Segment 1 Set to Open with All Day Family Celebration
SAN ANTONIO – The first segment of the much-anticipated San Pedro Creek Culture Park – a one-of-a-kind urban greenspace located on the western edge of downtown San Antonio – will officially debut on Saturday, May 5, 2018. The world-class linear park is the result of a joint effort by Bexar County, the San Antonio River Authority and the City of San Antonio to transform San Pedro Creek into a restored natural creek habitat and greenspace. Combining purpose with beauty, the San Pedro Creek Culture Park weaves public art and architectural design into historic preservation, flood control, water quality and ecosystem restoration.
“Through the revitalization of San Pedro Creek, we are inviting people to connect with our community’s vibrant history and culture,” said Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff. “Bexar County was founded along the banks of San Pedro Creek and the San Pedro Creek Culture Park celebrates and expresses the culture, history and natural qualities of Bexar County through its beautiful design and artwork.”
The first phase and segment of the San Pedro Creek Culture Park – stretching from the flood tunnel inlet at N. Santa Rosa Street near Fox Tech High School to Houston Street – will debut with a full day of family-friendly programming – including children’s art and craft activities, historical presentations, live music and local food truck fare – from noon to 9 p.m., including a special evening Illumination Ceremony at 7:30 p.m., presented by Bexar County.
“The San Antonio River Authority gets a tremendous amount of joy bringing these types of projects to fruition for the community,” said San Antonio River Authority Board Chair Mike Lackey. “It’s been a challenging in terms of designing and constructing a linear park in the middle of downtown San Antonio but seeing the transformation of the Creek gives us the energy and excitement to continue working on these types of once-in-a-lifetime endeavors.”
Exemplifying beauty with a purpose, the San Pedro Creek Culture Park serves as vital infrastructure for a growing downtown. By increasing the depth and width of the existing channel, the project will remove 30 acres from the 100-year flood plain, safely conveying floodwaters within the San Pedro Creek banks. The project will also improve water quality in a highly urbanized segment of the downtown watershed through the use of low-impact development features, including bioswales and storm water interceptors.
In addition to creating a beautiful new linear park, the San Pedro Creek Culture Park returned the creek to a more natural state, which benefits the native flora and fauna, while also improving flood control. Through the project, the existing channels will be deepened and widened to contain the 100-year floodplain with the San Pedro Creek banks and will vastly improve water quality with the addition of bioswales and aquatic plants that remove pollutants from the waterway.
Public art provides a beautiful backdrop to the restored creek, telling the story of our community through contemporary art and cultural programming. The first segment of the Culture Park features four tile murals designed by prominent San Antonio artists – Adriana Garcia, Katie Pell, Alex Rubio and Joe Lopez – that commemorate the rich and interweaving cultures that define San Antonio and Bexar County. Additional artwork commissions include storytelling through historical text and poetry by John Phillip Santos, ceramic artwork representing the historical nature of the nearby street names by Diana Kersey and colorful tiles by Michael Menchaca inspired by the people, culture and history of San Antonio.
“Bexar County has invested in many vital projects to improve the lives of our residents, but no other project has been more prominent and culturally meaningful than the creation of the San Pedro Creek Culture Park,” said Bexar County Commissioner Paul Elizondo. “The vision of the Bexar County Commissioners Court to create a space where local citizens and visitors could learn and appreciate the roots of local heritage and culture is being realized with the opening of this first segment.”
Visitors will be able to navigate the San Pedro Creek Culture Park with the help of the mobile app, which includes a variety of ways to learn about and interact with the Creek. Available on Android and iOS, the app features a customizable 18-stop audio tour as well as extensive plant and animal lists for those who want to learn more about the native flora and fauna of the creek.
The San Pedro Creek Culture Park will encompass a total of four phases, with three segments in the first phase. The second segment, which spans from Houston Street to Nueva Street is currently under construction. When the four phases are completed, the San Pedro Creek Culture Park will span 2.2 miles through downtown.
To learn more about the San Pedro Creek Culture Park, including grand opening details, event day street closures and planned programming following the grand opening celebration, visit SPCculturepark.com.
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