San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush signed a resolution Tuesday agreeing to changes to the Alamo grounds.
The master plan calls for closing streets around the Alamo, creating a museum, and relocating the Cenotaph monument that honors defenders to another spot in the plaza – a proposal that generated some public opposition.
Nirenberg and Bush, who make up the plan’s executive committee, were the final two people who needed to approve the concept of the master plan.
Nirenberg said the plan honors the nearly 300-year-old history of the Alamo, including the 1836 battle.
“Among the key elements of the plan: a world-class museum that tells the story of the battle fought here, of the heroes who died here, and how what happened here ultimately led to Texans freedom and Texas independence,” he said.
That museum and a visitor’s center could potentially be housed in three historic buildings across from Alamo Plaza, which was the state bought in 2015. The buildings currently house attractions like Ripley’s Haunted Adventure.
Bush said the plan will restore reverence and dignity to the Alamo grounds.
“It’s time now for all Texans to come together regardless of our background. We’ve had our say. But now it’s time to move forward with the master plan,” he said.
The Alamo Master Plan has been in development for four years.
“The final recommendations signed off on by Land Commissioner George P. Bush and Mayor Ron Nirenberg were the culmination of a lengthy, multiyear process that featured over 200 public meeting across Texas,” said City Councilman Roberto Trevino, who sits on the Alamo Citizens Advisory and Alamo Management Committees. “Over the last four years, Texans used their voice to shape the Alamo Master Plan. I could not be more proud of our city, the state of Texas, and the Alamo Endowment for their participation in making this an inclusive, transparent process.”
Early versions of the plan called for glass walls around the plaza and closing it to the public at night. That proposal was revised after public opposition.
The Alamo Management Committee has a goal of completing the redevelopment of Alamo plaza by January 2024.
“We’re a little bit behind schedule, but we plan to catch up. Our target is to be open all of 2024 to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Alamo being in this location,” said Gene Powell, chairman of the Alamo Management Committee.
The lease agreements must still be approved, and the San Antonio City Council must vote on it.
“The bugles are silent, but the clarion call of freedom sounded here resonates the world over to this very day, so we must appropriately, respectfully and reverently honor these brave souls whose blood stains the soil beneath our feet,” Nirenberg said.
Joey Palacios can be reached at Joey@TPR.org and on Twitter at @Joeycules
