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>> CLERK: GOOD AFTERNOON, WELCOME TO THE CITY COUNCIL B SESSION OF OCTOBER THE TENTH, 2018.
>> CLERK: MAYOR, WE DO HAVE A QUORUM.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: GOOD AFTERNOON.
WELCOME EVERYONE TO OUR CITY COUNCIL B SESSION AGENDA.
WE HAVE ONE ITEM ON THE AGENDA TODAY.
BEFORE WE FORMALLY GET STARTED, I'M TOLD WE HAVE A BIRTHDAY AT THE TABLE.
SO LET'S ALL SING COUNCILMAN CLAYTON PERRY A HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: DON'T ENJOY YOURSELF TOO MUCH, COUNCILMAN.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: CITY MANAGER SCULLEY?
>> SCULLEY: THANK YOU, MAYOR AND
[1. Briefing on the Alamo Plan approved by the Citizens AdvisoryCommittee, the Alamo Executive Committee and the AlamoManagement Committee; and presentation to City Council on nextsteps to implement the plan. [Lori Houston, Assistant City Manager]]
COUNCIL.SO TODAY WE WILL MAKE A PRESENTATION ON THE ALAMO PLAN.
AND IT WILL BE PRESENTED IN THREE PARTS.
I'M GOING TO DO AN INTRODUCTION AND FOLLOWING A SHORT INTRODUCTION OF OUR PROJECT AND PLAN, COUNCILMAN TREVINO WILL SPEAK NEXT, FOLLOWED BY JOHN COSMAN AND ERIC KRAMER FROM PGAB AND REED HILDEBRAND TO TALK ABOUT OUR PLAN.
SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS JUST GIVE YOU A QUICK OVERVIEW AND THEN TURN IT OVER TO THE COUNCILMAN, BUT FIRST BEFORE I DO THAT, I WANTED TO INTRODUCE A FEW OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY FROM THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS.
>> SCULLEY: THERE'S HECTOR, I DIDN'T SEE YOU WALK IN.
HECTOR VILLA AND BRYAN PRESTON, ALSO TWO MEMBERS OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE, JEFF GORDON IS HERE, AN ATTORNEY FOR THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE.
FROM THE ALAMO, OUR CURRENT CEO, DOUG MCDONALD IS HERE.
FROM THE DESIGN TEAM, JOHN KASMAN, PGAV, DESTINATIONS, ERIC KRAMER IS HERE FROM REED HILDEBRAND, AND ALSO LEAH BRODA.
WHERE'S LEAH? SITTING IN THE BACK.
OUR TRICHAIRS ARE HERE OF COURSE LED BY COUNCILMAN ROBERTO TREVINO.
ALSO THE OTHER TWO COCHAIRS ARE SUSAN PEMBERTON.
SHE'S SITTING TO MY LEFT, AND ALSO LIONEL SOSA.
AND, OF COURSE, I WANT TO THANK AND RECOGNIZE THE CITY STAFF WHO HAVE WORKED ON THIS PROJECT WITH US, LORI HOUSTON, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, ANDY SEGOVIA AND I WORKED ON THE LEASE WITH THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE, AND ED GUZMAN, SUPPORTING ANDY.
ALSO SHANNON MILLER, OUR DIRECTOR OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND RAYA ROBERTS, SPECIAL PROJECT MANAGER WORKING WITH LORI HOUSTON.
SO WE HAVE A NUMBER OF CITIZEN -- OUR ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS HERE, TOO, AND COUNCILMAN TREVINO WILL INTRODUCE THEM IN A MINUTE.
BUT JUST FOR A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE, THREE YEARS AGO ON OCTOBER 15TH IN 2015, ALMOST THREE YEARS AGO EXACTLY, IT WILL BE THIS WEEKEND, THE CITY COUNCIL DID APPROVE AND EXECUTE A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WITH THE TEXAS GENERAL LAND OFFICE, THE ALAMO ENDOWMENT BOARD AND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO REGARDING A JOINT MASTER PLAN FOR THE ALAMO COMPLEX AND SURROUNDING AREAS AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE ENTITIES WORKING TOGETHER, AS WELL AS THE MANAGEMENT AND OVERSIGHT OF THE MASTER PLAN'S DEVELOPMENT AND AD ADOPTION.
