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A long-vacant piece of South San Antonio history is getting a new life.
The Rendon Entrepreneurial Center (REC) opened Friday at 2612 West Southcross Blvd. in the former South San Antonio post office.
The building sat vacant and abandoned for roughly a decade after its closure before it was purchased by local entrepreneurs Jesus Rendon and his wife Judy. They transformed the once-forgotten property into the REC, a community hub designed to foster business development on the South Side
The 7,000-square-foot building has been restored as a space for residents seeking resources, support, and a place to grow and advance in community building.
Co-owner Jesus Rendon said the center is the fulfillment of a dream he and his wife Judy have carried since growing up on the city's South Side.
"And this is just the beginning. We're going to continue with full access to economic opportunity, access to healthcare, and then access to a high-quality education, and in this district," said Rendon.
The center is the first entrepreneurial hub south of Highway 90. Supporters say it represents more than a building renovation. For a community that has long experienced both neglect and revitalization, they hope the REC can help create new opportunities while inspiring a different story about the future of South San Antonio.
"All my neighbors were entrepreneurs, right? Every single one of us. Directly next to me. But they'd never gone to an entrepreneurial center. They'd never gone anywhere for resources," said Rendon. "It was always just talking amongst each other. So, it really was a movement that started with neighbors and has continued to grow into what it is today."
Rendon added that although it's often cheaper to work out of your home, if you rent rather than own a permanent residence, this is a great place for you to keep your business growing.
"We are going to offer BDO (Business Development Officer) services for free. We are a for-profit organization. We're going to do what we gotta do to make money, but we're going to offer those services for free," said Rendon. "We've gotta be creative. You can see the hardship that all the BDO's are going through right now with funding."
Bexar County Precinct 1 Commissioner Rebeca Clay-Flores addressed attendees and offered up an analogy of the NBA Finals to the REC before presenting the official proclamation for the opening.
"I think about how the South Side gets dissed often. And we are overlooked just like the Spurs are being overlooked," said Clay-Flores. "But as the Rendon Entrepreneurial Center is about to rise up and win, the Spurs are about to rise up and win too."
