San Antonio is more than 300 years old now and just hitting its stride. It’s already a great place to raise a family and entertain out-of-town guests, and soon we will have even more choices of things to do. Have a look at many of the new shops, attractions, restaurants, schools, and more that are coming to San Antonio in 2019 and beyond.
Retail
Moms are revving their shopping carts for the opening of IKEA in Live Oak on February 13, 2019. Read more: San Antonio Express-News; San Antonio Current.
The Bevy Hotel, a boutique hotel and conference center, will open in Boerne in 2019. Read more: San Antonio Express-News; San Antonio Business Journal.
Also in Boerne, Buc-ee’s is expected to open in 2019. Read more: San Antonio Express-News; KSAT.
Movie buffs will enjoy several new theater complexes. Flix Brewhouse bought land on the Far West Side, in the Alamo Ranch area. Read more: San Antonio Express-News; San Antonio Business Journal. On the Northeast Side, in Cibolo and Schertz, two large developments are planned for the same area. Cibolo Crossing will host a Santikos theater complex and more retail options. Read more: San Antonio Express-News; Rivard Report; KSAT. In Schertz, The Ranch at Old Wiederstein will feature a movie-and-bowling complex by EVO Entertainment and an outdoor amphitheater for live events. Read more: San Antonio Express-News; San Antonio Business Journal; KSAT.
Will San Antonio get new grocery options like Aldi and Lidl any time soon? My Magic 8 Ball says to ask again later. Read more: Business Insider.
Attractions
Downtown San Antonio will welcome a LEGOLAND® Discovery Center and SEA LIFE Aquarium in May 2019. Read more: San Antonio Express-News (LEGOLAND); San Antonio Express-News (SEA LIFE); KENS; San Antonio Business Journal.
The San Antonio Zoo will open a new rhinoceros habitat in 2019, including a 17-foot bronze sculpture and a breeding group of Southern white rhinos. Read more: San Antonio Express-News; KSAT; San Antonio Magazine. The zoo will also add a parking garage by summer 2019. Read more: San Antonio Express-News; KSAT. The zoo has ambitious long-range plans. Read more: San Antonio Business Journal; KSAT.
SeaWorld San Antonio is adding Turtle Reef, which will include a habitat with rescued turtles and tropical fish, and two rides, Riptide Rescue (a spinner ride) and Sea Swinger (a pendulum ride). In Aquatica, Ihu’s Breakaway Falls will be a multi-drop tower slide—the floor will appear to fall away below your feet. Read more: San Antonio Express-News; KSAT.
At Six Flags Fiesta Texas, an interactive gaming experience, Pirates of the Deep Sea, will open in January. Read more: San Antonio Express-News. Six Flags is also preparing a new pendulum ride for summer 2019, the Joker Wild Card, and adding operating days in January and February. Read more: San Antonio Express-News; San Antonio Business Journal.
The San Antonio Museum of Art‘s major summer exhibit will be Men of Steel, Women of Wonder, June 22–September 1, 2019. Organized by the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, this exhibit will explore artistic responses to Superman and Wonder Woman. Also, sometime in the first half of 2019, the museum will receive the gift of a six-ton scholar’s rock from Lake Taihu, near sister city Wuxi, China. Read more: The Art Newspaper.
Ruby City, the new home of the art collection of the Linda Pace Foundation, is expected to open to the public in 2019. Read more: San Antonio Express-News; Glasstire.
The McNay Art Museum’s spring exhibit, American Dreams: Classic Cars and Postwar Paintings, February 14–May 19, 2019, will feature mid-century paintings from its collection alongside classic cars from the now-closed Dick’s Classic Garage in San Marcos. Read more: San Marcos Record.
The San Antonio Botanical Garden‘s GROW campaign is its final stages, adding an education and event space, event lawn, and administration building. These new features complement the Family Adventure Garden.
The Witte Museum has an upcoming exhibit for would-be space explorers: Planet Pioneers, February 2–April 7, 2019.
Urban Air Trampoline Park continues to expand, bringing indoor play to north central (Blanco and 410) and south (SW Military and S. Flores) locations. House of Air is coming to the Northside at 281 and Thousand Oaks.