SO THE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT IS VERY SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT'S THE FIRST TIME THE CITY AND THE STATE ARE WORKING TOGETHER ON A PLAN FOR THE ALAMO.
AND THE CITY OWNS, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THIS CHART, NEXT MAP, OKAY, ON THIS MAP, THE CITY OWNS THE ALAMO PLAZA AND STREETS.
AND THE STATE OWNS THE CHURCH, THE LONG BARRACKS AND THE GARDEN BEHIND THE ALAMO CHURCH.
AND THEY ALSO OWN NOW THE THREE HISTORIC BUILDINGS ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE ALAMO.
SO IN THE PAST, AND THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL ATTEMPTS OVER THE YEARS, TO DEVELOP AN ALAMO PLAN,
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BUT IN THE PAST, THE ABSENCE OF AN AGREEMENT THAT INCLUDES THE CITY AND THE STATE AND, OF COURSE, THE ENDOWMENT, WHICH WILL BE UNDERTAKING A MAJORITY OF THE FUNDRAISING, IS ONE OF THE REASONS PREVIOUS EFFORTS HAVE FAILED AND FALLEN SHORT OF BEING ACCOMPLISHED.SO THIS AGREEMENT THAT WAS EXECUTED AND APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL, THE GLO AND THE ENDOWMENT IN 2015 CREATED A SIX-MEMBER MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE WITH TWO REPRESENTATIVES FROM EACH OF THE THREE ENTITIES, COUNCILMAN TREVINO AND I REPRESENT THE CITY, AND THE CHARGE OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE IS TO OVERSEE THE DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MASTER PLAN FOR THE ALAMO AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS.
THE AGREEMENT ALSO CREATED A TWO-MEMBER EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE THAT INCLUDES THE MAYOR OF SAN ANTONIO AND THE COMMISSIONER OF THE TEXAS GENERAL LAND OFFICE.
THE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT IDENTIFIED THE VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES DEVELOPED BY THE ALAMO CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE AS THE FOUNDATION FOR THE MASTER PLAN.
THE ALAMO CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE AS YOU ALL KNOW INCLUDES 26 MEMBERS, SOME OF WHOM WERE APPOINTED BY YOU-ALL, AS WELL AS PREVIOUS COUNCILMEMBERS, SO THAT BOARD ALSO INCLUDES REPRESENTATIVES APPOINTED BY THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE.
IT'S A COMMITTEE OF 26, AND THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE HAS SIX SEATS AMONG THE 26.
AND THEN THERE ARE ALSO FOUR TECHNICAL ADVISORY MEMBERS REPRESENTING INDUSTRY ORGANIZATIONS AS PART OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
AND IT WAS ESTABLISHED TO CREATE A FRAMEWORK FOR THE ALAMO MASTER PLAN AND TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE AS WELL AS THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLAN.
NOW, THIS NEXT SLIDE IS A LISTING OF THE 2015 MASTER PLAN TEAM.
IT IS AN ICHART, BUT THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE IN 2015 WAS TO SELECT A WORLD-CLASS DESIGN TEAM TO UNDERTAKE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MASTER PLAN.
AND AFTER AN INTERNATIONAL AND COMPETITIVE PROCESS, THE ALAMO MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE SELECTED PRESERVATION DESIGNED PARTNERSHIP HEADED BY, YOU MAY RECALL, GEORGE SCARMAAS, HE HAS BEEN BEFORE COUNCIL OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS TO PRESENT ON THE MASTER PLAN.
HE ALSO HAS WORLD HERITAGE EXPERIENCE.
THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE ALSO SELECTED GROUPO DESIGNER BANO OUT OF MEXICO CITY AND HE IS AN URBAN PLANNER AND AN ARCHITECT.
HE WAS A MEMBER OF THAT MASTER PLAN TEAM.
THE FINAL MEMBER OF THE TEAM WAS FISHER HECK ARCHITECTURE, WHICH IS LED BY LUIS FISHER WHO MANY OF YOU KNOW LIVES AND WORKS IN SAN ANTONIO AND IS NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED AND HAS WORKED ON A NUMBER OF PRESERVATION AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION PROJECTS THROUGHOUT TEXAS.
SO THESE THREE FIRMS HIRED A TEAM OF EXPERTS THAT ARE LISTED ON THIS CHART INCLUDING HISTORIANS, ENGINEERS, ARCHEOLOGISTS AND ARCHITECTS TO AS ZEST IN THE COMPLEXITY OF THE PROJECT, TO STUDY THE HISTORY OF THE 300 YEARS OF THE ALAMO, AND TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE.
SO THE PLAN, AS SOME OF YOU HAVE HEARD FROM PREVIOUS PRESENTATIONS, IS SUMMARIZED INTO FIVE KEY ELEMENTS.
FIRST, THE RESTORATION OF THE CHURCH AND THE LONG BARRACKS; SECONDLY, DELINEATING THE HISTORIC FOOTPRINT OF THE MISSION AS THE CITY DEVELOPED OVER TIME, OF COURSE, CONSUMING MUCH OF THAT FOOTPRINT.
SNFORT THIRD TO RECAPTURE THE HISTORIC MISSION PLAZA AND CREATE A SENSE OF REVER RENS AND RESPECT FOR THE HISTORIC BATTLEFIELD.
FOURTH, TO REPURPOSE THE CROCKET WOOLWORTH AND PALACE BUILDING INTO A WORLD-CLASS VISITOR CENTER, MUSEUM THAT TELLS THE STORY OF THE BATTLE OF THE ALAMO AND OVER 300 YEARS OF LAYERED HISTORY.
AND FIFTH TO CREATE A SENSE OF ARRIVAL TO THE SITE AND ENHANCE CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN THE ALAMO AND THE REST OF THE DOWNTOWN URBAN CENTER.
SO AFTER 18 MONTHS OF RESEARCH, PUBLIC INPUT AND COMMUNITY MEETINGS ON MAY 11 OF 2017, THE CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED THE ALAMO MASTER PLAN AND CONCEPTUALLY APPROVED THE FOLLOWING: THE REPAIR AND RELOCATION OF THE CENOTAPH, CLOSURE OF ALAMO STREET BETWEEN HOUSTON AND MARKET AND CROCKET STREET FROM BONHAM TO LOSOYA AND A LEASE OF PLAZA AND PORTIONS OF THE STREET NECESSARY TO RECLAIM THAT ORIGINAL MISSION FOOTPRINT AND PLAZA.
SO AFTER APPROVAL OF THE MASTER PLAN THEN, THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE STARTED THE PROCESS TO SELECT A PLANNING TEAM THAT WOULD DEVELOP AN INTERPRETIVE
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PLAN FOR THE ALAMO AND THE DESIGN OF THE PLAZA AND THE SURROUNDING AREA.IN DECEMBER OF 2017, THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE ANNOUNCED THE SELECTION OF PGAV DESTINATIONS TO LEAD THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INTERPRETIVE PLAN AS WELL AS THE DESIGN OF THE ALAMO PLAZA.
THE TEAM ALSO INCLUDES REED HILDEBRAND, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS AND CULTURAL INNOVATIONS MUSEUM AND CULTURAL HERITAGE CONSULTANTS.
THE COMPREHENSIVE INTERPRETIVE PLAN BUILDS ON THE MASTER PLAN'S KEY FIVE CONCEPTS THAT I JUST DISCUSSED TO DEVELOP THE INTERPRETIVE PLAN, AS WELL AS THE SITE STRATEGIES FOR THE ALAMO AREA.
