More police presence is coming to one of San Antonio’s fastest-growing areas in the heart of the city.
San Antonio police and City of San Antonio officials broke ground Friday on a new substation on St. Mary’s Street that is being built in response to the high number of businesses, homeowners and people visiting the area daily.
“A lot of people in the neighborhood have been asking for this, a lot of the business owners as well,” said Mario Bravo, District 1 councilman. The new substation is located at the corner of St. Mary’s and Locust streets, just south of the busy strip. The nearly $22 million project is expected to be completed by early 2024. The two-story building will be approximately 24,000 square feet.“It’s all about the growth in the area,” said San Antonio Police Chief William McManus. “It’s going to be much better for the neighborhood. It’s going to make people feel safe. It’ll be a landmark for the strip here.”Officers assigned to the substation will also respond to calls in surrounding areas such as the Pearl, River Walk, Brackenridge Park and San Antonio College. The substation will be a full-service police station with a Crisis Response Team and Property Crimes offices, interview rooms, a community conference room and outdoor public space. “We have 2,300 housing units that are either in design or being built right now in this area. There’s demand now, but there’s going to be even more demand in the future,” said Bravo. Officials said the proximity of the substation to the St. Mary’s Strip and the busy nightlife in the area would also benefit businesses and residents when it comes to crime. “There’s going to be 28 new police officers here. There will be more presence and faster response times for the area,” said Bravo. McManus said, “The presence of a substation in any area provides an added measure of safety that makes people feel safe. The higher visibility, and that’s what this is all about.” St. Mary’s Street resident Alison Beam has lived in the neighborhood for three years and welcomes the construction, which city officials say is not expected to affect the street itself. “You have a lot of businesses along the St. Mary Strip. You’ve got the Pearl, the River Walk, and it’s a good central location for this area. They’re also incorporating the community center and some public art, which will really bring people together,” said Beam. “I think when the construction’s done and having the police substation right here, things are going to improve for everybody, whether it’s businesses or residents in the area.”RJ Marquez is co-host of KSAT News Now and reports for Good Morning San Antonio. He's been at KSAT since 2010 and covered a variety of stories and events across the San Antonio area. He also covers the Spurs for on-air and digital platforms, including his Spurs newsletter. RJ has reported stories for KSAT Explains.
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