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The City of San Antonio unveiled a new urban park near Market Square on Saturday.
The Pass at Market Square is a brightly colored space under I-35 between Dolorosa and Commerce streets, at 514 W. Commerce St., that offers swing chairs, ping pong tables, mural artwork and a basketball court.
Entrance is free and open to the public. A large fence encloses the area, and security personnel will be on site during park hours from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
City Facilities Administrator Amanda Reyna said organizers want The Pass to be a family friendly destination space that "to bring families together in our community, together at Historic Market Square and enjoy the festivities here on the weekends.”
Personnel will be onsite to assist visitors check out basketballs and ping pong supplies but they must reserve them before they visit. They may register at marketsquareSA.com.
Photos of the space showed large circles and squares painted in vivid primary colors on the bricks, which contrasted with the drab underside of the highway above.
The new park occupies the no-man's land between Market Square and the highway access road that the city and an array of partners — including UTSA and the 8020 Foundation — are attempting to recover and reimagine.
The noontime opening ceremony included food, music, some school supply giveaways and games.
The opening was part of Market Square’s Last Blast Summer Bash series of events.
Reyna said more features were coming to the park soon. “This fall, we're going to be inviting some local artists to paint murals on the columns that we have here in the area," she explained. "So, this October, we'll be presenting that to the public as well.”
