Bexar County commissioners during their recent meeting approved a $13 million project to improve Old Fredericksburg Road in the far northwest part of the county.
Old Fredericksburg Road at Ralph Fair Road is just that — old. It's also a bit rustic.
The funding approved by commissioners will see 1.6 miles of Old Fredericksburg improved from just of north of Ralph Fair to just east of I-10.
One new travel lane will be added in each direction along with striped shoulders. Sidewalks will also be installed on the north side of Old Fredericksburg. Turn lanes will also be placed where needed, and drainage will be increased. The work could take more than a year to complete.
Commissioners also approved a public infrastructure grant for JCB Texas. The grant money will extend Kelly Parkway and a water main to serve the JCB manufacturing facility under construction on the South Side.
The facility will produce heavy duty equipment for construction, and industrial and farming purposes.
The $265 million plant will open by 2028 and employ more than 1,600 workers.
And the effort to complete the restoration of the historic Alameda Theater is expected to re-start next month. County commissioners heard a brief update on the project.
The county and city are funding the $14 million renovation, which was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tony Canez, who manages venue projects for the county, told commissioners it's back on track now: "We have a schedule that puts us in construction this spring through about the middle of next year and then preparing for a season of performances in 2026."
The 1949 ornate theater was a movie palace beloved by the Mexican American community of San Antonio. The Alameda Theater Conservancy plans to bring performances and other events back. There are plans to hire an executive director and staff to run the theater.