Worth the drive to Austin: Kalahari Resorts is building a hotel and indoor water park in Round Rock, Texas, that is expected to open in 2020. Read more: Community Impact; KXAN.
Parks
As Heather explained in her guide to San Antonio parks, big and small improvements are happening at different parks around town all the time. Here are some of the parks experiencing the biggest changes in the near future.
For Brackenridge Park, the City has approved a master plan. Soon, part of the San Antonio River will be “de-watered” for a survey, and the San Antonio Conservation Society is planning to restore the pump house. Read more: Rivard Report.
At Hardberger Park, a land bridge spanning Wurzbach Parkway is under construction. It will connect both sides of the park for people and wildlife. Read more: Texas Public Radio.
The Civic Park at Hemisfair is under construction, with completion expected in 2022. Next up: the Tower Park, including the Tower of the Americas and the Institute of Texan Cultures. Read more: San Antonio Express-News; Rivard Report.
Phase 1, segment 1 of San Pedro Creek Culture Park—the stretch from I-35 and Santa Rosa to Houston Street—opened in 2018. The second segment, extending south to Nueva Street, is under construction and expected to open in 2020. San Antonio Express-News; Texas Public Radio.
O.P. Schnabel Park is expanding. Read more: News 4 San Antonio.
On the Far North Side, a major new park is taking shape on the site of the Classen-Steubing Ranch. Read more: San Antonio Express-News; Rivard Report.
Food
San Antonio’s food scene is changing all the time. Here are some new restaurants on the horizon that we are excited about.
At Brooks, Chef Johnny Hernandez will open El Machito and La Gloria restaurants; Southerleigh will also add a location along the Greenline. Read more: San Antonio Business Journal; Flicks and Food.
Hernandez, along with Elizabeth Johnson of Pharm Table and Steve McHugh of Cured, are planning three new restaurants at La Villita‘s Maverick Plaza that will highlight San Antonio as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. Read more: San Antonio Express-News; San Antonio Business Journal; Rivard Report.
La Familia Cortez restaurant group—best known for Mi Tierra Café y Panadería at Market Square—is planning a restaurant at the Rim shopping center on the Northwest side. Read more: San Antonio Express-News; San Antonio Business Journal.
Chocollazo is expanding to Hemisfair. In the same building as the paleta shop, they will open a chocolatier (like their Broadway location) and a candy store called Sugar Sugar. Read more: San Antonio Heron; Flicks and Food.
At the Pearl, the CIA‘s student-run restaurant will relocate and reopen in January as SAVOR, and the old space will be renovated and open as Victoire in August. Read more: San Antonio Express-News; San Antonio Heron; Rivard Report. CHEF, the Culinary Health Education Program, is planning a teaching kitchen at the Pearl; learn more about CHEF in our post about farmers markets.
CommonWealth Coffeehouse & Bakery is opening a new location inside the Burns Building on Houston Street. Read more: San Antonio Heron.
The Good Kind, offering healthy grab-and-go eats, is expanding to Southtown. Read more: San Antonio Express-News.
Shake Shack on Broadway will open in early 2019. Read more: San Antonio Express-News.
Downtown
Besides being a roost for flocks of electric scooters, Downtown is also sprouting new high-rise office, apartment, and hotel buildings. As the skyline changes, we are also on the lookout for new places to visit for date nights and staycations. For a good overview, see this recap in the San Antonio Express-News.
Hotels and apartments:
- A Canopy by Hilton hotel is expected to open in 2020 at 155 E. Commerce Street. Read more: San Antonio Express-News.
- Also on East Commerce, the Floodgate apartments will have ground-level retail and dining space. Read more: San Antonio Express-News.
- A luxurious Thompson Hotel is under construction near the Tobin Center and will include condos, dubbed the Arts Residences. Read more: San Antonio Express-News.
- Floors above the Aztec Theatre will become a hotel with a rooftop restaurant. Read more: San Antonio Express-News.
- A Cambria hotel at Main Plaza will have a second-floor restaurant, a rooftop bar, and a 10-story mural. Read more: San Antonio Express-News.
- A hotel is under construction at 114 Soledad Street; locals may remember a Solo Serve store there. Read more: San Antonio Express-News.