AND THE DRAFT SITE STRATEGIES AND INTERPRETIVE PLAN WERE PRESENTED IN SEVERAL PUB LICK MEETINGS -- PUBLIC IN AUGUST OF THIS YEAR.
THERE ARE SOME CHANGES FROM THE MASTER PLAN TO THE INTERPRETIVE PLAN.
THESE INCLUDE THE REMOVAL OF THE GLASS WALLS, PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE PLAZA AREA 24 HOURS A DAY, A SOLEMN SPACE AND A PUBLIC COMMUNITY SPACE, MORE SHADE, THE CENOTAPH IS RELOCATED, BUT REMAINS WITHIN THE ALAMO PLAZA.
YOU MAY RECALL IN MAY OF 2017 SOME OF THE SITES DISCUSSED WERE MUCH FURTHER AWAY FROM THE PLAZA AREA, INCLUDING THE FIRST CHOICE WHICH WAS ON MARKET STREET DOWN ACROSS FROM THE GRAND HYATT HOTEL IN THE PUBLIC SPACE AREA.
SO THAT WAS MOVED AND SELECTED IN THE ALAMO PLAZA JUST ADJACENT TO THE ALAMO CHURCH.
THE REVISED PLAN ALSO ACCOMMODATES FIESTA TRADITIONS WITH THE PARADES AND THE FLORAL TRIBUTES, MORE SEATING.
ALSO CEREMONIES, THE PILGRIMAGES, THE CAVALIERS AND VESTITURE CEREMONIES.
WE HAVE LISTENED TO THE INPUT THAT WE'VE RECEIVED, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THERE'S UNINIMITY IN ALL ASPECTS, BUT ALL HAS BEEN TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION THAT COUNCILMAN TREVINO WILL TALK ABOUT IN JUST A MOMENT HAS BEEN CONSIDERED IN THIS DECISION-MAKING PROCESS.
FOLLOWING COUNCILMAN TREVINO, ERIC KRAMER IS GOING TO PRESENT ON THE ACTUAL PLAN, AND THEN AT THE END, BEFORE WE TAKE COUNCIL QUESTIONS, I WILL SUMMARIZE THE ACTIONS WE ARE RECOMMENDING TO CITY COUNCIL NEXT WEEK, AS WELL AS THE SCHEDULE FOR UNDERTAKING THESE VERY MAJOR PROJECTS.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO COUNCILMAN TREVINO, WHO DOES REPRESENT THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE, ALONG WITH ME.
>> TREVINO: THANK YOU, SHERYL.
I'M IN THE UNIQUE POSITION TO BE ON BOTH THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE AND THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
I'M JOINED TODAY BY MY FELLOW TRICHAIRS, LINE -- AUDIO] -- ARE ALSO HERE.
I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK.
AS YOU CAN SEE THAT THIS PROJECT HAS INCLUDED A LOT OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENTS THROUGHOUT THE STARTING OF THE ALAMO CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE IN 2014, AND WE HAVE HAD OVER 50 PUBLIC MEETINGS AND 200 PLUS STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS.
THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THE FACEBOOK LIVE CAMPAIGN WE DID DURING THE ARCHEOLOGY DAY WHERE WE PROVIDED DAILY UPDATES ON THE DIG AND SHARED FINDINGS WORLDWIDE.
I WANT TO THANK OUR OWN CITY ARCHEOLOGIST KAY HINES FOR BEING SUCH A ROCK STAR WHEN IT CAME TO THE ARCHEOLOGY ON SITE.
I THINK EVERYBODY WOULD CERTAINLY GIVE UP AN HOUR OF THEIR DAY TO GO AND VISIT THAT SITE EVERY DAY, TO LEARN ALL THE GREAT ARCHEOLOGY THAT WAS HAPPENING.
