Melissa Robinson didn't set out to run Hemisfair. She started as a board member who took a chance meeting at a Christmas party seriously, then spent years learning the project from the inside before stepping into the CEO seat as only the second person to ever hold it.

In this episode, Melissa traces her path from a childhood spent bouncing between five states, through construction finance, a layoff that redirected her career, and a leap into development on her own, all the way to leading one of San Antonio's most consequential public spaces.

She breaks down what the 90-acre Hemisfair district actually includes, why the parks anchor the development rather than the other way around, and what's still left to build as the surrounding sports and entertainment district takes shape.

Episode Chapters

• (00:00) Cold Open
• (00:31) Welcome and Introduction
• (02:00) Melissa's Winding Path: Five States, Two Countries, One Twin Sister
• (13:47) From Construction Finance to Real Estate Development
• (28:44) The Leap: Leaving a Steady Career to Build Her Own Path
• (31:41) Becoming Hemisfair's Second-Ever CEO
• (35:23) The Story of Hemisfair: Three Generations of the Same Land
• (39:22) Inside the 90-Acre District and the Sports and Entertainment Conversations
• (43:41) Where Downtown San Antonio Is Headed in the Next 5-10 Years
• (49:36) Rapid Fire Questions

Links and Resources

• Hemisfair: https://hemisfair.org
• Real Estate Council of San Antonio: https://recsanantonio.com

Sponsored Links

• Port San Antonio: https://www.portsanantonio.us
• https://vimeo.com/1204624708/67c9b99b89?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

Podcast Production Services by EveryWord Media