Bexar County is taking over the five-story Citizens Center near Wonderland of the Americas in a roughly $7 million deal that will turn the former bank building into a one-stop home for several Precinct 2 offices. County officials say the move will let the constable, justice of the peace and the county tax assessor-collector walk away from leased spaces and operate under a single county-owned roof.
According to the San Antonio Report, the acquisition followed what officials called a "friendly condemnation" hearing on March 5 that produced an appraisal range of about $6 million to $8.1 million and resulted in an award of roughly $7 million. The Citizens Center is a 55,769-square-foot former bank at Fredericksburg Road and Loop 410 that sits on about four acres and is currently home to a mix of tenants, including law offices, counseling services, a Frost Bank branch and ECPI University. County documents show Precinct 2 offices are slated to be consolidated in the building in a bid to cut rental costs.
County commissioners formally signed off on the purchase at their April 14 meeting. Facilities Management Director Dan Curry described the drawn out process as "somewhat friendly" and said the owner ultimately cooperated. "They went through the process with us, and they did not object to the award amount from the special commissioners," Curry told commissioners. The building's lawyer, Jim Spivey, countered that because the county used eminent domain, the transfer is a condemnation, not a voluntary sale. Commissioners had previously set aside about $5.3 million for a new Precinct 2 office, but county staff argued that buying and renovating the Citizens Center, while also cutting recurring lease costs, made better financial sense. Officials say they expect to solicit renovation bids in October, start work in early 2027 and wrap construction in roughly 18 months, as reported by the San Antonio Express-News.
Building and location
Commercial listings describe the Citizens Center as a mid-to-late 1980s five-story office building with roughly 55,000 to 57,000 square feet, prominent Loop 410 frontage and plenty of surface parking. Brokers have pitched the property to medical and general office users and say several full floors are ready to lease. The full listing can be viewed on LoopNet.
Tenants and disruption
County documents indicate that existing tenants will ultimately need to move out if the county follows through with its consolidation plan. ECPI University, which has occupied space at the site for about six years, uses the building for in-person nursing and technical training for roughly 40 students. Campus president Shan Pollitt told the San Antonio Report that the school is "in a holding pattern" but has no plans to leave San Antonio. County officials say that once the dust settles, the consolidated location should make it easier for Precinct 2 residents to reach multiple services in one trip while shaving down annual lease expenses.
How the condemnation worked
Under Texas law, when a government and a property owner cannot agree on a price, a judge appoints three local landowners as "special commissioners" to determine just compensation. In this case, the panel set the $6 million to $8.1 million valuation that underpinned the award. Hanover Partnership's attorney said the company "had no choice but to defend the value" of the property, a reminder that even friendly condemnations tend to come with some legal friction. County leaders maintain the purchase is designed to save taxpayers money over the long term by swapping several leased Precinct 2 offices for a single county-owned facility.
What comes next
County staff will now inventory tenant needs, outline the renovation scope and move into the procurement phase ahead of the planned construction kickoff. Officials say the Citizens Center should provide Precinct 2 with more room to grow and allow several public-facing services to operate side by side, with specific relocation timelines, floor plans and staffing details to be ironed out in the coming months.
