Would you like to see the San Antonio of the future? I can show it to you today.
Meet Broadway East, a luxury-forward, pedestrian-friendly district rising just across from The Pearl.
For years, the block directly east of The Pearl, bordered by Broadway and Pearl Parkway, has sat quiet. On one side is a nationally recognized culinary and cultural hub. On the other, a patchwork of outdated structures and empty lots. That divide is about to disappear.
Backed by Fulcrum Development and GrayStreet Partners, with leasing led by Shop Companies, Broadway East is a 15 acre master-planned district designed to create a seamless experience between The Pearl and the city’s East Side. This project doesn’t aim to replicate The Pearl. It aims to complement it. Think shaded walkways, high end retailers, restaurant patios, and open plazas, with future phases introducing hotel and residential components that add true urban density to this stretch of Broadway.
Unlike The Pearl, which is known for its strict local only tenant model, Broadway East is embracing luxury and national brands to bring something new to the urban core—retail options that previously required a drive to the suburbs or another city altogether. The vision includes well known names in fashion, fragrance, watches, and food, placed within architecture that mirrors the neighborhood’s industrial heritage and walkable scale.
What sets this project apart is its position. It’s not just building something new. It’s building between. Broadway East is the physical link between Government Hill, the Broadway corridor, Fort Sam Houston, and The Pearl. Once complete, it will serve as a walkable gateway into downtown from the East Side and a destination in its own right.
Project Highlights
15 acre mixed-use district co-developed by Fulcrum Development and GrayStreet Partners under the name BESA Land Partners
Approximately 175,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space planned in phase one
Conceptual approval granted by the Historic and Design Review Commission in June 2025
Site preparation underway, including the relocation of a historic home
Pearl Parkway will be extended through the development to connect to Government Hill
Leasing targets include luxury and national brands across fashion, food, and lifestyle
Long term vision includes a 15 floor hotel and multiple residential buildings
First retail openings expected in late 2027 with phased build-out through 2028
This isn’t just another shopping center or lifestyle development. It’s a bridge, linking The Pearl to Fort Sam, the East Side to downtown, and independent charm to national energy. Broadway East is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious and connective projects in San Antonio’s urban evolution.
Citations
Project scope and developer details:
San Antonio Report – Broadway East project near the Pearl eyes luxury brands
Land acquisition and ownership:
San Antonio CultureMap – Broadway East greenlights mixed-use development
Marketing materials and tenant projections:
KSAT – Massive mixed-use district planned for Broadway East moves forward
THE VOICE:
Lorenzo Gomez III
Lorenzo Gomez III is a community builder, author, and public speaker who draws from his personal and professional experiences to inspire others. A former director at Rackspace Technology, Gomez is a key player in the development of San Antonio’s downtown entrepreneurial ecosystem. During Gomez’s four years as chairman and CEO of Geekdom, San Antonio’s premier collaborative startup community, Geekdom companies raised more than $422M in funding and its startups have created 2,489 jobs. A trusted advisor to Graham Weston, co-founder of Rackspace Technology, Gomez helped shape Weston’s 80|20 Foundation, which invests in San Antonio’s future by issuing grants to public charities that attract, grow, and retain San Antonio’s future workforce and job-creating entrepreneurs. Gomez has authored four books: Cilantro Diaries, Tafolla Toro, The Rack We Built, and The Bully in Your Pocket. All four are Amazon best sellers and two are winners of the 2021 International Latino Book Awards. Lorenzo’s driving passion is his love for his hometown, San Antonio, Texas. His goal is to recreate for every San Antonian the opportunities the startup world has provided him in this city on the rise.