessons in urban development:

1. Infrastructure alone doesn’t guarantee construction.
   
2. Public funding must be paired with active private sector commitment.
   
3. Pandemic disruptions can derail even the most well-conceived plans.
   
4. The success of transit-oriented projects often depends on transportation agency collaboration.
   
5. Urban infill and mixed-use developments are complex and require long-term planning horizons.
   

Conclusion

So, what happened to the project Vicinia in San Antonio Texas? The answer is layered. While the vision was grand and the first steps promising, the pandemic, economic challenges, lack of public transit collaboration, and shifting investor priorities brought the project to a standstill.

The land remains prepared, the concept remains valid, but actual construction has yet to begin. The future of Vicinia now depends on whether the right mix of market conditions, builder interest, and city support can come together to resurrect a vision that once aimed to transform how San Antonio grows. blogvista.co.uk