With $600,000 in revitalization funds, a slew of statistics that attest to the dire economic need of the West Side, and a 17-member board of directors’ slate that includes President Tessa Martinez-Pollack, the City of San Antonio (COSA) has created a non-profit local government corporation called the Westside Development Corp. (WDC).  The WDC is tasked with attracting economic and commercial development to the West Side on behalf of the city.

There has been much speculation about what the WDC initiative means for the West Side.  Some think it will bring large businesses such as Wal-Mart, Target or Home Depot into the neighborhood. 
Others fear some industries might participate in the initiative only to take advantage of incentive packages such as tax abatements but will end up closing their doors as soon as those incentives end.
While the vision of greater economic growth on the West Side stirs up excitement for some and prompts caution for others, there is, nonetheless, “a great deal of interest” in the plan, according to Santiago Garcia, an aide for City Council Member Patti Radle who represents District 5, the council district that makes up the largest percentage of the WDC target area. 

Radle, along with three other City Council members, Roger Flores, District 1; Delicia Herrera, District 6; and Elena Guajardo, District 7; whose districts are, in part, located within the designated zone, are providing leadership and support for this initiative, an effort which some say has been long in coming.
“OLLU is right in the heart of the WDC,” said Susan Schleicher, chief communications officer for the Lake.  According to Schleicher, the university was invited to participate in the WDC process from the start. 

OLLU, along with St. Mary’s University, UTSA and other local institutions and businesses, started meeting in the spring to set the course for the WDC.  Discussions led to a number of decisions, from identifying the purpose of the corporation to proposing how the board should be structured. 
The effort resulted in an ambitious, comprehensive plan that hopes to address the business, housing, finance, education, health, and transportation concerns of the community.
Minutes from a San Antonio City Council meeting held June 8 show that the council passed the creation of the WDC, established the board structure, appropriated funding, established a budget, and approved the hiring of personnel to oversee the operations of the WDC. 

On Nov. 2, the council approved the proposed Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation that will govern the WDC and passed a resolution appointing the WDC board of directors.

The board is a collaboration of different representative categories including school districts, universities, the hospital district, small and major businesses, a financial institution, a nonprofit organization, a faith-based organization, and a housing development entity, all located within the WDC area. 
Of the 17 director positions, only two are specifically set aside for neighborhood residents, an allotment that has raised concern because board decisions will undoubtedly have an effect on local residents, the largest group within the WDC. 

Business encroachment into residential areas and the possibility of rising property taxes are two concerns that have already been voiced even before any concrete plans for the initiative have been unveiled.

According to the Articles of Incorporation, Dr. Pollack holds one slot on the board that secures a two-year term for “the President or a person nominated by the President of Our Lady of the Lake University.” 

Schleicher said Dr. Pollack, as well as the other directors, have committed their time to this initiative.  “If it’s good for the West Side, it’s good for the Lake,” she explained.

The next step for the WDC will be to “hold an organizational meeting to adopt bylaws, elect officers, and consider other issues that come before the meeting,” wrote Ramiro Cavazos, head of the Economic Development Department in one of his last memos before leaving COSA. 

The meeting he referred to in the memo was to be held at the Lake after Thanksgiving break.  So far, COSA and the WDC have no concrete plans for bringing major businesses into the West Side and the project is already behind schedule according to the initial timeline. 
“The wheels turn slowly,” said Schleicher.