Phase one of San Pedro Creek Culture Park project is forcing the closure of a major downtown street for three months.
Commerce Street, between Flores and Laredo Streets, was shut down Monday as construction crews continue to transform more than two miles of the downtown creek with walking trails, art, and landscaping.
The county is funding most of the $175 million project, which is managed by the San Antonio River Authority. The four-stage project may not be finished for another eight years.
“The primary reason for the full closure is to do some utility relocations. There are utilities that are currently hanging on the Commerce Street Bridge that have to be relocated underneath the creek channel, so they’ll demolish half the bridge and put in those utilities through open cut method," Terry Averyt, SARA senior engineer, said.
MAP | Commerce Street, between Flores and Laredo Streets, will be closed for the next three months
Construction started in November 2016. The first segment of the creek project opened to the public in May at I-35 and Santa Rosa.
Averyt said it will be a couple of years before the next major segment is opened to the public.
“Completion of phase 1.2, which includes the Houston Street Bridge, also the Commerce and Dolorosa bridges, and ends just north of Nueva Street, we’re looking to complete in the fall of 2020,” he said.
Averyt said only phases one and two have been funded.
Dr. Steve Nivin, chief economist for the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and an assistant professor of economics at St. Mary's University, prepared a study for the county and SARA that concluded the project is expected to spur a $1.5 billion economic impact by creating 2,100 new housing units, 1,428 new downtown employees, 7,300 new downtown residents, a 150 percent increase in new property value and $227 million in ad valorem tax revenues.
Brian Kirkpatrick can be reached at brian@tpr.org