New Business Ventures and New Residents Are Waking up to the Charms of Floresville

Business View Civil and Municipal, July 2023

At a Glance: Floresville, Texas

What: Peanut Capital of Texas and a dynamic and growing community with small-town charm

Where: On the outskirts of San Antonio, Texas

Website: floresvilletx.gov

I am the proud City Manager of the great city of Floresville,” Andy Joslin, the City’s Manager remarked when Business View caught up with Floresville officials to discuss the obvious charms of this quaint and lively little city.

One would find it hard to disagree with Joslin after learning of the many attributes that this Texas gem has on offer. Residents can testify to the ease of living in the area and with lively historical roots tracing back to 1867, Floresville has earned its place among great Texas cities.

Joslin adds to his description of the city relaying that “Floresville serves as a county seat and is both a historically and culturally diverse home to an ever-increasing number of residents and businesses looking for an intimate community near San Antonio.”

New residents are drawn to the area

“We are getting a lot of people that are moving from the San Antonio area that may still work there because it is still an area where many of the businesses and big corporations are, but they want to get to an area where they can raise their children.”

A great place indeed for families as Floresville’s school district is highly ranked and is a pull for families looking to provide quality education for their children as they settle into life in Floresville.

Residents are coming here and building homes and they are becoming part of the community. We are centrally located between San Antonio and Eagle Ford Shale region down in Kenedy and Karnes City, so a lot of the executives that come from other parts of the country to run these oil companies want to move to our community,” Joslin elaborates.

Historical roots and current trends

Like any dynamic modern city, history plays an integral role in both the evolution and current positioning of an area and Floresville is no exception. The community can trace its roots back to the  early days of the Spanish settlers who, once discovering the merits of the area, began to establish both ranchos and missions dotted along the San Antonio River. Using this key waterway as an efficient route to ship supplies elsewhere, these early settlers and the missions left behind, have now become part of the historical fabric of this beautiful region of Texas.

Fast forwarding to the recent past, Floresville has been able to profit from the close proximity to San Antonio and some of the leading gas and oil companies in the country to help grow its residential base to just shy of 8,000 inhabitants as of the last 2020 population census.

Residential and Commercial Development

It is this growth that the city is both capturing and capitalizing on, according to Joslin. The city has been working closely with key developers on both the residential and commercial side to help accommodate this growth and provide the very best living amenities for its current residents and all those that are choosing to call Floresville their new home.

“We have a number of key housing developments in the works with specific developers and we do have a large number of residential developments that are coming into the area,” Joslin says.

“Some of these key developers include DR Horton and we have a golf course community known as Riverbend. DR Horton is the community developer on that one,” Monica Veliz, Assistant City Manager relays.

“This development will consist of 1000 homes once it is final and complete. They are working on that in phases out there,” she adds.

Housing options consist mainly of single-detached family homes as this is what the need seems to be, according to Veliz.

“They are looking for affordable housing for those first-time homebuyers and those young families that are wanting to have a place of their own,” she insists.

Veliz is quick to point out that it is not just residential development that is filling the Floresville area, so too are key commercial developments with steady interest being shown by companies eyeing the community as a great place to set up shop.

“Commercial development is coming in just as strong, and it’s catching up to our residential development and we are trying to keep up with this [demand].”

Both Joslin and Veliz have identified the growing need for more retail options to cater to those already living in the community and those who are moving in or planning to move to Floresville.

“This is something that we will need to bring,” Veliz begins. “Retail options such as different types of clothing stores, different types of restaurants, and things like this.”

Among the varied businesses that have kept Floresville in their commercial sights is Petco. Already established in the Floresville area, this is not the standard Petco that so many of us are accustomed to. It is rather a hybrid pet and agricultural and farming supply store of sorts.

This is the first type of Petco that they have branched off with, I believe,” Veliz states. “It is considered a neighborhood and farm-based store because we are in an agriculturally-based area. They offer different types of products that farmers would use that you would not typically see in a big city-type of Petco setting.”

Joslin interjects to add that “for the opening of Petco, we saw a lot of national exposure with CNN reporting on the opening” because of the unique business model for this area.

“We are getting a lot of the commercial business developers from the San Antonio area and then also nationally that want to come to this area with a different type of business plan. They are developing new models in their business that will fit perfectly within our community,” Joslin expands.

There are a few reasons why this business trend for Floresville is occurring, Veliz highlights.

“I think it relates to the affordability of the community and being able to give people that hometown feeling,” she reflects.