I WANT TO SAY THAT WE DID LISTEN TO THE FEEDBACK AND SOME OF THE INITIAL CONCEPTS PRESENTED IN THE MAY 2017 MASTER PLAN HAVE ALREADY CHANGED.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE ALAMO CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE INCLUDES 30 MEMBERS AND SEVERAL OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, AS I MENTIONED, SOME OF THEM ARE HERE TODAY, HAVE BEEN ENGAGED SINCE 2014.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF NEW MEMBERS AND I WANT TO THANK THEM AGAIN FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK.
ON AUGUST 30TH, 2018, THE ALAMO CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE APPROVED THE SEVEN RESOLUTIONS TO SUPPORT THE PLAN, INCLUDING ONE CONDITIONALLY RECOMMENDING THE CITY TO ENTER INTO A LONG-TERM AGREEMENT WITH THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE TO MANAGE THE HISTORIC ALAMO PLAZA.
THE PLAN PROPOSED BY THE CONSULTANT TEAM FURTHER DEVELOPED THE PROPOSED STRATEGIES NECESSARY TO ACHIEVE
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THE FIVE KEY CONCEPTS IN THE MASTER PLAN.THE MORE PROMINENT SITE STRATEGIES INCLUDE CLOSING AND RESTRICTING SECTIONS OF ALAMO STREET, HOUSTON STREET AND CROCKET STREET TO PEDESTRIAN AND EMERGENCY VEHICLES ONLY.
REPAIRING AND RELOCATING THE SCENE CENOTAPH WITHIN ALAMO PLAZA, DEVELOPING A NEW PARADE ROUTE THAT HONORS THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE ALAMO, ASSESSING THE ADAPTIVE REUSE OF CROCKET PALACE AND WOOLWORTH BUILDINGS ESTABLISHING A FORMAL POINT OF ENTRY TO THE PLAZA DURING MUSEUM HOURS AND LEASING THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE -- TO THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE PORTIONS OF THE STREET AND PLAZA NECESSARY TO RECAPTURE THE HISTORIC FOOTPRINT.
ON AUGUST 30TH, THE ALAMO CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE WAS ASKED TO TAKE A POSITION ON EACH OF THESE STRATEGIES AND ALSO TAKE A POSITION ON THE OVERALL SITE PLAN AND MASTER LEASE AGREEMENTS.
AS YOU CAN SEE OF THE SEVEN RESOLUTIONS, FIVE WERE SUPPORTED UNANIMOUSLY.
THE OTHER TWO HAD OVER 90% SUPPORT FROM THE COMMITTEE.
I WOULD LIKE TO SPECIFICALLY DISCUSS THESE TWO STRATEGIES, THE PARADE ROUTE AND THE BUILDING ASSESSMENT.
SO WHY ARE WE LOOKING AT THE PARADE ROUTES AND RELOCATING THAT? WELL, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT THE PARADE ROUTE HONORS THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE BATTLE OF THE ALAMO, AND IT ALSO VENENER RATES THE KNOWN BURIAL GROUNDS.
IT RESPECTS THE MISSION FOOTPRINT AND BATTLEFIELD, AND WE KNOW THAT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TRADITIONS OF THE PARADE OF THE BATTLE OF FLOWERS PARADE IS KEEPING THE FLORAL TRIBUTE.
WE ALSO WANTED TO ENHANCE THE SEATING CAPACITY FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC AND TELEVISION COVERAGE OF THE PARADE AS WELL, AND CREATE MORE SHADE FOR SPECTATORS.
HERE'S A SLIDE THAT DEMONSTRATES THE CURRENT PARADE ROUTE AS IT STANDS TODAY, CUTTING THROUGH ALAMO PLAZA.
AS YOU CAN SEE, IT HEADS SOUTH AND IT STOPS RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE CHURCH FACADE WHERE THE FLORAL BOUQUET IS DELIVERED AND GOES THROUGH A SET OF BLEACHERS, AND THEN OFF TO THE FRONT OF THE CHURCH.
