Community
San Antonio Cooling Centers Open

The City of San Antonio will open cooling centers throughout the City to provide respite from the high temperatures. Cooling centers will observe COVID-19 precautions, including screening, sanitation and social distancing guidelines.
According to the Metro Health Heat Plan, the City is currently at a level III “heat advisory.” Under normal circumstances, cooling centers are not activated during Level III. Due to COVID-19 and fewer options for those individuals needing to seek shelter from the heat, the City is opening cooling centers sooner.
Ten Department of Human Services operated Comprehensive Senior Centers will open today and while the heat advisory is in effect from Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. To provide additional cooling center locations, select Libraries will open tomorrow as cooling centers only from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Patrons seeking relief from the heat will be allowed to sit in designated areas and utilize Wi-Fi on their own devices. Browsing and computer use will not be available at this time. Beginning June 15, select City Park Community Centers will be open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Please see attached list of City of San Antonio cooling centers.
In addition, the Department of Human Services, in partnership with Catholic Charities, is providing free box fans to community seniors through the Project Cool program. Residents who would like to request a fan or have heat related resources, should call the United Way Helpline at 211.
With increasing heat, Metro Health reminds the community to take the following precautions:
- Spend time at home or locations with air-conditioning. Air-conditioning is the number one protective factor against heat-related illness and death.
- Stay well hydrated, regardless of your activity level.
- Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing and appropriate sunscreen.
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine intake.
- Avoid heavy and/or hot foods—they add heat to your body.
- Limit outdoor activities during the heat of the day. Exposure to full sunshine can increase Heat Index Values by up to 15°F.
- Monitor those at high risk such as the elderly, infants, young children, and people who are ill or have chronic disease, such as heart disease or high blood pressure.
- Do not leave children or pets unattended in a closed, parked vehicle.
For information about transportation options, please visit www.viainfo.net.
Sunstroke, heat cramps or heat exhaustion are likely health effects resulting from heat and heat stroke is likely with prolonged exposure.
Warning signs of heat stroke include: red, hot, and moistor dry skin, no sweating, a strong rapid pulse or a slow weak pulse, nausea, confusion or acting strangely. If a child exhibits any of these signs after being in a hot vehicle, cool the child rapidly (not a nice bath but by spraying them with cool water or with a garden hose).Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.
Metro Health’s Heat Plan follows the national weather service levels. The format resembles a countdown, with Level IV stating a normal/routine condition and Level I representing a maximum readiness/excessive heat warning. The heat plan provides information on how individuals can prepare for, prevent, recognize, and cope with heat-related health problems. Additionally, the plan provides a list of local agencies, which will furnish heat-related assistance during extreme heat weather conditions.
Community members can contact the National Weather Service for the most current weather conditions at 830-606-3617 or visit www.weather.gov/sanantonio for current hourly weather. Stay tuned for further notices.
2020 Cooling Centers
Site Name | Address | Phone | Zip Code | Days and Times |
Alicia Trevino Lopez Senior Center (District 6) | 8353 Culebra Rd | 210.558.0178 | 78251 | Mon – Fri7 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
Bazan Library | 2200 WEST COMMERCE STREET | 210.207.9160 | 78207 | Beginning 6/16/20Tue: 12 p.m. -7 p.m.Wed – Sat10 a.m.- 5 p.m. |
Bob Ross Senior Center | 2219 BABCOCK ROAD | 210.207.5300 | 78229 | Mon – Fri7 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
Carver Library | 3350 COMMERCE STREET EAST | 210.207.9180 | 78220 | From 6/9 – 6/13&Beginning 6/16/20Tue: 12 p.m.-7 p.m.Wed – Sat10 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
Claude W. Black/Eastside MSC | 2805 East Commerce Street | 210.207.5233 | 78202 | Mon – Fri7 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
Collins Garden Library | 200 PARK BOULEVARD NORTH | 210.207.9120 | 78204 | Beginning 6/9 – 6/13&After 6/16/20 Tue: 12 p.m. -7 p.m.Wed – Sat10 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
Copernicus Community Center | 5303 Lord Rd. | 210.648.1072 | 78220 | Mon – Fri7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. |
