San Antonio is two degrees of separation. If you don't know someone, you know someone who does. And for Omar Gonzalez, that's exactly how he built a career at the center of the city's most transformative development.

In this episode of Breaking Ground SA, Stephanie Reyes and Rob Killen sit down with Omar Gonzalez, Director of Development for Oxbow, to trace his unlikely path from the streets of West Philadelphia to the banks of the San Antonio River.

From doing early economic analysis on the original Spurs arena decision, to spending a decade reshaping Hemisphere into Yanaguana Garden, to now leading some of the most ambitious mixed-use projects in the city's history, Omar brings a rare combination of sharp finance instincts, deep community roots, and genuine love for San Antonio.

They cover the origin story behind Yanaguana Garden, the bet on parking that almost broke during COVID, the vision for Pearl's next chapter including Cooper's Row and the Isletta office project, and why Omar believes San Antonio is still on the cusp of its most exciting transformation yet.

If you care about where San Antonio is headed, who is building it, and what it actually takes to bring a city to life, this episode is for you.

Chapters:

• (01:00) Omar's Roots: Growing Up in San Antonio
• (04:30) Wharton, West Philly, and Coming Home
• (08:45) The Original Spurs Arena Study
• (11:00) Kelly Air Force Base and the Birth of Port SA
• (16:00) From Consulting to Doing: The Career Pivot
• (21:30) Mexico, the Financial Crisis, and Starting Over
• (31:00) Connecting to Pearl and the San Antonio Way
• (36:00) Building Hemisphere and the Story Behind Yanaguana Garden
• (44:00) Parking Bets, COVID, and the Pearl Expansion
• (52:00) The New Spurs Arena and What It Means for the City
• (56:00) Cooper's Row, Perlin House, and What's Next at Pearl
• (59:00) What San Antonio Does Better Than Any Other City
• (01:02:00) The Honest Challenges: Education and Mass Transit
• (01:06:00) Rapid Fire and What Omar Would Tell His Younger Self

Links and Resources:

• RECSA - Real Estate Council of San Antonio https://recsanantonio.com/
• Oxbow Development - https://oxbowdevelopment.com/

Sponsor Links:

• Security Service Title Company https://www.ssfcu.org/home-loans/title

Breaking Ground SA is a podcast of the Real Estate Council of San Antonio, exploring the people, projects, and decisions shaping the future of our city. Subscribe for conversations with the leaders driving development, policy, and economic growth across San Antonio and Texas.

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