

Hays Street Bridge. EXPRESS-NEWS FILE PHOTO

At the end of the day we’re talking about beer. And that helps. Honestly, it helps a great deal.

What those against the proposed Alamo Beer Co. brewery next to the Hays Street Bridge may not realize is that the brand is well-respected in the region. It’s good beer.

That didn’t stop debate from ensuing at yesterday’s planning commission meeting. The committee approved Alamo Beer Co.’s plans to build a brewery on the near East Side.

Read the Express-News story for details.

I support Alamo Beer Co. building a brewery of its own on the near East Side. That said, let’s get something straight. Alamo Beer Co. proprietor Eugene Simor should not be viewed as the savior of Dignowity Hill donning blue spandex and red cape. The Hays Street Bridge Restoration Group  who are, at least, opposed to aspects of the plan  deserve the credit for restoring the bridge. But mostly it’s the people who have decided to move into the neighborhood who are at the forefront of Dignowity Hill’s gentrification, who are there before it becomes fashionably hip, who deserve a pat on the back.

Dignowity Hill has been moving in the right direction because of those people. This brewery would accelerate the growth to a whole new level.

At least it seems so  how the hell do I know for sure?

As District 1 Councilman Diego Bernal said in today’s Express-News story, a brewery there would make the East Side (the near East Side, at least) a destination.

But going back to the nectar of the gods. There is some real potential here for San Antonio to become a beer destination. Like a smaller version of Portland, Ore. There, beer is god. There’s BridgePort Brewing Co., Laurelwood (that $#!@ was good), Deschutes, and whatever it was they sold at various McMenamins locations.

Now look at San Antonio. There’s the potential for an Alamo brewery. A microbrewery called The Granary is in the works at the Pearl. And, of course, there’s Blue Star Brewing Co. down south. Let’s say Freetail Brewing found a spot it liked downtown, now you’re talking about something real, tangible that San Antonio can hang its hat on … THAT’S DOWNTOWN.

The location is perfect. Let’s look at near Broadway for a second. There is some real momentum with almost 1,000 new housing units. And if  when?  street car connects the Pearl with HemisFair Park, then your talking about great opportunity for economic development in those parts of Broadway, and River North as a whole, that nobody gives a $#!& about now. Let’s get one thing straight: the streetcar is for that purpose. Not transportation. And I’m OK with that.

But then, like reinforcements flanking from the east, in comes Dignowity Hill and its new brewery, etc., actually connecting to the Broadway growth. Then you’ll see the barrier of I-37/U.S. 281 truly disappear.

Unfortunately, this proposal is not a slamdunk. I have a little bit of a problem with the sale of 1.7 acres of city-owned land to the company for the same amount as a cash incentive for infrastructure improvements: $295,000. Why not just do it yourself, city, and then collect a lease like you do for River Walk restaurants? We’ll see the details of the incentive package when council gets back from summer vacation.

The biggest problem I have is with the skywalk. Is that necessary? That it’s not the historic portion of the bridge is s lame argument. The structure as a whole is historic. But that’s not even the point. A skywalk, and you’re going to put tables and chairs on the bridge? I get squeamish thinking about it. It has an invasive, “Human Centipede”-ish quality to it. It seems like Alamo Beer Co. is asking for too much.

That’s my only beef.

Here is a project that has great potential to attract investment. And that we’re talking about beer helps.

 Benjamin Olivo

Have any downtown news, event info, hearsay, tips, celebrations, complaints, boastings, updates, breaking news, memories, old photos, etc.? Want to write a guest blog? E-mail me.

Follow the Downtown Blog on Twitter: twitter.com/mySA_downtown. And on Facebook