Cortez Library | 2803 HUNTER BOULEVARD | 210.207.9130 | 78224 | Beginning 6/16/2020Tue: 12 p.m.-7 p.m.Wed – Sat10 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
Cuellar Community Center | 400 SOUTHWEST 36TH STREET | 210.207.3156 | 78237 | Mon – Fri7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. |
District 2 Senior Center (Council District 2) | 1751 S WW White Rd | 210.207.5390 | 78220 | Mon – Fri7 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
District 5 Senior Center (Council District 5) | 2701 S Presa Street | 210.207.5270 | 78210 | Mon – Fri7 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
Garza, Gilbert Park | 1450 Mira Vista | 210.207.7275 | 78228 | Mon – Fri7:30 a.m. –5:30 p.m. |
Hamilton Community Center | 10700 NACOGDOCHES ROAD | 210.207.3121 | 78217 | Mon – Fri7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. |
Johnston Library | 6307 SUN VALLEY DRIVE | 210.207.9240 | 78227 | From 6/9 – 6/13&Beginning 6/16/20Tue: 12 p.m.-7 p.m.Wed – Sat10 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
Memorial Library | 3222 CULEBRA ROAD | 210.207.9140 | 78228 | From 6/9 – 6/13Tue: 12 p.m.-7 p.m.Wed – Sat10 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
Miller’s Pond | 6175 OLD PEARSALL RD | 210.623.2900 | 78242 | Mon – Fri7:30 a.m. –5:30 p.m. |
Mission Library | 3134 ROOSEVELT | 210.207.2704 | 78214 | From 6/9 – 6/13&Beginning 6/16/20Tue: 12 p.m.-7 p.m.Wed – Sat10 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
Normoyle Senior Center | 700 CULBERSON AVENUE | 210.207.5650 | 78211 | Mon – Fri7 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
Northeast Senior Center | 4135 Thousand Oaks Dr | 210.207.4590 | 78217 | Mon – Fri7 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
Palm Heights Community Center | 1201 WEST MALONE AVENUE | 210.207.3099 | 78225 | Mon – Fri7:30 a.m. –5:30 p.m. |
Pan American Library | 1122 WEST PYRON | 210.207.9150 | 78221 | Beginning 6/16/20Tue: 12 p.m.-7 p.m.Wed – Sat10 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
Ramirez Community Center | 1011 GILLETTE BOULEVARD | 210.921.0681 | 78224 | Mon – Fri7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. |
Schaefer Library | 6322 US Hwy 87 E | 210.207.9300 | 78222 | Beginning 6/16/20Tue: 12 p.m.-7 p.m.Wed – Sat10 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
South Side Lions Senior Center | 3303 Pecan Valley Dr | 210.207.1760 | 78210 | Mon – Fri7 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
Southside Lions Community Center | 3100 HIAWATHA | 210.207.3155 | 78210 | Mon – Fri7:30 a.m. –5:30 p.m. |
West End Park Senior Center (Council District 1) | 1226 NW 18th Street | 210.207.1719 | 78207 | Mon – Fri7 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
Westfall Library | 6111 ROSEDALE | 210.207.9220 | 78201 | From 6/9 – 6/13&Beginning 6/16/20Tue: 12 p.m. -7 p.m.Wed – Sat10 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
Willie M. Cortez Senior Center | 5512 W Military Dr | 210.207.5294 | 78242 | Mon – Fri7 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
Community
City Seeks Applicants For SA: Ready To Work Advisory Board

The City of San Antonio is accepting applications for the SA: Ready to Work Advisory Board.
In November, San Antonio voters overwhelmingly approved SA: Ready to Work, a training and education initiative to assist San Antonio residents impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Last week, City Council approved the creation of a nine-member SA: Ready to Work Advisory Board to provide feedback on program objectives.
This Board will consist of representatives from four local employers with in-demand occupations, two current/previous participants in the City of San Antonio workforce development programs, one trade or labor organization, one community organization, and one workforce training provider. In additional, two City Council members appointed by the Mayor will serve as liaisons to this Advisory Board.
Applications for the Advisory Board positions can be found at the City of San Antonio’s Board and Commissions website (https://www.sanantonio.gov/Clerk/Legislative/BoardsCommissions#13319780-apply-for-a-board). Applications will be reviewed for eligibility beginning in mid-January and forward to City Council for review and potential appointment. Potential applicants are asked to consider that no appointed members of this Advisory Board may have direct relationships with entities that contract with the City for implementation of the SA Ready to Work program.
SA: Ready to Work will be tax supported through a 1/8th cent sales tax. This education and workforce program would begin serving San Antonio residents in fall 2021 and extend through December 2025. Each year of the initiative, up to 10,000 residents will be served with a total of up to 40,000 residents served over the four years.
