San Antonio approves redevelopment of Alamo Plaza
By David Malone, Associate Editor
The Alamo, Texas’s most visited historic landmark is about to undergo a $450 million renovation. On Friday, Oct. 19, the San Antonio City Council voted 9-2 in favor of a makeover of Alamo Plaza.
According to the San Antonio Express, the vote authorizes the closure of Alamo Street and a portion of Houston Street in the plaza to traffic; a 50-year agreement for the Texas General Land Office to lease and manage the city-owned space that was once enclosed by the mission-fort’s outer walls; and the repair and relocation of the Cenotaph monument about 500 feet south of its existing location. The Cenotaph monument relocation has been a controversial point as it would move it outside the fort’s footprint.
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Construction could begin in 2020 with a target completion date of 2024. After the approval, the next steps for the project include fundraising and finding an architect to design a museum and develop the repair plan for the Cenotaph.