Renteria urges lower height for Plaza Saltillo

City Council Member Pio Renteria announced to his colleagues during a Tuesday work session that he will push for the Plaza Saltillo project to be capped at a height of 78 feet on first reading, rather than the 125 feet recommended by staff. That is the minimum height that the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority has said it needs to be able to pay project workers a liveable wage, he explained. That announcement caught Council Member Delia Garza by surprise. Garza, who sits on the Capital Metro board of directors, said that the transit agency would be passing up on additional rental revenue by imposing a stricter height limit, therefore reducing the office space. Renteria responded that the additional revenue would only amount to $4 million over 40 years.