Downtown San Antonio streets transform for free fall celebration October 22. Centro San Antonio's Great Street Takeover brings pickleball, creative public spaces, live music and community activities to downtown. SAN ANTONIO, TX - Downtown San Antonio is getting a fall makeover as Centro San Antonio prepares to transform city streets into vibrant gathering spaces filled with creativity, entertainment and community activities. On Thursday, October 22, 2026, Centro San Antonio will host Downtown Together: The Great Street Takeover, a free, all-ages celebration featuring interactive street installations, a pickleball tournament, live music and opportunities to explore downtown businesses. The festivities begin at 10 a.m. along West Houston Street between Soledad and North Flores streets, where portions of the roadway will be transformed into temporary public spaces designed for visitors to gather, play and connect. Presented in partnership with AIA San Antonio and architecture firm Gensler, the event combines creative urban design with community engagement, offering residents a different perspective on how downtown streets can be used. Turning downtown streets into community spaces. The Great Street Takeover draws inspiration from Park(ing) Day, an international movement that temporarily transforms traditional parking spaces into miniature parks, recreational areas and community gathering spots. Centro San Antonio is expanding on the concept by introducing interactive installations and pop-up activations throughout the downtown area. Visitors can explore reimagined streetscapes, discover creative exhibits and experience how ordinary urban spaces can become destinations for entertainment and community connection. "Fall brings a special kind of warmth to downtown San Antonio, even as the weather cools," said Trish DeBerry, president and CEO of Centro San Antonio. "It's families spending time together, neighbors meeting someone new, and local businesses welcoming people through their doors. Downtown Together celebrates that spirit and the partners who make it possible." Organizers hope the celebration will encourage more residents to explore downtown while establishing a new seasonal tradition. Pickleball takes over Houston Street. One of the day's highlights will be Gensler's 4th Annual Pickleball Challenge, bringing friendly competition to the heart of downtown. The afternoon begins with open play from 2 to 2:30 p.m., followed by tournament competition from 2:30 to 6 p.m. Beyond the competition, the event will also support Christian Assistance Ministries (CAM), a local nonprofit serving individuals and families in need. Attendees can contribute by donating nonperishable Thanksgiving food items, making monetary donations or purchasing raffle tickets for a chance to win prizes. All raffle proceeds will benefit CAM. Visitors are welcome to watch the matches, cheer on participants and explore the surrounding street activations. Live Music and Guitar Wars continue the celebration. As the daytime festivities wrap up, the celebration will continue with Journey West & Alamo Music's Guitar Wars, returning for its second year from 6 to 10 p.m. Presented in partnership with Downtown West, the evening event invites visitors to explore participating downtown businesses while enjoying live music, entertainment and special promotions. The event offers another opportunity for residents to experience downtown San Antonio's growing entertainment and business community. Visitors attending the evening festivities can also take advantage of free parking after 5 p.m. at Frost Tower, Alamo Music and city-owned parking garages and lots through the city's Downtown Thursday initiative. Event schedule: Thursday, October 22. 10 a.m. Downtown Together: The Great Street Takeover Explore creative street installations, pop-up activations and reimagined public spaces along West Houston Street and surrounding areas. 2 to 6 p.m. Gensler's 4th Annual Pickleball Challenge Enjoy open play beginning at 2 p.m., followed by tournament competition at 2:30 p.m. supporting Christian Assistance Ministries. 6 to 10 p.m. Journey West & Alamo Music's Guitar Wars Experience an evening of live music, participating downtown businesses and special promotions. Admission and parking information. Downtown Together: The Great Street Takeover is FREE to attend and open to all ages. The main daytime activities will take place along West Houston Street between Soledad and North Flores streets in downtown San Antonio. Individuals, organizations and businesses interested in creating their own temporary parklet installation can register through the Downtown Together Participation Form. For information about the evening festivities, visit the Downtown West event calendar or the official Guitar Wars website. With creative installations, friendly competition and live entertainment all happening in one day, Centro San Antonio's Great Street Takeover aims to bring residents together while showcasing the possibilities of downtown's public spaces. Whether you're stopping by for a quick visit, watching the pickleball tournament or spending the evening exploring local businesses, October 22 offers plenty of reasons to head downtown.

