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The Dominion's clubhouse got A renovation. The bigger change is happening outside the gates. August 13, 2026 Walk into the Dominion Country Club's main dining room these days and you'll notice the space has a new name and a new purpose. The Copper Room, which used to get pulled out for banquets and wedding overflow, is now where members eat on a Tuesday night. The Copper Room, formerly dedicated to banquets, now serves as the main member dining hub, with new finishes and decorative lighting that cohesively connect dining to the existing bar and lounge through large panels with Spanish motif patterns. That's a real change, and it's the one getting the press coverage. But it's worth saying plainly: if you live in the Dominion and don't hold a club membership, none of it touches your daily life. The Dominion Country Club sits at the heart of the social calendar, yet it is legally and operationally separate from the HOA, meaning homeownership in The Dominion does not automatically grant club access. The renovation is real. It's just not everyone's renovation. The changes that actually reach every household behind those gates, member or not, are happening a few minutes down the road, where two separate developments are reshaping the stretch of 1604 and UTSA Boulevard that most Dominion residents already drive through on the way to everything else. What actually changed at The club. For members, the upgrade goes beyond the dining room. As part of the transformation, Dominion introduced a new culinary concept built around clean, sourced ingredients. Members and their guests now have access to wine dinners, tastings, ladies' nights, the yearly Fourth of July festival and fireworks show, and the annual Taste of Dominion culinary fundraiser that benefits local charities. The recreation side saw its own overhaul. Eight tennis courts were resurfaced, new pickleball amenities were added, and the pool area got new patio furniture around the Junior Olympic-sized pool. Golfers picked up something too: an exceptional practice area now offers target greens at various yardages, a re-grassed short game area, and an expanded range tee. Here's the scale of it. This wasn't a one-off spend on a single club. Arcis Golf, which owns the Dominion Country Club, has invested more than $150 million across its portfolio over the past four years on property upgrades, new amenities, and staff training. The Dominion's turn simply came up this cycle. | Amenity | Before | Now | | Main dining | Copper Room used mainly for banquets | Copper Room is the primary member dining hub | | Tennis | Original court surfaces | 8 courts resurfaced | | Racquet sports | Tennis only | New pickleball amenities added | | Pool area | Original furniture | New patio furniture at the Junior Olympic pool | | Golf practice | Standard range | Re-grassed short game area, expanded range tee, multi-distance target greens | All of it is genuinely nice. None of it requires a Dominion mailing address, and none of it is available without a club membership that's priced and governed separately from your HOA dues. The corridor outside the gates is where daily life actually shifts. The HOA's own pitch to residents leans on proximity, not just privacy. The community promotes easy access to a wide array of fine dining and premium shopping centers, resort hotels, and entertainment venues, just minutes from your doorstep. That promise is about to get a lot more literal, because two projects broke ground on that exact corridor within the past year, and they are not the same size. The smaller of the two is La Cantera Crossing, a 10-acre mixed-use project at the intersection of Loop 1604 and La Cantera Parkway. Construction crews broke ground on the site on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. The $7.1 million retail and residential center is being led by Barshop & Oles Company and Phoenix Property Company. It sits adjacent to the Shops at La Cantera, and the developers believe there's a gap in that immediate area that this project can fill. A tenant list hasn't been released yet, but leasing is already underway. The bigger one is a different order of magnitude entirely. The Merc, a mixed-use district under construction on UTSA Boulevard, is a $350 million investment. Schumacher Interests broke ground on the 112-acre district near the corner of UTSA Boulevard and University Pass, which will include more than 200,000 square