SAN ANTONIO—Weston Urban, KDC and TRT Holdings Inc. recently broke ground on Frost Tower, the first development of its kind in 27 years. Completion is slated for 2019.

The approximately 460,000-square-foot class-A office tower in downtown will serve as Cullen/Frost Bankers Inc.'s corporate headquarters. As a part of a public-private partnership agreement among Weston Urban, Frost and the city of San Antonio, the former Frost building was sold to the city and will centralize approximately 1,400 city employees.

“This project has been many, many moons in the making, but I don't think there's any doubt that what we're building has been worth the wait. And we've assembled the dream team–KDC and Clark–to deliver it,” Randy Smith, CEO, Weston Urban tells GlobeSt.com. “We are moving the bar two notches up in terms of both sense of place and quality of space available in San Antonio. Companies with a sophisticated approach to attracting and retaining the type of talent needed in the knowledge economy already know the value of both of those things.”

The tower will include approximately 430,000 square feet of office space, a 400,000-square-foot wraparound parking facility at its base, 20,000 square feet of ground floor retail, and 10,000 square feet of tenant amenity space including a fitness center and lounge.

JLL will lead the office leasing effort and San Antonio-based REATA will handle the retail leasing. Frost will lease more than 60% of the building on a long-term lease, including a retail branch on the ground floor.

“Frost Tower will be an icon of the downtown San Antonio skyline,” said Steve Van Amburgh, CEO, KDC. “This project will truly be a best-in-class workplace with unparalleled amenities both within the tower and through direct access to ground floor retail and green space.”

Designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli, Frost Tower has a design based on the tradition of classic skyscrapers. The 23-story silhouette on the skyline provides a connection to the central business district.

“Over the next two years we'll watch, as a community, this tower rise above a long dormant stretch of West Houston Street and downtown San Antonio,” said Smith. “The teamwork and collaboration necessary to arrive at this point are a testament to the collective spirit of San Antonio and its leaders in both the public and private sectors. The buzz around the city's substantial downtown street and pedestrian improvements, the Frost Tower site, and the county's San Pedro Creek project is palpable.”

In addition to Pelli Clarke Pelli as the design architect, Kendall/Heaton Associates is the production architect, Clark Construction Group LLC is the general contractor and Gustafson Guthrie Nichol is the landscape architect.

“This landmark public-private project is so important to San Antonio, not only because it benefits our municipal operations and saves taxpayers money, but because it builds an authentic and unique urban environment and enhances a quality of life in our downtown that attracts residents, businesses and visitors alike,” said mayor Ivy R. Taylor, city of San Antonio.

SAN ANTONIO—Weston Urban, KDC and TRT Holdings Inc. recently broke ground on Frost Tower, the first development of its kind in 27 years. Completion is slated for 2019.

Instant Insights /

Developer Says Frost Tower Worth the Wait

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