Port San Antonio, a defense base established in 2001 to redevelop the former Kelly Air Force Base, is a dynamic technology and innovation campus and is home to several leading global industries: aerospace, defense, global logistics, manufacturing, cybersecurity, and education. Currently, more than 80 tenants employ 18,000 people. The Boeing Center at Tech Port, a technology and event center, is anchored directly across the street from the MIC site. The site is served by air, rail, and road. The surrounding area is undergoing numerous urban regeneration initiatives, either in the planning stages or underway, including multimodal street improvements and connection to a greenway and trail system.

The MIC site includes 30 extant residential-form structures and garages constructed circa 1920 to 1950, plus approximately 5 acres of developable vacant land. The MIC is envisioned as a mixed-use circular economy innovation campus and as a hub for reuse-focused businesses and organizations to co-locate for the sharing of resources, the creation of public-private partnerships, and the growth of innovative circular companies and organizations.

The site vision includes the rehabilitation of existing structures in a vibrant way and a new mixed-use facility or facilities on the vacant portion of the campus that unifies the site. The overall site development should exemplify carbon reduction, on-site reuse, circular design, urban green space, and diverse, activated, socially-supportive infrastructure.

Expected Land Use: The proposal must include space for City + partner building material reuse and surplus functions, including the intake and storage of materials; workshop space for education and workforce development; and space to convene groups to learn about and implement circular projects.  Expected additional programming includes space for research and labs, shared offices, and event space.

Teams are invited to propose other mixed-use functions to foster a decarbonized, resilient, and accessible environment that results in a more complete neighborhood. A wide range of creative development concepts is welcomed, especially those that include urban greening strategies and public space.

Type of Property transfer intended: Port San Antonio and the City intend to do a long-term lease for a portion or full area of the site. The terms and duration conditions are open for teams to  propose.

"The City of San Antonio is thrilled to partner with C40 for this year’s competition, which will demonstrate the climate and cultural impacts of reinvesting in existing buildings while creating a first-of-its-kind circular economy campus focused on cultivating a green workforce, improving public health, and advancing affordable housing repair and production. We look forward to project proposals from visionary teams that are eager to invest in San Antonio, and who share our vision of making our city a national and global leader in demonstrating how reuse results in resilience." Mayor of San Antonio, Ron Nirenberg