BXP and JLL partner with Fifty at First on San Francisco tower development and leasing. BXP and JLL join Fifty at First team for San Francisco tower development and leasing. The San Francisco Recovery Fund (SFRF) has announced that BXP and JLL have joined the multidisciplinary team working on Fifty at First, a planned 915-foot office tower at First and Mission streets in downtown San Francisco. The proposed development will span approximately 1.5 million square feet and is expected to become the city's second-tallest building when completed. Under the new partnership, BXP will serve as a consultant across development, leasing and marketing, while JLL has been appointed the project's exclusive office leasing agent. The addition of the two firms brings extensive experience in commercial real estate development, office leasing and the delivery of major office towers to the project. Alongside the announcement, SFRF released new renderings of Fifty at First, providing the public with an initial look at the proposed design and architectural direction of the tower. The project is being designed by Gensler, an international architecture and design firm with roots in San Francisco. SFRF said the design approach focuses on creating a modern workplace that supports collaboration, employee well-being and the evolving needs of businesses operating in the city. "When SFRF selected Gensler as our architect, it was for more than its global high-rise expertise," said Dan Kingsley, Co-Founder of SFRF. "The firm was founded 61 years ago in San Francisco to specifically explore how workplaces could function more creatively and improve the working environment for employees." Kingsley said the same philosophy is guiding the development of Fifty at First, with an emphasis on creating a contemporary office environment designed around the needs of businesses and employees. "With the design concept set, this is the moment to add the right partners to the team - BXP's development, construction, leasing and operational expertise, paired with JLL's intimate knowledge of what tenants need," Kingsley added. Focus on the future of downtown San Francisco. Fifty at First is being positioned as a major addition to downtown San Francisco's commercial district. The project is intended to combine private office space with cultural experiences and public areas, creating a development that can contribute to activity in the surrounding neighborhood beyond traditional working hours. Manan Shah, Managing Director and Principal, said the project is being planned around collaboration, creativity, health and sustainability. "Fifty at First represents a unique opportunity for San Francisco, a building designed to reflect the things that matter most to us," Shah said. "It allows for the best creative environment, with a focus on bringing people together to do their best work, in a healthy and sustainable way." According to Shah, the development is also intended to support the transformation of downtown San Francisco from a primarily traditional business district into a more active environment throughout the day and evening. "The tower will bring together private business, cultural experiences, and public space in a uniquely San Francisco way as we evolve our Downtown from a 9-5 environment to a 24/7 ecosystem," Shah said. BXP adds development and leasing experience. SFRF has retained BXP as a consultant across several areas of the project, including development, leasing and marketing. BXP brings experience in delivering and operating major office properties in San Francisco and other major U.S. markets. The BXP team involved with Fifty at First includes professionals with experience on Salesforce Tower, one of San Francisco's most prominent modern office developments. The company will use its development, construction, leasing and operational expertise to help advance the Fifty at First project toward its planned completion in 2031. Rod Diehl, Executive Vice President, West Coast Regions at BXP, said the project provides an opportunity to contribute to the future development of downtown San Francisco. "Fifty at First represents a rare opportunity to help shape the next chapter of downtown San Francisco," Diehl said. "With its exceptional location, visionary design, and forward-looking approach to the workplace, this project has the potential to become a defining addition to the city's skyline and a destination for the world's most innovative companies." BXP will work with SFRF and the broader project team as the development progresses, helping translate the architectural concept into an office tower intended to meet the requirements of future tenants. JLL appointed exclusive leasing agent. JLL has been named the exclusive office leasing agent for Fifty at First. The company will be responsible for marketing the planned office space and working with prospective tenants as the project moves toward completion. The leasing appointment comes as businesses continue to assess how office environments can support employee collaboration, workplace flexibility and company culture. Fifty at First is being designed with these evolving workplace requirements in mind. The project's approximately 1.5 million square feet of office space will provide substantial capacity for companies seeking large-scale commercial space in downtown San Francisco. Planned 2031 completion. SFRF acquired the site with the stated objective of contributing to San Francisco's recovery and developing a major new commercial destination in the city. Jay Yang, Co-Founder and CEO of the San Francisco Recovery Fund, said the organization views the project as an opportunity to work with experienced real estate professionals while supporting the city's future. "We bought this site to help drive San Francisco's recovery and build something worthy of this city," Yang said. "It is a privilege to be working with a blue-chip team that shares that commitment." Fifty at First is currently planned for completion in 2031. At 915 feet, the tower would become the second-tallest building in San Francisco, adding a significant new structure to the city's skyline. With SFRF, Gensler, BXP and JLL now working together, the project has assembled a team covering architecture, development, construction, marketing, operations and office leasing. The next stages will focus on advancing the design and development of the planned tower toward its targeted 2031 opening.