“You can walk into just about any type of store here in the town that we have and it is also [attributed to] that very warm feeling that draws residents [and commercial interests] in.”

On the purely fiscal end, Veliz attributes how low tax rates make it that much more favorable for businesses to take up shop in the area, along with the ability of the city to not charge ‘impact fees’.

“I think that is something very inviting because we work with many different developers and businesses and that is always the first thing they ask us—do you charge impact fees?”

Peanut Capital of Texas and other perks

Floresville has worked hard to preserve its charming downtown hub, both in maintaining some of its historical buildings, as well as ensuring that everything a resident could want and need is concentrated in this community gathering area.

“The great thing about our downtown area is that you have everything here. You have a city hall, the county courthouse, the library, the tax office, and a movie theater—a one-stop shop,” Veliz recounts enthusiastically.

Adding to the small-town community spirit that Floresville residents enjoy is an array of events that the city puts on throughout the year. Top of that list is the annual, renowned Floresville Peanut Festival every October. Businesses have grown alongside the festival, most notably Ms. Annie’s Peanut Patch which is known worldwide for its delectable peanut butter brittle.

“We are known as the Peanut Capital of Texas,” Joslin notes. Just another claim to fame, it can be argued, for a city that is clearly making its mark.

What the future holds

Among the top priorities for the city, direct sustainable infrastructure initiatives can be included.

“We are about to have our ribbon cutting on a new water well that we’re drilling,” Joslin highlights.

“The project should be completed in late June. So due to the growth, we are adding another water well to our community and the city council authorized us to borrow $14.2 million for infrastructure needs,” he adds.

“We are working on extending the water and wastewater lines to areas where we are seeing growth in addition to replacing some of our older infrastructure.”

Beyond ongoing and proposed infrastructure upgrades, Joslin articulates other aspirations he has for the city of Floresville in the coming months.

“My goal and my purpose is to continuously attract more businesses, and more amenities for our residents. We want to be a welcoming community, both for our current residents and our future ones, to let them know that Floresville is the place to be.”

When asked the same question, Veliz nods in agreement. “My thoughts are along the same line. We want to grow our community and still have that small-town feeling.”

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San Antonio Missions 2022 World Heritage Accomplishment Report

National Park Service

The 2022 World Heritage Site Annual Accomplishment Report celebrates the achievements of the many partners that preserve San Antonio Missions World Heritage Site. San Antonio Missions World Heritage Site encompasses five missions along the San Antonio River basin, as well as a mission ranch located in Floresville, Texas.

These sites are living, dynamic sites central to community identity & cultural continuity. Through events such as the World Heritage Festival, History and Genealogy Day, Dia de los Muertos, San Antonio POW WOW, spiritual ceremonies, hikes, fishing, kayaking and more, the report shows that these places are centers of community identity, culture, and recreation. The community efforts seen in this report shows how San Antonio Missions are at the heart of the city.

To manage, preserve, and share the site’s treasures, it takes the work of the National Park Service and its many partners like Mission Heritage Partners, San Antonio River Authority, The Alamo, Archdiocese of San Antonio – Las Misiones, City of San Antonio World Heritage Office, and Bexar County. The report highlights the accomplishments of the World Heritage Management Group and our primary partners toward the preservation and protection of the World Heritage Site. Looking forward, San Antonio Missions World Heritage Site is excited to keep working with partners to provide even more opportunities for education, research, and recreation.

It is through interpretation, education, and preservation of the Spanish colonial features identified in the Outstanding Universal Value of the UNESCO inscription, that we will ensure the park and its outstanding universal value endures for generations to come. To do this, we will continue to work as partners to find solutions to preservation challenges of the 21st century. The 2022 accomplishment report is a testament to what can be achieved when community partners work together in shared stewardship, a core value of the National Park Service….

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Inside a New Floresville Restaurant Serving Juicy Burgers, Loaded Pizzas, and Steaks

by Lexi Haxlett, KENS 5

If you travel southeast of San Antonio, you’re heading toward a booming town with good eats at a new restaurant.

It’s called Old 181 Bar & Grill. They’re located 1519 3rd Street in Floresville.

“For the growth here, I think we needed that [Old 181]. We have one other local restaurant that everybody loves to go to, but nothing is open after 9 p.m. here. So, this is just a great location for us and for the community,” said owner and partner, Rose Cruz.

They“re known for their scratch-made kitchen, with the most popular orders being their burgers and their pizza….

