Officials from the city of San Antonio, Hemisfair and the Hemisfair Conservancy gathered at the downtown public park on Jan. 26 to celebrate the launch of construction of what will be San Antonio’s newest central park.
The city contracted Skanska USA Building Inc. to construct the $27 million voter-approved project, Civic Park, an initiative local officials say will take 18 months to complete.
According to Hemisfair officials, Phase 1 of Civic Park will provide 5 acres of public parkland, including a shaded promenade, a water feature and a great lawn for large events designed to accommodate up to 15,000 people in concert mode.
“When the community came together in 2012 to envision the master plan for the Hemisfair redevelopment, they could not have foreseen a global crisis that would impact the way we gather for Fiesta and other major celebrations,” Mayor Ron Nirenberg said in a statement. “Urban green spaces have become even more essential to the mental well-being, physical health and connection of our residents. Hemisfair’s Civic Park is the great gathering place our city needs.”
City Manager Erik Walsh said in a statement that Civic Park will be built with “the resilience and health of our residents in mind.”
“This day has been a long time coming, and I’m grateful to the entire team who worked diligently behind the scenes to get us here,” Walsh said.
Hemisfair officials said Civic Park will also feature free public Wi-Fi to increase community broadband access and an expanded public restroom with a universal changing station for individuals with special needs.
Civic Park is the latest phase of redevelopment of the former Hemisfair Park, the site of the 1968 World’s Fair. Redevelopment of Hemisfair in recent years has included construction of Yanaguana Garden—an area focused on children’s play areas—and new apartments, and retail and dining spaces.
Hemisfair officials said Seattle-based landscape architecture firm GGN designed Civic Park to tell the story of the region’s natural rock formations and water sources sustainably, using treated, recycled water that will run through channels into shallow, interactive pools.
"We spent a lot of time listening to San Antonians and working to understand what is unique about this city,” GCN Design Principal David Malda said in a statement. “Civic Park’s design relates to the broader stories of land and water that are at the heart of this region, all of which come together to shape a park that is all about San Antonio while offering something very new.”
Cara DeAnda, board chair with the Hemisfair Park Area Redevelopment Corp., said Civic Park was designed “by and for the San Antonio community, after months of public engagement to develop the Hemisfair master plan and years of witnessing its success at Yanaguana Garden.”
“We’re grateful to our partners at the city of San Antonio, GGN and Skanska for working with us to deliver on our promise of creating one of the world’s great public places,” DeAnda said in a statement.
Civic Park Phase 1 construction is partially funded by some private sector contributions, Hemisfair officials said.
According to Hemisfair officials, Civic Park Phase 1 is set to open by fall 2023, and Phase 2 will be finished in late 2024, pending voter approval of $18 million recommended for inclusion in a proposed 2022 city bond.
Civic Park Phase 2 will include an entrance adjacent to the Torch of Friendship at East Market and South Alamo streets; a zocalo with a built-in terrace for community performances; and the mural plaza at the river level of the nearby Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, Hemisfair officials said.