- The Hedrick building will be a hotel. Read more: Rivard Report.
Offices:
- The Frost Tower is already lighting up the sky with color-changing LEDs that outline its distinctive silhouette. The project has about 20,000 square feet for retail and restaurants. No word yet on the planned eateries, but we are ready to dial up a sitter for date night. Read more: KSAT; San Antonio Magazine.
- The Light Building is being rebuilt into office space. We’re hoping they set up the roof for Fiesta parade viewing. Read more: San Antonio Express-News; San Antonio Heron.
- The Burns Building at 401 E. Houston Street is open for offices and is adding a CommonWealth coffee shop, Traveler barber shop, and Devil’s River Whiskey tasting room. Read more: San Antonio Express-News; San Antonio Heron.
- The Kress Building at 311 E. Houston Street and its neighbor (known to some moms as the precursor to The DoSeum) will host a WeWork coworking space and a food hall. Read more: San Antonio Express-News (WeWork); San Antonio Express-News (food hall); San Antonio Business Journal.
- The Soto is a six-story, mass-timber office building going up at 711 Broadway, the former site of Cavender Cadillac. Read more: San Antonio Heron.
- CPS Energy is also building a new headquarters downtown near the Museum Reach. Read More: San Antonio Express-News.
Several banks are locating offices at or near the Pearl: Credit Human, Bank of America, and Jefferson Bank. Read more: San Antonio Express-News. Also, a 20-story tower, including offices, retail, a hotel, and a penthouse, is planned for 1603 Broadway. Read more: San Antonio Business Journal; Rivard Report.
The East Side has new multi-use projects coming at Essex Modern City, the Red Berry estate, Echo East, and the Tobin Estate.
Schools
San Antonio is welcoming new schools of choice for the 2019–20 school year.
- BASIS Northeast, a rigorous college-preparatory public charter school for grades K–5, will open in August 2019.
- Great Hearts Forest Heights, a classical education public charter school, will open in August 2019.
- IDEA Burke, a public charter school offering a college-preparatory education for all students, will open in August 2019.
- Northside ISD will open a Law and Medical Services Magnet at Marshall High School in August 2019.
- Promesa Academy, a charter school serving elementary grades, will open in the 78207 zip code in 2019.
- San Antonio ISD is offering new specialized programs for the 2019–20 school year, including YWLA Primary, an all-girls elementary school. Read more: San Antonio Express-News. Also in SAISD, CAST Med High School will open in 2019. Read more: Texas Public Radio.
As San Antonio’s suburbs continue to grow, school districts are building more campuses to serve the larger student population.
- Boerne ISD will open Herff Elementary School and Voss Middle School in August 2019; both are part of the 2016 bond. Read more: Hill Country Weekly; VWF Post 688.
- Comal ISD will open two new high schools in 2020 and 2021. Read more: KSAT; San Antonio Express-News; Community Impact Newspaper.
- Judson ISD will open Wortham Oak Elementary School in February 2019. Read more: San Antonio Express-News.
- Northside ISD has four schools in development under the 2014 bond and the 2018 bond. Read more: News 4 San Antonio; San Antonio Charter Moms.
- Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD is renovating Clemens High School in 2018–19. The district is planning to open four new schools by 2026. Read more: San Antonio Express-News.
UTSA is planning a massive expansion of its downtown campus. Read more: San Antonio Express-News; Rivard Report.
Last But Not Least
In 2019, you can be a good citizen by voting in elections on May 4 and November 5, plus any runoff elections. Make sure you are registered to vote at least a month in advance by visiting Bexar County Elections or VoteTexas.gov.
Autonomous vehicles, including a ridesharing service from Drive.ai that uses self-driving vans, are already on Texas roads, and will likely come to San Antonio sooner or later. Read more: The Verge; Dallas Morning News; CNBC.
In West Texas, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is funding the construction a clock that will tick for 10,000 years—the Clock of the Long Now, a.k.a. the 10,000 Year Clock. Read more: Wired.
If you’re curious, hop in the way-back machine to visit the 2018 post and the 2017 post. Those were eventful years in San Antonio, right? The year 2019 is shaping up to be full of change and excitement, too.