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Floresville Development in 2022 Includes Arrival of Petco

by Gregory Ripps, Wilson County News

A number of events in 2022 signaled continued development in Floresville.

Ribbon cuttings and groundbreakings have become frequent events in Floresville, largely due to the demands of a growing population, as well as the efforts of the Floresville Economic Development Corp. (FEDC) and other entities.

However, it’s not so common that a major national retailer opens a first-of-its-kind store in the city. This was the case with the June 17 opening of the Petco Neighborhood Farm & Pet Supply.

The one-stop shop, which offers food and accessories for farm animals as well as companion animals, serves as a model for other such Petco centers planned for small towns and rural communities across the United States….

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Inside RX Baked Goods and Coffee Corner in Floresville

by Lexi Haxlett, KENS 5

Calling all with a sweet tooth: there’s two small town businesses that each have a big menu to choose from. They operate in the same building, and recently opened to the public.

The businesses are RX Baked Goods and Coffee Corner. Their building is located on 1301 Hospital Boulevard in Floresville.

First, we spoke to owner and founder of RX Baked Goods, Roseann Ximenez. She told us how they’re, “Two separate businesses, but we’ve come together to do what we both do best individually, even better together.”

Her initials are RX, and for those familiar with the healthcare company, GoodRX, it’s a little play on words as she said her products can “cure” any sweet tooth.

“I always had a dream to open a bakery. I didn’t know that it would happen in my hometown,” said Ximenez. “I just had a knack for baking.”

She has a background in corporate accounting, so she told us how she can successfully run the books for her own business. And the business all started with her iconic chocolate chip cookies. It’s what people would order the most before she founded her brick and mortar business….

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Pape-Dawson Wins Contract for City’s Hike and Bike Trail

by Kim Johnson, Wilson County News

Pape-Dawson Engineers has been awarded the design contract for improvements to the Floresville El Camino Trail.

Floresville City Finance Director Cynthia Sturm and City Manager Andy Joslin presented the firm’s quote of $200,967 to the city’s six-member Hike & Bike Trail committee at their Sept. 21 meeting.

The price quoted, according to Sturm, includes project management, trail and drainage design, traffic control, environmental and landscape plans, survey, environmental permit, utility coordination, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation certification, geotechnical engineering services, and construction phase services.

“[Pape-Dawson] will be present throughout the project, making sure their design is followed,” Sturm said. “And they’ll be coming to the committee for approval on the design options for amenities.”

“Once the design is completed, [the project] will open up for construction bids,” she explained.

Following some discussion, the committee voted to recommend the firm’s proposal for approval by the Floresville City Council. It was presented to and approved by the council the following night.

Plans for the $927,000 two-mile trail improvement project, funded in part by a grant from Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), will include a wider paved trail with lights, benches, and disabled access ramps….

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Petco Is Launching Stores for a New Group of Customers: Cows, Goats and Horses

by Parija Kavilanz, CNN

NEW YORK – Horses, cows, goats, pigs and sheep have food and grooming needs, too, and Petco is stepping up to deliver its products and services to their owners.

Petco announced Thursday it is launching a new, smaller store concept that’s specifically designed to meet the needs of both pets and farm animals in small towns and rural communities.

The first Petco Neighborhood Farm & Pet Supply store is set to open June 17 in Floresville, Texas, which is 28 miles southeast of San Antonio. The pet supplies and services retailer said the new store will carry a curated assortment of food products and services, including mobile vaccination, grooming, and self-service stations for owners to wash their farm animals.

In partnership with Petco Love (formerly the Petco Foundation), the neighborhood farm and pet supply locations will offer adoption services and other health and wellness programs to further support local pets. Customers can also buy “companion animals” like guinea pigs, hamsters, birds, reptiles and amphibians at the store, as is the case at some existing outlets.

Similar to Petco’s city stores, the neighborhood stores will offer same-day delivery and curbside pickup.

Petco CEO Ron Coughlin said in a statement that small towns and rural communities “are rapidly-growing markets” for the pet care industry. “This is an exciting opportunity for us to serve more pets by dramatically expanding local access to healthy pet products and services.”

The company, which operates more than 1,300 locations in the US, said it expects to open a handful of these stores in 2022 as the company strives to expand its market beyond urban centers….

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Petco Opening First Neighborhood Farm & Pet Supply for Rural Communities in Floresville

by Rebecca Salinas, KSAT 12 TV San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO – A Petco for rural pets and farm animals is opening this week in Floresville.

