World Heritage Center

San Antonio breaks ground on World Heritage Center, the new gateway to the missions

Construction began this month on the World Heritage Center and is due for completion in 2024.

Rendering courtesy of City of San Antonio

Earlier this month, San Antonio's City Council approved an ordinance awarding a construction contract for the city's new World Heritage Center. Estimated to be completed in July 2024, the project will highlight the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Texas.

Construction began with a groundbreaking on December 13, but plans for the project date as far back as 2016. According to a release, the design process began in December 2019 as a collaborative effort. In June 2020, a virtual World Heritage Open House announced the location for the World Heritage Center at 100 W. Houston St., adjacent to the Mission Marquee Plaza and Mission Branch Library and intended to complement the former Mission Drive-In footprint.

Over the last two years, a community input process has produced a unified, overarching goal for the center to provide a world-class facility that will serve as both a public orientation center and engaging exhibit space.

“I am ecstatic that we have reached this milestone to award a construction contract. The new World Heritage Center will serve as a gateway to the San Antonio Missions. A place for San Antonio residents and visitors to gather. It will provide educational opportunities and information on the history, art, and culture of the community around the missions," said District 3 Councilwoman Phyllis Viagran in a previous release. "The Center will also tell the stories of the people who lived in the area over time, from those that encountered the Spanish to those that lived and worked in the Missions to the present day.”

In addition to the World Heritage Center, the construction project will include updates to four of the city's five Spanish colonial missions: Mission San Antonio de Valero (the Alamo), Missions Concepcion, San Jose, San Juan, and Espada. Improvements will include enhancements to existing structures, expanded parking, outdoor activity space, trailway sidewalks, and much more.

For updates and more information on the World Heritage Center, head to SanAntonio.gov.

Part-Time Job News

Amazon posts help wanted for 2,000 holiday workers in San Antonio

Photo courtesy of Amazon

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As the 2024 holiday shopping season approaches, Amazon is doing its annual round of holiday hiring, seeking to fill 250,000 full-time, part-time, and seasonal roles across the U.S., including 18,000 positions in Texas — including 2,000 openings in San Antonio.

The bulk of the open positions in Texas are in Dallas-Fort Worth, but they're also hiring in Houston and Austin.

Seasonal Amazon jobs offer competitive pay, flexible schedules, and, as a release so eloquently puts it, "the opportunity to be part of the bustling retail industry during its busiest time of year." LOL. Many of these seasonal roles also come with the potential to transition into regular, full-time employment after the holidays.

The release does not specify which positions are open but one can assume packing and delivering boxes are involved.

Interested applicants can go to amazon.com/localjobs or text NEWJOB to 31432 to sign up for job alerts. Open roles are posted throughout the holiday season.

Pay and Benefits
All seasonal employees earn at least $18 per hour, and have access to comprehensive benefits like health care coverage from their first day of employment.

Approximately one-third of seasonal employees stay on year after year.

Seasonal employees who stay at the company can see an average pay increase of 15 percent over their first three years.

Amazon perks include career advancement opportunities; access to earned pay at any time; health, vision, and dental insurance from the first day on the job; a 401(k) with company match; and up to 20 weeks of paid pregnancy/parental leave for birth parents (six weeks for eligible supporting parents).

They also get Amazon Prime employee discount, and Amazon’s Resources for Living program, a free benefit offering mental health and financial services and support for employees, their families, and their households.

employers holidays