District 4 & 5 Councilmembers Highlight Ordinances that Secure Port Sa

Published on June 23, 2022

District 4 & 5 Councilmembers Highlight Ordinances that Secure Port San Antonio’s Historic Bungalow Colony in Service of a Sustainable Future

SAN ANTONIO (June 23, 2022) — At today’s A-Session, City Council approved two ordinances related to the establishment of the Bungalow Colony at Port San Antonio as the City-led Material Innovation Center. District 4 Councilwoman Dr. Adriana Rocha Garcia and District 5 Councilwoman Teri Castillo, respectively, praised the items from the dais.
 
The ordinances place San Antonio firmly on a path toward the long-awaited Deconstruction ordinance and the reuse of salvaged housing materials. One of the items establishes the development of a rehabilitation plan for the Bungalow Colony at Port San Antonio as the new Material Innovation Center, while the other authorizes the Bungalow Colony as the site of operation for the Office of Historic Preservation’s Living Heritage Trades Academy.
 
“The additional grant funding approved by Council, thanks to the leadership of our District 4 and District 5 Councilmembers, is a true win-win.” Jim Perschbach, President and CEO of Port San Antonio, continued, “It preserves our proud heritage at the Bungalow Colony, and it empowers program participants with new in-demand skills that will shape their career paths for years to come.”
 
“Not only is the City of San Antonio honoring its commitment of preserving historic sites like the Bungalow Colony and promoting sustainable initiatives though the Office of Historic Preservation, but we are also providing youth with apprenticeship opportunities, hands-on training and instruction focused on building and construction methods,” stated The District 4 Councilwoman, “Preserving existing housing stock continues to be one of the most effective affordable housing policies that merits prioritization as we develop our City’s FY2023 budget.”
 
“This partnership between the Office of Historic Preservation and Port San Antonio is the open window of opportunity that could address the compounding housing and climate crises we currently face today, The District 5 Councilwoman continued, “San Antonians deserve a City that has the tools to repair and preserve homes, while reducing the harmful effects demolitions have on our established communities and our environment all while creating more green jobs.”
 
“Together, the Material Innovation Center and Living Heritage Trades Academy support increased access to affordable materials while growing our local tradespool to make renovation more cost-competitive,” said Shanon Shea Miller, Director of the Office of Historic Preservation. “We are building a program that promotes equitable access of resources, generates local economic prosperity, and ensures a more economically, culturally, and environmentally resilient city for decades to come.”
 
The Material Innovation Center could provide materials and support for existing City of San Antonio repair programs like REHABARAMA, Minor Repair, and the Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation and Reconstruction. By reusing the same construction materials our elders built decades ago, we’re one step closer to creating a circular building trades economy in San Antonio that is in-line with the City’s Climate Action Adaptation Plan and the Strategic Housing Implementation Plan.