THE PROPOSED IS TO CREATE A CEREMONIAL ACTIVITY ZONE THAT WE FEEL IS REALLY ENHANCING THE EXPERIENCE ON SITE.
THIS IS REALLY ABOUT MAKING ROOM FOR ALL THE GREAT HISTORY THAT WE KNOW IS AT THE ALAMO.
THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF HOW WE ARE DEMONSTRATING THAT WE'RE MAKING ROOM FOR MORE OF THAT HISTORY, WHILE MAINTAINING AND KEEPING IMPORTANT TRADITIONS THAT THE CITY HAS.
WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT AND ENDORSEMENT FROM THE BATTLE OF FLOWERS, TEXAS CAVALIERS, FIESTA FLAMBEAU AND THE FIESTA COMMISSION ON HOW THEY HAVE SEEN THAT THIS IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE VERY HELPFUL.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE SOME RENDERINGS THAT WE DID SOME CONCEPTUAL RENDERINGS.
THIS IS THE ONE THAT WOULD BE ESSENTIALLY FROM THE CEREMONIAL ACTIVITY ZONE WHERE WE DEMONSTRATED THAT THERE'S MANY MORE ELEMENTS TO BE REVEALING THE SITE HISTORY, AND WE'RE EXTREMELY PROUD OF THE GREAT WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE ON THIS PROJECT THAT HELPED TO ENRICH THE TRADITIONS THAT WE KNOW ARE EXISTING TODAY AND WE FEEL THAT BECAUSE WE'RE ENHANCING AND ENRICHING THE HISTORY ON SITE, ANY OF THE TRADITIONS THAT DO JUST THAT ARE THEMSELVES GOING TO BERE ENRICHED AND ENHANCED.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, OBVIOUSLY WE ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE BUILDINGS.
WE WANT TO ASSESS EACH BUILDING INDIVIDUALLY, WANT TO ENSURE THAT IT ALIGNS WITH THE FEDERAL CRITERIA.
AND WE WILL DOCUMENT THE INTEGRITY OF THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR FEATURES, EVALUATE EACH BUILDING'S SIGNIFICANCE AT A WORLD, NATIONAL, STATE AND LOCAL LEVEL.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS IS A 3-D MODEL KIND OF SHOWING YOU SOME OF THE CHALLENGES OF THE HISTORIC BUILDINGS.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE PUT OUT AN RFQ AND THAT RFQ FOR THE MUSEUM DESIGN WILL BE SHORT-LISTED HERE IN THIS NEXT ROUND.
AND ANOTHER GROUP OF ARCHITECTS WILL BE DESIGNING THE MUSEUM SO AS PART OF THAT IS HOW THESE BUILDINGS WILL BE INCORPORATED AS PART OF THE MUSEUM DESIGN, THEY WILL TAKE THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE SET UP FROM OUR RFP PROCESS TO STUDY THE BUILDINGS AND USE THAT DATA TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT CAN BE INCORPORATED AND HOW WE HAVE EVERY INTENTION TO SALVAGE ALL THE HISTORY ON THE SITE.
AS I MENTIONED, WE'RE NOT GETTING RID OF ANY OF THE TRADITIONS OR HISTORY ON THE SITE, WE'RE SIMPLY TRYING TO MAKE ROOM TO REVEAL ALL THE HISTORY ON SITE.
AND THIS 3-D MODEL YOU CAN SEE THE CHALLENGES PRESENTED, HERE ARE THE DIFFERENT FLOOR PLATE HIETS, -- HEIGHTS, THE DIFFERENT STRUCTURAL GRID SYSTEMS. ALL OF THIS WILL BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT BY THE NEXT ARCHITECT THAT WILL BE DESIGNING THE MUSEUM AND PRESENTING SOME POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL OF US TO LOOK AT IN THE COMING
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MONTHS.SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT PART OF THE PROCESS.