feet of retail and dining space and more than 1,600 apartments. Put the two projects side by side and the contrast is stark: La Cantera Crossing is a 10-acre infill project costing $7.1 million, while The Merc is more than eleven times the acreage and roughly fifty times the investment. The Merc has also started naming names, which matters more than the acreage. The first round of announced retail tenants includes Pür & Simple, the Canadian breakfast and brunch concept that opened its first U.S. location near Stone Oak and is now adding a spot at The Merc, along with Hawaiian Bros Island Grill, smoothie and juice concept Pure Green in its first San Antonio location, and Frenchies Modern Nail Care, which already has a Northside location. On the recreation side, Park Golf was announced during the groundbreaking as one of The Merc's major anchor tenants. The developers are explicit that they're not trying to be another version of what's already up the road. A spokesperson for the project described their approach directly: the pitch is that this is a very different place than what exists in the 1604 and I-10 area, not The Rim, not La Cantera, not a glorified shopping mall, but a living, breathing district. The outdoor amenities back that framing up. The district is anchored by outdoor features including golf, pickleball, an ice house, and a trailhead connecting directly to the Leon Creek Greenway. Timing matters here too. Phase I openings for The Merc are scheduled to begin in summer 2026, which is the window Frontline Properties Group is in right now. If you haven't driven past the site recently, the change on the ground has been fast. The land sat as a gravel and grass lot for years before the October 2025 groundbreaking, and by the following spring, steel frames were already up and the roads through the site were being rebuilt. Why the outside-the-gates story is the one that matters. Here's the actual mechanism worth understanding if you live in the Dominion. The club renovation is a private good. It's paid for by member dues, it upgrades a space only members can enter, and its value is captured entirely inside the gates. The corridor development is a public good in the economic sense: it doesn't care whether you have a Dominion Country Club membership card. Anyone driving to UTSA Boulevard or the 1604 and La Cantera Parkway interchange gets access to whatever opens there, member or not, homeowner or renter, Dominion resident or not. That's why the smaller headline, in terms of press coverage, is actually the bigger story for daily life. A renovated dining room changes an evening for maybe a third of the neighborhood. A 112-acre district with a nine-hole golf course, pickleball courts, an ice house, and a trailhead into the Leon Creek Greenway changes the weekend options for everyone on that side of the city, regardless of which gate they drive through to get home. It also says something about the broader trajectory of the area. When a golf operator sinks money into resurfacing eight tennis courts and rebuilding a dining room, and a developer breaks ground on a $350 million district along the same corridor in that same stretch of 2025, that's not two unrelated headlines. It's the same corridor getting reinvested in from both the private club side and the public commercial side at once, which is a pattern worth noticing whether or not you're the one deciding where the next tee time goes. What to actually watch for. If you already live behind the Dominion's gates, the practical takeaway isn't complicated. Keep an eye on The Merc's tenant announcements over the next few months, since developers have said more tenants will be announced in the future beyond the first round. Keep an eye on La Cantera Crossing's leasing updates too, since a full tenant list for that smaller project hasn't landed yet. And if the club's renovated Copper Room or its new pickleball courts are part of your household's routine, the return on that membership just got a little more concrete. Either way, the neighborhood you've been driving through for years is filling in on both sides of the fence at the same time. That's rare, and it's worth paying attention to even if you have no plans to buy or sell anything. If you're curious what any of this shift in the corridor means for home values or timing in The Dominion, Frontline Properties tracks this market closely and is happy to talk through it. Reach out anytime for a free home valuation.