The company said that the new store, called Neighborhood Farm & Pet Supply, was designed to serve pets and farm animals in the rural community.

The Floresville location will be Petco’s first test location and it will open on Friday in the 300 block of 10th St.

It will include supplies and services for pets and farm animals such as horses, cows, pigs, sheep, goats and more, a news release states.

“These are rapidly-growing markets where pet parents are looking for an experienced, pet-dedicated partner like Petco to help them care for the health and wellness of their animals,” Petco CEO Ron Coughlin said in a news release. “This is an exciting opportunity for us to serve more pets by dramatically expanding local access to healthy pet products and services.”

The store will offer adoption services, health and wellness programs, farm and feed assortment, mobile vaccination and grooming services, self-wash stations, same-day delivery, and curbside pickup.

Additional Neighborhood Farm & Pet Supply are expected to open in the U.S. depending on the success of the test location, the release states….

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Lennar to Build 94 Homes in New Floresville Community

by Steven Santana, MySA

National homebuilder Lennar Homes broke ground Thursday, June 9, on a new residential community about 30 minutes south of San Antonio. Lodi Grove will be a 94-home community and Lennar’s first-ever in Floresville, Texas.

The homes are scheduled for a grand opening in summer 2023 and will include large living and kitchen spaces, a resort-style master bedroom, and modern technology features, according to a news release from Lennar.

Located at Hwy. 181 N. and CR 130, future residents of Lodi Grove will have access to outdoor amenities like walking trails and kids of Lodi Grove will attend Floresville ISD schools. The neighborhood is also adjacent to a Walmart, and Floresville has nine community parks.

“Floresville is growing quickly, particularly among young residents wanting proximity to San Antonio but without the urban congestion,” said Brian Barron, San Antonio division president for Lennar, in a news release.

Lennar says the home in Lodi Grove will be competitively priced. The median sales price of a home in Floresville in 2022 is $385,000, according to Redfin….

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Lennar Announces Plans for Lodi Grove New Home Community in Floresville

PR Newswire

Lennar, one of the nation’s leading homebuilders, has announced its first-ever new home community in Floresville, Texas, located approximately 30 minutes southeast of San Antonio. Called Lodi Grove, the development will include 94 homes featuring Lennar’s trademark quality, technology and design at an exceptionally competitive price. A groundbreaking ceremony took place Thursday, June 9.

“Floresville is growing quickly, particularly among young residents wanting proximity to San Antonio but without the urban congestion,” said Brian Barron, San Antonio Division President for Lennar. “That has amplified the need for affordable homes in an area that has very little new home construction. With this in mind, we are positioning Lodi Grove with the lowest new home price point in the market, while still delivering the level of quality that Lennar is known for. Floresville is a beautiful and charismatic town, and we are excited to be a part of its story.”

Scheduled for a Summer 2023 grand opening, homes at Lodi Grove will feature the latest designer details, including generous living and kitchen spaces, resort-style master suites and technology upgrades that meet the needs of the most contemporary homebuyer.

Residents of Lodi Grove will enjoy a linear park and direct connection to a walking trail system and trailhead park. Children living at Lodi Grove will be served by the Floresville School District, which partners with the Alamo College System to allow students to graduate with college credits….

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World Heritage Center Will Serve Rancho de las Cabras

by Gregory Ripps, Wilson County News

A World Heritage Center will be constructed to serve San Antonio’s five Spanish missions and Rancho de las Cabras near Floresville.

According to San Antonio World Heritage Office Director Colleen Swain, the new center will serve as an orientation center for visitors to the sites, as well as a place to provide information on the history, art, and culture of their surrounding communities.

A map and artist’s renderings of the future center were displayed April 23 at the Mission Branch San Antonio Public Library on Roosevelt Avenue near Mission San José.

Plans call for the 10,077-square-foot center to include a 5,672-square-foot interior and a 4,405-square-foot outdoor veranda to be located just north of the library.

Funding for the project comes from a San Antonio 2017-22 bond.

“We anticipate breaking ground on the center in the fall, with completion of phase 1 in 2023,” Swain told the Wilson County News.

The historical locations to be served by the center are part of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, which received World Heritage designation in 2015 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Area ranching operations provided food for mission residents in the 1700s, but Rancho de las Cabras is the only ranch where ruins of a ranch compound have been identified as such. The Rancho raised cattle and goats for Mission Espada, the southernmost of the missions.

“We are happy to share information about opportunities for tours at Rancho de las Cabras through the National Park Service with any visitors,” Swain said….

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Wilson County Jailhouse Museum Restoration Advances

by Gregory Ripps, Wilson County News

The final push is on to complete restoration of the front section of the Wilson County Jailhouse Museum.

In recent days, workers have focused on the floors and woodwork in the part of the former jailhouse in downtown Floresville that once served as living quarters for the county sheriff and his family.

“I love working on it,” said Doug Fehse, owner of Avanna’s, a Floresville home remodeling and furniture sales business. “I look forward to the Jailhouse Museum reopening its doors to the public.”

Fehse recently rebuilt the large front door to the building in his shop before he and his employees installed it. Because of the condition of the wood, the wood for the door and doorframe is new — as the wood is for the windows, window frames, and other wooden trim replaced earlier.

The woodwork has been painted white, as it appeared before restoration began, although Fehse says the woodwork might have been stained a natural color when the jailhouse was originally built in the 1880s….

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El Camino Real Fans Flock to Floresville

by Gregory Ripps, Wilson County News

Smugglers. Cattle drives. Adventurers. El Camino Real de los Tejas saw all these and more.

About 50 people participated April 22-23 in El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail Association’s two-day annual meeting.

Several participants said the meeting, funded by the Floresville Economic Development Corp., was the association’s best.

While many participants walked Floresville’s section of the historic trail the second day, the first day’s presentations at the Beer Warehouse drew people from across the state to learn and share information about the historic trail that stretched 2,500 miles across Texas.

Texas A&M University-San Antonio Associate Professor Francis Galan led off the presentations with “Warfare, Patrols, and Smuggling: The Camino Real and the Problem of Borders in Spanish Texas.”

While reviewing historical records of the goods that were transported on the “King’s Highway” in the 1600s and 1700s, Galan explained that the trail — which expedited trade from Saltillo, deep in Mexico, to the Louisiana border during the Spanish colonial period — also opened the door for smuggling, which the Spanish government could not stop….

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El Camino Real Event Will Spotlight Floresville History

by Gregory Ripps, Wilson County News

Floresville will host an event in a few weeks that will highlight two of the earliest European constructions in the area.

The Trail de Flores Chapter of the El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail Association plans to host the association’s annual meeting April 22-23 in Floresville.

The association, dedicated to preserving and promoting the “royal road” throughout Texas, has been working with a number of entities to make more sections of the trail “hikeable.” However, local chapter President Dave Regan notes that the association and the National Park Service have been taking a special interest in activity to develop the section of the trail in Wilson County.

According to Regan, recent developments involving the Floresville El Camino Trail — previously known as the Floresville Hike and Bike Trail — include:

  • Designating a section of the trail within Helton Nature Park
  • Installing interpretive panels at the head of the trail
  • Renewing pedestrian signs along the trail
  • Installing roadside trail-crossing and trailhead directional signs.

“The Trail de Flores Chapter has been spearheading these activities while assessing the feasibility of future trail expansion, making Floresville an ideal and deserving location for the association’s annual meeting,” Regan said….

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FEDC Funds Pecan Park Makeover, and More

by Gregory Ripps, Wilson County News

Floresville Economic Development Corp. board members approved funding for three projects at their March 14 meeting.

The city’s 9-acre Pecan Park will receive an added boost of $15,000, to keep an ongoing improvement project on track.

Completed elements of the project include:

  • Replacing old barbecue pits with 10 new ones
  • Replacing old trash cans with 14 new ones
  • Installing 10 new benches and two new bicycle racks.

Elements soon to be completed:

  • Manicuring the park’s pecan trees
  • Laying large stones around the parking lot to prevent vehicles from driving into the park.

The old posts around the parking lot have already been removed, according to corporation Executive Director Ben Reed.

Floresville City Manager Andy Joslin explained that the additional funds are currently needed because prices for equipment rental and labor have increased since original estimates were made.

“All costs are going up,” he said.

Future phases of the Pecan Park improvements include….

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Businesses Flock to Floresville in 2021

by Devan Sutton, Wilson County News

Not one, not two, but at least 10 new businesses set up shop in Floresville last year, despite challenges from the continuing pandemic.

In 2021, Floresville welcomed a wide variety of businesses, from restaurants and boutiques, to a martial arts academy and even an industrial outfit….

Floresville saw much growth last year, but it wasn’t just in the business sector….

Floresville also gained an amphitheater last fall, named after the late Floresville city Councilman Gerard J. Jimenez, and located at the Floresville Sports Complex….

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