WE THINK THAT THIS IS, AGAIN, ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE GREAT WORK AND PROCESS THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE AND THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE HAS MOVED FORWARD.
AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK ALL THOSE INVOLVED WITH THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT.
AND AT THIS POINTER, I WOULD LIKE TO INVOLVE -- INVITE JOHN KASMAN UP FOR THE PRESENTATION.
WE'VE GONE THROUGH A WHOLE BUNCH OF DETAIL ALREADY.
BEFORE ERIC COMES UP AND GETS A LITTLE BIT FURTHER INTO DETAIL OF SOME OF THE MATERIAL WITHIN THE ALAMO PLAN, WE KIND OF SAW THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY, OUR ROLE WOULD BE TO TAKE A STEP BACK A LITTLE BIT AND TALK ABOUT -- TALK ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY AND REALLY REFRAIN THE CONVERSATION A LITTLE BIT INTO THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE NOT ONLY FOR THE ALAMO, BUT ALSO FOR THE CITY.
AND SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE SLIDES AND THE MATERIAL THAT WE HAVE, WE WANTED TO STEP BACK AND REMIND OURSELVES THAT WE, AS AN INTERPRETIVE PLAN TEAM, WE RECEIVED SOME GREAT MATERIAL ALREADY AS HAS ALREADY BEEN DISCUSSED, FROM THE MASTER PLAN, ALSO FROM THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE AND THROUGH THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, ALL OF THE VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES, AND IT'S LED US TO STEP BACK AND THINK ABOUT OUR GOALS AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US.
AND TO US, WHEN YOU TAKE THE VISION AND THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND TRY TO THINK ABOUT COMBINING THEM INTO A SENTENCE THAT PROVIDES US WITH SOME INSPIRATION AND THINK -- MANLING -- IMAGINING A WORLD-CLASS HISTORIC SITE THAT TELLS THE WHOLE STORY OF THE ALAMO, AND WE THINK ABOUT THE TERM "WORLD-CLASS" AND THAT CAN MEAN MANY THINGS TO MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
OUR TEAM TOOK THE CHALLENGE OF WHAT THAT MEANS TO US.
WE THINK ABOUT AN EXPERIENCE THAT IS INSPIRATIONAL, WE THINK ABOUT ONE THAT PROVIDES AN EMOTIONAL CONNECTION, WE THINK ABOUT AN EXPERIENCE THAT HAS AUTHENTICITY, RIGHT? AN EXPERIENCE AT THE ALAMO THAT CAN ONLY HAPPEN HERE, AND THAT CAN ONLY HAPPEN HERE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND HERE AT THE ALAMO.
AND WE THINK ABOUT THE SEARCH FOR UNDERSTANDING AND PROVIDING ALL VISITORS WITH A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING AND THE HISTORY.
WE ALSO THINK ABOUT REVERENCE.
ACCESS AND INCLUSION, VERY IMPORTANT ELEMENTS TO OUR PLAN, AS WELL AS COMMEMORATION AND CELEBRATION HERE AT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
ALL THOSE THINGS THAT WE THINK ABOUT AS WE PRESENT OUR PLAN AND WE THINK ABOUT NOT ONLY THE CONTENT AND THE HISTORY AND THE STORYTELLING THAT COMES ALONG WITH IT, BUT ALSO THE SITE STRATEGIES THAT ARE FORMED FROM THAT CONTENT.
SO WE KNOW THAT EXPERIENCE IS COMPROMISED, IS NEITHER A WELCOMING URBAN PLAZA AND IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A POWERFUL HISTORIC SITE AS IT COULD BE RIGHT NOW, AND WHEN WE STEP BACK AND THINK ABOUT THE ALAMO AND THE CONDITIONS THAT ARE TODAY, WE KNOW THAT IT IS RIDDLED WITH SOME DISTRACTIONS, RIGHT? WE ALSO KNOW THAT SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES KIND OF THREATEN THE SENSITIVE STRUCTURES AND DO NOT PERMIT THE FULL STORY TO BE TOLD WE ALSO KNOW THAT THE PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES OF THE PLAZA, RIGHT, THE SCALE, THE CAPACITY THAT IT HAS FOR CURBS AND PLANTERS DOES LIMIT ITS CAPACITY TO FUNCTION AS A SUPERB CIVIC SPACE THAT IT COULD BE.