Bring employees back to the office by feeding them. By E-A-A / October 2, 2026 Workplace design is changing. Employees now come to the office for experiences, community, and well-being, not just a desk and a screen. Ray Yuen, office managing director at Gensler, highlighted this shift at Fortune's Brainstorm Design conference in Macau. Food, social spaces, and flexible environments are becoming the main features of the modern workplace. Table of Contents The rise of food-centric and social workplaces. Gensler's research shows that employees value food-related spaces - like food halls, cafés, and lounges - more than traditional work areas. This marks a big change in how people want to experience the office. Yuen explains that offices today focus on food and wellness, not just work. Amenities once called "support spaces" are now central to space planning, leasing, and building services design. Food halls and cafés as the new office core. In the past, offices were planned around workstation density, with cafeterias and lounges as secondary spaces. Now, food halls and cafés often serve as the heart of the workplace. Informal collaboration hubs where teams brainstorm outside formal meeting rooms. Community anchors that foster cross-team interaction and connections. Well-being touchpoints where nutrition, socialization, and mental breaks come together. This shift affects building engineering, from ventilation to acoustics and wayfinding. Integrated architectural and MEP strategies are now more important than ever. Designing experiences that compete with remote work. With remote work common, the office must offer more than a place to use a laptop. It needs to provide an experience that home cannot match. Yuen says organizations should create engaging and memorable environments. These spaces should shape culture and encourage people to return. A lo-fi vinyl bar: technology-free by design. One example is a Tokyo headquarters project where Gensler introduced a lo-fi vinyl listening bar. In this space: Talking is discouraged, creating a calm and meditative environment. Technology is not allowed, so employees can disconnect from digital distractions. This curated, analog experience supports mental health, focus, and creativity. Designers are now thinking beyond standard breakout rooms to create spaces that truly help people recharge. Flexibility as a core design principle. Most organizations have realized that old workplace layouts with fixed desks no longer work. Flexibility is now a key design goal. Companies are moving from offices with 80% fixed furniture and 20% flexible space to a more balanced 50/50 mix. This change affects architecture and building systems. Spaces that transform in hours, not months. Modern offices can quickly change from work environments to social venues. For example, an open collaboration zone can become a happy hour space at day's end. Modular furniture that can be rearranged easily. Plug-and-play infrastructure with flexible power, lighting, and AV setups. Good acoustics and zoning to support both quiet work and lively events. The result is an office that acts more like a multi-use civic building. It adapts to changing work patterns and needs. Workplaces as enjoyment hubs, not just work hubs. Yuen points out that when remote work is possible, the office must offer more - it must be enjoyable. Human experience is now more important than pure efficiency. Companies like Starbucks and Delta now encourage staff to create and share on-the-job social media content. This shows a growing comfort with the workplace as a public, experiential environment. The bigger context: AI, meetings, and gen Z economics. These workplace design trends sit alongside other structural changes in how and where Engineers and Architects of America work. Concerns about AI bias in hiring are reshaping HR processes and influencing how organizations think about inclusion. Changes in meeting culture at Instagram and other tech firms - often streamlining and digitizing collaboration - are altering the types of spaces companies need. Gen Z workers in the UK are also facing economic pressures that increase expectations for workplaces to offer more than just a paycheck. For architects and engineers, the office of the future is not a static container for workstations. It is a dynamic ecosystem built around human needs like food, wellness, flexibility, and authentic experience. Additional Reading: