San Antonio for Growth on the Eastside, Inc. (“SAGE”) is a 501(c)(3) economic development nonprofit corporation serving the Eastside of San Antonio for over 25 years. SAGE has received two significant federal grants totaling $2.15 million. The funding is a major milestone for the organization, positioning it to take on two innovative projects that aim to reverse disinvestment, improve infrastructure, and expand local economic opportunity.
The first grant, a $2 million planning award from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities Program, will fund a project to explore capping and turning portions of the Eastside’s highway system into green, community-oriented spaces. The second, a $150,000 economic development planning grant, will support the development of a vibrant public market complex intended to serve as a retail hub and a catalyst for local business incubation.
“These two projects address different challenges, but they converge on one purpose, which is to restore connection. In both efforts, our mission remains to foster economic development without displacement, amplify community voices, and build a future where the Eastside is celebrated,” says James Nortey, CEO of SAGE.
Since its establishment, SAGE has been a driving force behind the revitalization of San Antonio’s Eastside. With initiatives like storefront grants, small business support, and cultural preservation, it has consistently enhanced neighborhoods while preserving the community’s identity and integrity.
The Eastside has a deep and complex history. “It was once a diverse and self-sufficient area, the home of San Antonio’s Black middle class and a cultural mosaic of Latino, German, and Irish communities throughout the early 20th century,” says Nortey. “But a series of projects changed everything.”
The development projects in the area had lasting effects on the surrounding community. Changes to the neighborhood layout altered access to local resources and impacted small businesses. Over time, these shifts contributed to broader challenges for residents and influenced the area’s economic landscape.
The Reconnecting Communities planning grant from the USDOT is one step toward reversing that legacy. With the $2 million award, SAGE will lead a collaborative effort to study the feasibility of capping sections of these highways, rerouting them underground, and reclaiming the surface space for public use.
This would create a network of parks, pedestrian corridors, and small business zones that would physically reconnect the Eastside with downtown San Antonio. SAGE is assembling a coalition of community stakeholders, urban designers, and transportation experts to ensure the lived experiences of Eastside residents shape the final vision.
The second grant is equally vital. SAGE has pivoted to pursue new and sustainable sources of revenue. When this federal grant was received in September 2024, it marked the first of its kind received by SAGE in over a decade. It will enable the organization to study the best possible location and design for a dynamic new marketplace on the Eastside. The envisioned space will be a multi-use complex combining affordable retail stalls, grocery access, cultural programming, office space, and gathering areas under one roof. Most importantly, the project will be shaped by community input from the very beginning. SAGE has already issued calls for residents to join the planning committee, and upcoming town halls will invite input on everything from building design to the types of businesses the market should host.
The potential impact of these initiatives is massive. In the short term, the planning grants will create new platforms for civic engagement, technical exploration, and coalition-building. But over time, the results could transform the landscape of the Eastside physically and economically. As federal attention and local leadership converge, the community finally has the tools and the voice to shape the growth it has long deserved.
