In 2022, Opportunity Home (formerly the San Antonio Housing Authority) committed to revitalizing the 501 units of public housing at the historic Alazan Courts. With the support of Able City and Alamo Architects, the process started with the Reimagine Alazan Master Plan, a community engagement and design effort to develop a vision to rehabilitate and develop the Alazan Courts complex to ensure that it can continue to serve Westside residents for generations to come. 

 

At the outset of the project, Opportunity Home made the following commitments: 

• Maintain alazan courts as public housing

• Retain at least 501 units

• No displacement from the neighborhood

 

Through the community led process, the masterplan identified the following goals. 

• Improve streetscape and green spaces

• Preserve look and feel of the neighborhood

• Build more public housing

 

And the design had to navigate the following regulatory requirements and constraints: 

• Upgrade To Modern Building Standards

• Improve Handicap Accessibility

• Increase Unit Sizes 

• Respond To Shifting Floodplain

• Changing City-Wide And Neighborhood Housing Needs

 

Core Master Plan Design Principles:

• Remove buildings in the floodplain, develop green space and a new park along the creek. 

• Increase percentage of one, three and four bedroom units, to respond to community housing needs. Decrease percentage of two bedroom units. 

• Preserve and rehabilitate all of the street-facing existing buildings. Reconfigure buildings to accommodate larger unit dimensions. 

• Replace existing buildings in the interior of the courts with new three story buildings, to add additional units while preserving green space. 

• Create new green spaces with amenities for all ages within each block. 

• Increase ADA accessible units and improve accessibility throughout the site. 

• Reuse existing buildings along Brazos St. to create a new community center. 

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