Art
Open Call: Calling All Artists

The City of San Antonio’s Department of Arts & Culture’s Public Art Division is seeking applicants for the 2021 Public Art Pre-Qualified List for Artists and Support Services.
The Pre-Qualified List works as a roster of emerging and experienced individuals and organizations who are pre-qualified by City Council to work on designing, building, and promoting future projects within the Department of Arts & Culture’s Public Art Program.
We are seeking professional qualifications from area, state, national, and international artists and arts organizations as well as individuals and businesses that provide support services including, but not limited to, consulting, curating, writing, project management, art history, art handling and shipping, art appraising, restoring and conserving art, art fabrication and installation, photo and video documentation, graphic and web-based design, and technical design.
KEY DATES
· Deadline to Apply: January 18, 2021 at 4:30 p.m. CT
· Optional Virtual Informational Workshop: December 8, 2020 at 5:30 p.m. CT.
Register for the webinar here.
APPLY TODAY
All Open Call details and application instructions can be found at http://www.sanantonio.gov/arts/open
Applying for the Pre-Qualified List allows applicants to be selected for future projects, inclusion does not guarantee selection for a public art contract.
Community
CPS Energy Makes Move to New Headquarters on McCullough

The boxes are packed, the moving trucks are here, and the first CPS Energy employees are officially moving to the utility’s new headquarters at 500 McCullough Avenue. While we will dearly miss our old home on Navarro Street, our big move signals a new era for us and the community we’ve loyally served for 160 years.
The old CPS Energy headquarters on Navarro Street are comprised of buildings that are 92 and 52 years old, respectively. The age of these buildings continually required escalating operating and maintenance costs to keep them safe and secure. Their sale will offset the cost of our new home and help us save money each year going forward. Once sold, the older buildings can be redeveloped by the next owner.
“The building is…attractive, but it’s affordable,” said Frank Almaraz, Chief Administrative and Business Development Officer, in an interview that took place on Sept. 11, 2020 with News 4 San Antonio’s Jaie Avila. “We focused very, very much on making sure that we were spending these dollars in the most prudent way possible. We think it’s going to be a fantastic place for us to base our operations out of. We are a 24/7/365 business that supports our community. In this time of COVID, everything’s just gotten a little more complicated, but we know one day we will welcome our customers to our facility and they will see that we have done the right thing for the community.”
Our new home will be more energy efficient and cost-effective. It is 60% more efficient that our older headquarters and we paid special attention to things like using recycled wood to create tables and fixtures, as well as having fewer offices that would block natural sunlight.
“Our customers are going to be better served with this new building with the lower cost that it takes to maintain it,” said Frank. “It’s 60 percent less energy intensive. With an [older building], everything is more expensive from an efficiency standpoint, but even just maintaining the exterior, it’s gotten so cost-burdensome that really the only responsible thing to do is to consolidate our employees into something that’s going to last us for many more decades [to come] and be more cost-effective.”
Once it is safe to return to the office, nearly 1,200 of CPS Energy’s 3,100 total employees will work at the new McCullough building, which will serve as a modest yet attractive addition to the Broadway corridor downtown and the downtown skyline. The total cost of the building will come in at $212 million, which is less than the company’s original budget allocation of $215 million. Significant care was taken to ensure that every monetary decision, even down to each piece of furniture in the building, was made with discretion and with the community in mind.
“The cost of furnishings is a small fraction of the total amount of the project itself,” said Frank. “We are taking over as much of the furniture that has an existing useful life in our current facilities…[but] it really is time for a refresh.”
Expenditures to our competitively selected furniture vendor represent only 3.4% of the total project costs. ($7.3 million for furniture / $212.0 million for the total spend = 3.4%).
From the very beginning when the project formally began in 2017, CPS Energy obtained public input to come up with three key principles in making our decision for our future headquarters selection:
- Stay in the downtown area,
- Ensure the cost of the new headquarters would not drive an increase in customer rates, and
- Take the opportunity to spur economic development in the selected area of downtown.
“We watched every penny as though it was our own,” said Frank. “We know that, in the end, these are the dollars of our community and we were careful to only spend money that was cost-effective and prudent. I’m very comfortable with what the big team of people, who analyzed this to every penny, have produced and I think that we’ve been very, very reasonable.”
We are confident that, in the years to come, the new McCullough building will serve as a beacon to our community.
For additional information about CPS Energy’s new headquarters on McCullough, read this informational fact sheet.