Contact: Leilani Bird 10/21/14 Tel: 210-287-5520 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Email: leilanibird@utsa.edu

CHANGES COMING FOR DOWNTOWN SAN ANTONIO – Florence Butt opened C.C. Butt Grocery Store in 1905 with a 60-dollar investment, since then the company has grown and become H-E-B. This multi-billion dollar company strives for excellence in making surrounding communities better. The inevitable would happen; H-E-B would expand corporate headquarters in downtown San Antonio. This proposed expansion includes an urban grocery store market in the downtown location, additional investments along S. Flores and Southtown, and redevelopment of their first and longest operating store in the Nogalitos neighborhood. The goal is to revamp surrounding downtown neighborhoods and bring thousands of new employment opportunities over the next several years. The growth in the corporate headquarters alone will be slightly over 8,000-square-feet, which includes building an urban grocery store. A state of the art test kitchen facility will be housed nearby, holding 20,000-square-feet of office space for training employees. In the proposal from H-E-B to the city, it is said, “H-E-B’s commitment to San Antonio is tried and true. We understand the need and the goal for continued development of the city’s urban core, and our proposal seeks to rise to the spirit of that goal.” H-E-B’s project to add hike and bike trails to the Commanders House Park, would attract people to the area. Former mayor, Julian Castro, discussed how, “These public improvements are important because we want to make it easier for folks to walk around here and also to cycle around here. It’s making it safer.” The need for change is imperative in many downtown areas and with H-E-B’s generosity to implement such improvements is vital for the community. This is a significant economic development for the city and Castro hoped the community understood how we need this investment to strengthen the beauty in downtown San Antonio. Here everything’s better. For more information, please call 210-287-5520 or email leilanibird@utsa.edu.

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