FAQ's

What is the cost to lease at Brooks City-Base?
Brooks City-Base is fortunate to have a wide variety of property types and classes of property. Generally, office rental rates range from $10 per sq. ft. to $18 per sq. ft. on a full service gross lease basis. To learn more about the space that is currently available for lease at Brooks City-Base, please visit our properties page.

Do I get any incentives for locating at Brooks City-Base?
The Brooks Development Authority is able to offer a number of potential incentives providing a friendly environment for investment.

Companies that locate at Brooks City-Base may be eligible for a City/County Joint Tax Phase-In Abatement program. Also at the local level, workforce development assistance may be available, and in certain circumstances, development financing through bonds or loans may be issued by the city’s Industrial Development Authority.

Brooks City-Base is located in an area that is designated as a State Strategic Investment Area, and some businesses may qualify for the state’s Freeport Exemption Program. On the federal level, Brooks City-Base is located within a Federal Empowerment Zone (EZ) and Foreign Trade Zone, and since the campus is in a Federal EZ, it qualifies as a State EZ as well.

For more detailed information regarding potential incentives for locating at Brooks City-Base, please visit our incentives page.

Are there opportunities to locate at Brooks City-Base other than in existing buildings?
The Brooks Development Authority will provide build-to-suit facilities and entertain land lease proposals as well as partnerships or other innovative relationships. In certain circumstances, there may be opportunities to sell land parcels to users with compatible activities. For information about land available for development at Brooks City-Base, please visit our properties page.

How has the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) decision impacted Brooks City-Base?
Brooks City-Base is open for business! The original vision of transforming Brooks City-Base into a world-class research and technology center remains intact and has adjusted to the results of the 2005 BRAC. Although the 2005 BRAC process will relocate the military missions away from Brooks City-Base, the City-Base initiative is already a demonstrated success.

As it stands, Brooks City-Base is at least three years ahead in redevelopment over the other installations across the nation facing the same disappointing news from the 2005 BRAC. The Brooks Development Authority (BDA) is working closely with the Air Force to best manage the uncertainties of the Air Force’s departure schedule. Coordinating a reasonable departure schedule will allow the BDA to begin marketing the office and laboratory space currently occupied by the Air Force.

What type of security exists at Brooks City-Base?
While the campus is open to the public, Brooks City-Base features perimeter fencing with one 24-hour observed entry point. Most buildings feature additional electronic security measures and there are further opportunities to provide higher security areas within the campus as needed. These aspects of Brooks City-Base provides an additional benefit for research and technology tenants seeking a security buffer greater than what is found at a “typical” research campus.

Will I ever have difficulty getting into the Brooks City-Base campus?
In the event of a national emergency, the Air Force may supplement the existing security at the entry point. Even in this situation, tenants and their guests, with appropriate identification, will not be denied access.

Does the City of San Antonio own Brooks City-Base?
No, the Brooks Development Authority (BDA) is the owner, operator and developer of the property. The BDA is a special district and political subdivision of the State. The BDA, however, was established by the City of San Antonio to develop the property. The BDA Board of Directors  has 11 members, 2 committees and an ex-officio Air Force liaison.

What is the quality of life and cost of living in San Antonio?
According to the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation, the cost of living is nearly 10 percent below the U.S. average, allowing residents and companies alike to enjoy affordable living in a cultural and business-savvy city. Home prices in San Antonio are more than 35 percent below the U.S. median and are less than half the cost of comparable housing in some cities in California and the East Coast. Additionally, San Antonio’s utility rates are among the lowest in the United States and companies who relocate here immediately enjoy the low cost of doing business. To learn more, please go to our about San Antonio page.

Does San Antonio have a highly educated workforce?
Yes, the city has multiple universities and the school districts are considered top-notch. To read more, please go to our education page.

What is there to do in San Antonio?
San Antonio is a culturally diverse city with events for nearly every taste. The Alamo and River Walk are popular downtown attractions, while SeaWorld and Six Flags Fiesta Texas provide family fun outside the city. For more information, please visit our recreation page.