The St. John developed by Mission DG, Ltd was selected as one of the Chairman’s Award winners of the 2021 Jack Kemp Excellence in Affordable and Workforce Housing Award as announced by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Terwilliger Center for Housing.  The award celebration took place at the ULI Fall Meeting in Chicago on October 11-14.  The Chairman’s Award is a special recognition reserved for a uniquely creative project that is not replicable and is designed to address a unique affordable housing challenge.  As shared by Mission DG in The St. John video, the project exemplifies a creative development in a uniquely challenging environment that provides affordable housing for a range of income levels. The adaptive reuse of the former St. John’s Seminary is now home to 228 apartment homes.

“Projects such as The St. John are so important to recognize. The St. John is unlike any other apartment community — it’s where modern meets historic, high-quality amenities accompany charm and character, acting as a catalyst for future development and economic growth,” said Henry Cisneros, partner of Mission DG.  The principal partners contributing to the success of The St. John include the Archdiocese of San Antonio, San Antonio Housing Trust, and lending institution, IBC Bank. The commitment of these partners will ensure The St. John will serve future generations in this area of the city.

“The St. John is a wonderful example of how we make progress in furthering our mission of creating and preserving affordable housing options for the people in San Antonio while retaining the integrity of our most cherished historic and cultural assets.  We will continue to find creative ways to work collaboratively with both community and industry stakeholders to deliver safe and dignified housing opportunities for our residents, no matter their income,” said Pedro Alanis, Executive Director of the San Antonio Housing Trust.

The annual Jack Kemp award is given to affordable and workforce housing developments that represent outstanding achievements in the areas of affordability, innovative financing, building technologies, proximity to employment centers and transportation hubs, quality of design, and involvement of public/private partnerships. This is the first time a San Antonio project has received this award, and the third project in Texas to have received a Jack Kemp Award since its inception in 2008.

“It is a significant honor to be selected as a winner of the Jack Kemp Award,” said Victor Miramontes, managing partner of Mission DG, Ltd. “The St. John was a uniquely complex development for us. It literally sits adjacent and on top of a more than 300-year-old UNESCO World Heritage archaeological site that includes the historic original walls of Mission Concepción.  The uniqueness of The St. John is unparalleled. For our development team this was much more than just building something beautiful and new, it was about preserving the history that exists in this wonderful San Antonio neighborhood,” added Miramontes.

The St. John offered an opportunity for the development team to preserve an at-risk historical and culturally significant site, providing much-needed affordable high-quality housing and serving and the impetus for future growth and development in one of San Antonio’s most unique geographic settings.  The project was awarded the 2020 Historic Preservation Award by The Conservation Society of San Antonio and the 2020 Power of Preservation Foundation People’s Choice Award. To learn more, visit The St. John.

About Mission DG, Ltd
Mission DG is a privately-owned real estate development company specializing in affordable multifamily projects. They work to connect people and places to build beautiful, functional, and sustainable living environments through meaningful collaborations with both public and private partners. Focusing on underserved markets, they create value for their partners and investors through projects that promote economic growth, create equitable and affordable housing opportunities, and address the needs of surrounding communities. To learn more, visit Mission DG.

About the San Antonio Housing Trust
The San Antonio Housing Trust (SAHT) is a fund established with a $10 million corpus by the City of San Antonio governed by a Board of Trustees appointed by the San Antonio City Council. SAHT works to create and preserve housing that is affordable, accessible, attainable, and/or sustainable. We provide education, resources, and strategic partnerships with affordable-housing-related charities, social enterprises, and builders. This creates a community that builds and sustains neighborhoods, empowers residents, and provides positive equitable outcomes. For more information, visit San Antonio Housing Trust, and follow @sahousingtrust on Facebook and Instagram.

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