Nearly 200 people turned out Monday night for a virtual meeting on a proposed $62 million makeover of the Sunken Garden Theater at Brackenridge Park. The renovation would give the space capacity for up to 7,000 concert-goers.
The town hall was called by District 1 Councilman Mario Bravo, and District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez also attended.
Nearby residents expressed concerns about noise and traffic from the proposed incorporation of the existing historical 1930s structure into a modern amphitheater, which would be publicly and privately funded, including potentially by a $5 million city bond vote.
The originally recommended $25 million in city funding was lowered to $10 million, then cut again by a citizen bond committee to the current $5 million. The final amount will be decided Feb. 10.
River Road resident Mary Sandoval said there needs to be more public input before a public vote.
"This issue can be fully ventilated before those bond deadlines come up," she said.
Monte Vista resident Rasa Silenas is opposed to a larger venue.
"If we go to a larger venue that does concerts in the 45 to 60 range, I think I'm going to have to move out," she said at the virtual town hall.
The proposal is also opposed by a local group called Save Brackenridge. The organizers share the concerns raised by residents who spoke at the town hall.
"We believe it should be a park for all the people of San Antonio. not dominated by those who purchase concert tickets," reads one line on their website.
Members of the park conservancy stressed that the amphitheater is in very early stages of development and there is plenty of room for public input.
The conservancy says it wants to make the theater "a more functional event venue for all the citizens of San Antonio." In an interview Monday with "The Source," Park Conservancy Chairman Nicholas Hollis said the Sunken Park is "in a significant state of disrepair" and that some of the funding would go to renovating it.
Hollis said proposed sound proofing would reduce noise.
As for parking, he said Brackenridge Park already has adequate parking, and residents can always park at Alamo Stadium.
"Alamo Stadium seats 22,000 people and has generally has crowds in the 10- to 15,000-person range on a pretty regular basis and they get all of the people in, they get them parked, and they get them out of there," he said.
Park conservancy members say efforts to address sound and traffic issues can be found online at brackenridgepark.org.
Kathleen Creedon contributed to this report.
