Alamo rehab projects
For more than 100 years, people have grumbled that Alamo Plaza is a disgrace to the memory of those who died in battle, and to mission inhabitants whose remains are buried there.There is much more.
Change has come slowly to the city-owned plaza. Even a 17-year-old proposal to close it to motor traffic has been all but ignored.
Now, during the 175th anniversary of the siege and battle, a group is pushing for major changes through an "Alamo Plaza Restoration Project," including removal of traffic; a detailed reconstruction of the 1836 compound's main gate and south and west walls; relocation of the 1930s Cenotaph to a nearby site; and increased emphasis on the role of Tejanos who fought for independence from Mexico.
The most ambitious elements of the project are relocation of early 1900s buildings on the plaza's west side to support re-creation of the Alamo's west wall, and conversion of the 1930s federal building on the north end to a "major world class multimedia center and museum."
Jack Cowan, president of the Texas History Center at Alamo Plaza Inc., a nonprofit group leading the restoration campaign, said the Alamo still is under siege.
The plaza, where much of the 1836 compound stood, is used for parades, political rallies and other irreverent events, and lined on one side with splashy businesses and signage, he said.
"The Alamo is the No. 1 historic site in Texas, and San Antonio treats it like a stepchild. It doesn't get any of the respect it deserves," said Cowan, a member of the Sons of the American Revolution who lives in San Antonio.
Even before the Daughters of the Republic of Texas were custodians of the state-owned Alamo grounds, Clara Driscoll declared in a 1900 newspaper commentary that the Alamo was "hemmed in" by businesses.
"Listen to what strangers say upon seeing the Alamo amid such surroundings: 'Is that the Alamo?'" Driscoll wrote. "All the unsightly obstructions that hide it away should be torn down and the space utilized for a park."
Similar comments are heard in the plaza, where some 3 million people pass through each year while visiting the state-owned Alamo grounds.
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If they can spruce it up, I am all for it. I am not one who thinks it is all that bad now. San Antonio is a lot cleaner city now than it was over 50 years ago when I first saw the Alamo. It is also a much bigger city than it was just 30 years ago. I am glad to see all the interest in a renovation. Maybe they should bring in the This Old House Crew to participate. It would probably generate interest and donations.
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