Curated News
By: NewsRamp Editorial Staff
December 09, 2025
Developer Gilley Mendoza Champions Community-Driven Growth in South San Antonio
TLDR
- Gilley International Group's Villaret Commons offers strategic investment in South San Antonio's greenfield corridor, positioning early investors for growth alongside major employers and educational institutions.
- Gilley International Group develops 80-unit Villaret Commons with 19 duplexes and 42 single-family homes priced $250,000-$300,000, targeting workforce housing near Palo Alto College and major employers.
- Gilley Mendoza's community-driven development creates accessible housing and long-term opportunity for South San Antonio residents, reinvesting locally with respect for heritage and workforce needs.
- First-generation developer Gilley Mendoza transforms his childhood neighborhood with Villaret Commons, an 80-unit community designed specifically for South San Antonio's growing workforce and students.
Impact - Why it Matters
This news matters because it showcases a transformative approach to urban development that prioritizes community needs over profit maximization. As housing affordability becomes increasingly critical in growing Texas cities, Mendoza's model of "approachable housing" priced for local workforce salaries ($250,000-$300,000 range) offers a replicable blueprint for equitable development. The strategic focus on South San Antonio—a historically underserved area with major institutional anchors like Texas A&M University-San Antonio and expanding manufacturing—addresses both housing shortages and economic opportunity gaps. For residents, this means accessible homeownership near educational and employment centers; for the region, it represents sustainable growth that preserves community character while meeting demand. In an era where large institutional developers often displace existing communities, Mendoza's locally-rooted, transparent approach demonstrates how development can empower rather than marginalize, making this relevant to anyone concerned with equitable urban growth, affordable housing, and community-led economic development.
Summary
In a compelling episode of The Building Texas Show hosted by Justin McKenzie, first-generation developer Gilley Mendoza of Gilley International Group reveals his ambitious vision to reshape South San Antonio through community-driven real estate development. The episode highlights Mendoza's deep roots in the South Side and his philosophy of building "approachable housing" priced between $250,000 and $300,000 to match local workforce salaries, creating generational opportunities in the region between Loop 410 and Loop 1604 that remains largely undeveloped compared to North San Antonio.
The conversation centers on Villaret Commons, an 80-unit mixed residential community strategically located across from Palo Alto College, featuring 19 duplexes and 42 single-family homes with horizontal construction scheduled for completion within 45 days. Mendoza emphasizes how major institutional anchors like Texas A&M University–San Antonio (with its 700-acre master plan), Palo Alto College, and expanding advanced manufacturing from companies like Toyota and JCB are fueling the South Side's emergence as Texas' next major workforce, education, and housing cluster.
Mendoza's development approach prioritizes transparency and community engagement, acknowledging resident skepticism while focusing on providing better retail, housing, and options for the neighborhoods where he grew up. Host Justin McKenzie praises this model as "the best kind of development" where local investors reinvest with intention and respect for San Antonio's heritage, positioning Gilley International Group's projects as catalysts for responsible growth that aligns housing with educational institutions and industrial corridors.
Source Statement
This curated news summary relied on content disributed by Newsworthy.ai. Read the original source here, Developer Gilley Mendoza Champions Community-Driven Growth in South San Antonio