Austin's River Place CC completes first phase of major renovation. Unveils elevated member spaces, new wellness hub DALLAS - River Place Country Club in Austin has completed the first phase of a major two-phase renovation that reimagines how members dine, train, unwind, and connect. The multi-million-dollar investment from Arcis Golf - the second-largest owner and operator of golf facilities in the United States, with a portfolio of 88 private, resort, and daily-fee properties - introduces upgraded dining and social spaces, a dramatically expanded two-story fitness center, restorative amenities, and an enhanced retail experience. Together, the improvements strengthen River Place's position as a premier club for active, healthy living in the Texas Hill Country. The company also owns and operates Onion Creek Club and Twin Creeks Country Club in the region. Inspired by the humble grandeur of the Hill Country, the reimagined clubhouse blends the timelessness of natural hardwoods, rich leathers, and forged iron with modern touches of bold color and graphic pattern to reflect the distinct heritage and identity of Austin. Every element of the design creates a clubhouse that exudes a relaxed luxury in keeping with Arcis Golf's identity as a premier hospitality and lifestyle brand. "Our vision is to create clubs that become an extension of our members' lives," said Blake Walker, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Arcis Golf. "Today's private club experience is about much more than exceptional golf. It's about creating places where families gather, wellness becomes part of everyday life, friendships grow, and memories are made naturally. Our investment at River Place reflects that vision and our long-term commitment to delivering one of the premier private club lifestyles in Central Texas." The fully redesigned 19th Hole features new furnishings and a lounge area, giving adult members a comfortable, inviting place to gather. The expansive cocktail menu emphasizes craftsmanship, with drinks made from fresh ingredients, house-made syrups, and fresh-squeezed juices. An extensive bourbon and tequila selection, including small-batch pours and rare selections, complements an atmosphere that is both sophisticated and welcoming. Led by a new executive chef and supported by completely modernized kitchens, the club's culinary program highlights fresh, regional flavor through partnerships with local farms, regional ranches, and artisanal bakeries. Lunch and dinner menus feature Texas-inspired small plates, salads, health-conscious choices, taqueria selections, handhelds, and entrées, supplemented by themed dinners and social gatherings. At the heart of the club's commitment to an active lifestyle, the Wellness Hub sets a new standard for what a club fitness experience can be. The expansive two-story training facility features dedicated strength and cardio zones engineered for performance, a large functional fitness rig, and purpose-built weight-training areas designed to meet members wherever they are in their fitness journey. A boutique Pilates studio - six reformers, virtual class kiosks, and programming that rivals the best standalone studios - sits alongside a refined yoga studio built for mobility, intentional movement, and mental clarity. Members also have access to two elevated amenity spaces: the Recovery Suite, featuring NormaTec compression boots, red light therapy, and a zero-gravity massage chair; and an expansive Finnish sauna and the Frost Locker cold therapy space, just steps from the locker room. The club is also introducing Wellness+, an exclusive health and performance program that combines advanced biomarker testing, expert-led training, and premium recovery therapies into a single integrated offering. Designed for members seeking a more personalized approach to health and performance, Wellness+ provides deeper insight into individual health markers while supporting performance, recovery, and vitality. Additional enhancements include a reimagined and rebranded Lifestyle Shop with an elevated retail experience. The new location creates a stronger first impression for members and guests while supporting an upgraded shopping experience. River Place's family-centric amenities include a vibrant aquatic setting anchored by a Junior Olympic swimming pool, providing inviting areas for relaxation and fun during Austin's warm season. For racquet enthusiasts, the club offers eight tennis courts, two ghost-lined pickleball courts, and a new tennis center with a deck overlooking three courts. With food-and-beverage service and sweeping views, the venue enhances River Place as a destination for play, instruction, and community. Golf remains central to the River Place lifestyle, with a course that winds through steep canyons, elevated tees, and sweeping Hill Country views. Thoughtfully integrated into the natural landscape, the course delivers a playing experience that is both visually striking and extremely memorable. A full calendar of play and instruction underscores the club's commitment to player development. This fall, an updated arrival experience, lobby, family restaurant, and Great Hall will round out the transformation, adding a more connected setting suited for year-round use. The new design will include rustic oak flooring, warm wood ceilings, new custom furnishings, an expanded executive boardroom, pre-event function space, and two personal workspaces for members. An industry leader in inventive programming and lifestyle amenities that complement exceptional golf offerings, Arcis Golf has invested more than $175 million over the past four years in property upgrades, new amenities, personnel, training, and systems to create extraordinary experiences and forge emotional connections with members and guests. The company has received numerous honors, including recognition on the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies in America.