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The buildings and acreage left behind from Hemisfair ’68 are have been repurposed for San Antonio in 2023. This Saturday, Civic Park — part two of that project — opens to the public.
Part one of the project — the extensive children’s playground Yanaguana Garden — opened five years ago.
Hemisfair CEO Andres Andujar recalls in planning discussions that the public had two priorities for this new space.
“The top two requests were shade and water, and we took that at heart and have delivered on substantial shade,” he said. “Even though this is a new park, the trees that we have installed are mature, at great expense, but it also allowed us to be in the shade the day of the opening.”
He told TPR that he hoped for a big turnout at noon on Saturday. San Antonio's mayor and city manager will be among the special guests touring the grounds and enjoying musical performances, including jazz.
Among the festivities will be a free Jazz'SAlive festival held on the great lawn. It's the first of what he plans to be a series of large public events there on the grassy expanse.
The park begins near the corner of Alamo and Market streets and covers seven acres just west of the Convention Center.
“The first phase includes the expansive lawn where we will celebrate, but it also includes a promenade that includes a water feature, a canal that that is a memory of the acequia system that built San Antonio,” Andujar explained. “And also it includes what we have coined 'The Springs,' which is a series of shallow fountains that you can interact with. [They] occupy almost an acre of the Civic Park.”
Andujar explained that the multiple water features, trees and lawn are kept watered with an innovative three-part watering system.
First: nuisance water. “Nuisance water is, the best example, that if you're own your property and you dig a hole deep enough that it becomes muddy on the bottom, that water is yours,” Andujar said. “It's not controlled by water agencies. And so you can then take that water and make of it what you like.”
The other two methods focus on collection and preservation.
“There is a second water source which is the many gallons of water that are produced by air conditioning condensers and the convention center with it's over a million square feet of space, produces quite a bit of condensate from the air conditioning system,” he said. “That's runoff we are also capturing. And the third component, which has not been very effective in the last few months, but will be in the future, is rainwater collection from the rooftops.”
All three of these sources are purified right there in the park before use.
Andujar said visitors will also find a better parking experience.
“Parking is resolved. Just come through [the] Chavez exit and look for the Hemisfair garage. That's a good source,” Andujar said. “And then if that were to be filled at any given time, there are many alternatives within a short walking distance from that location. So come on down and enjoy the festivities. This is your park.”
