Local News

Hill Country Residents Voice Their Opinion on $450M Alamo Project Plans

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Tony Maples Photography

 

The plan to redevelop the Alamo heritage site at a cost of $450 million has come under scrutiny by residents in a recent public hearing. Many residents voiced their opposition to the relocation of a 60-foot monument, the demolition of buildings, and closing of streets. The public meeting to discuss the plan and have residents and Texans alike respond to the changes was held on Monday, June 18 in San Antonio.

“We’re already in the first minute on our conversation, and I’m already hearing booing,” City Councilman Greg Brockhouse said at the meeting, which was held in the Texas Hill Country to provide area residents the opportunity to engage in the review. Making the official release of proposed project details earlier in June, the city of San Antonio, the General Land Office, and the non-profit Alamo Endowment called for the tripling in size of the historic plaza, the razing of a number of buildings, the moving of the Cenotaph, and the construction of a museum. Structural repairs were also identified as a necessary component as well as the lowering of the ground level in some instances, to reflect its original look at the time of the historic 1836 battle.

The plan to redevelop the Alamo heritage site at a cost of $450 million has come under scrutiny by residents in a recent public hearing, many of whom voiced their opposition to the relocation of a 60-foot monument, the demolition of buildings, and closing of streets. The public meeting to discuss the plan and have residents and Texans alike respond to the changes was held on Monday, June 18 in San Antonio. "We're already in the first minute on our conversation, and I'm already hearing booing," City Councilman Greg Brockhouse said at the meeting, which was held in the Texas Hill Country to provide area residents the opportunity to engage in the review. Making the official release of proposed project details earlier in June, the city of San Antonio, the General Land Office, and the non-profit Alamo Endowment called for the tripling in size of the historic plaza, the razing of a number of buildings, the moving of the Cenotaph, and the construction of a museum. Structural repairs were also identified as a necessary component as well as the lowering of the ground level in some instances, to reflect its original look at the time of the historic 1836 battle.

Photo: Joint Base San Antonio

With a focus on “reverence and respect,” project officials have stated that their intent is to honor the building, the past, and look to the future.”People say they don’t understand the story. We need a bigger space to tell the story,” explained Alamo CEO Doug McDonald on the project’s need and the desire for the museum. More public hearings on the project’s entirety are scheduled for this week.