Phase 1 of San Antonio's newest re-imagining of its waterways opens Saturday after three years of construction.
The San Pedro Creek Culture Parkproject begins at the northwest end of downtown, and runs approximately a half mile — or 2,200 feet — ending at Houston Street, senior engineer Kerry Averyt said.
"We've already started construction on phase 1.2,” he said. “It's due to be completed somewhere from mid to late 2020."
IF YOU GO What: San Pedro Creek Culture Park opening Where: Santa Rosa at Columbus Streets When: Opens noon Saturday, with illumination ceremony at 7:30 p.m. Cost: Free
The four phase, 2.2 mile project will turn what used to be a concrete ditch into a showplace of artwork, native landscaping and water. An enormous steel plate box greets visitors at the beginning of the project at Camaron, near the Interstate 10 interchange. That box houses filters designed to catch trash flowing through the water, but it also functions as a piece of art. There are holes in the metal, and at night when backlit, they tell a 300-year-old story.
"The design team worked with the Scobee Planetarium to get a picture of what the night sky looked like on May 5, 1718, when the Spanish first founded this area,” Averyt said. “They've laser cut these stainless steel panels, and it represents the constellations in the sky."
Like the Museum Reach, the San Pedro Creek Culture Park is an art-filled, limestone-walled waterway, which opens to the public Saturday.
"Starting at noon, we'll have events including live entertainment. A lot of the entertainment is geared towards the different cultures that make up the history of this area,” he said.
After dark, a ceremony will light up the creek, followed by fireworks. A San Pedro Creek Culture Park app allows visitors to find backstories on the area and the artwork displayed along its route.
Jack Morgan can be reached at jack@tpr.org