Civic Park project begins at San Antonio’s Hemisfair

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.