SO WE TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT AND WE THINK ABOUT THAT THIS IS -- OUR GOAL IS REALLY ONE THAT'S TRANSFORMATIVE.
IT'S NOT SUBTLE CHANGES, THIS IS A VISIONARY PLAN THAT WE'RE PRESENTING AND ONE THAT HAS THE GOAL TO CREATE NOT ONLY AN EXPANSIVE CIVIC PLAZA BUT ALSO A POWERFUL DESTINATION.
IT'S REALLY NOT AN EITHER OR, IT'S A BUT/AND CONDITION.
SO WITH THAT I WANT TO INTRODUCE ERIC KRAMER WITH REED HILDEBRAND THAT WILL GET INTO A LITTLE MORE DETAILS OF THE PLAN WE'RE PRESENTING.
>> SO I THINK AS WE FRAME -- AS JOHN DID, THE BIG OPPORTUNITIES, THE BROAD VISION AND THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE AHEAD OF US, IT'S IMPORTANT TO ACTUALLY BEGIN TO VISUALIZE, TO THINK ABOUT WHAT THIS PLACE COULD BE LIKE IN THE FUTURE.
IT IS CRITICAL THAT WE UNDERSTAND THERE ARE CHALLENGES HERE, THERE ARE MANY COMPETING INTERESTS, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY AS JOHN SAID, WE DON'T SEE THIS PLAN AS A COMPROMISED PLAN.
WE SEE IT AS A PLAN THAT REALLY COMPROMISES TO REALIZE THE BROAD AND DEEP PRINCIPLES THAT WERE GIVEN TO US BY THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
AND IN THE END, IT'S A PROJECT THAT WORKS DAY-TO-DAY FOR THE LIFE OF THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO AND GIVES SOMETHING BACK FOR THE VISITORS THAT ARE TRAVELING FAR AND WIDE TO COME TO EXPERIENCE WHAT IS SO INCREDIBLE AND UNIQUE ABOUT THIS
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PLACE.TODAY THE REALITY IS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO TOO MANY THINGS IN TOO SMALL A SPACE.
WE'RE TRYING TO TELL THE HISTORIC STORY OF THE ALAMO, NOT JUST AS A BUILDING, BUT AS A MISSION IN WHICH THERE WAS A WHOLE SET OF STORIES AND LIVES OVER 300 YEARS, AND AK ACCOMMODE THE LIVING, BREATHING, URBAN CENTER OF THIS CITY.
THE ALAMO PLAN RETHINKS THAT RELATIONSHIP, ONE WHERE THERE ISN'T A SET OF CONFLICTS BUT A SET OF SYMBIOTIC SORT OF RELATIONSHIPS WHERE THE TWO THINGS HELP EACH OTHER.
WHERE A HISTORIC SITE ANIMATES A MUCH LARGER ALAMO PLAZA, ONE THAT REACHES OUT BEYOND ITS EDGES TO MAKE CONNECTIONS TO THE OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY AND THE OTHER IMPORTANT CULTURAL VENUES IN THE CITY, AND WHERE, IN FACT, MOST OF THE TIME BOTH OF THOSE THINGS WORK TOGETHER TO BECOME A REALLY VIBRANT, URBAN SPACE.
TO RECAPTURE THAT FOOTPRINT, IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE WHAT WE HAVE TODAY, WHICH IS A CITY THAT HAS GROWN UP AND BUILT ITS STREETS AND ITS PLAZA OVER THE MISSION FOOTPRINT, THE AREAS THAT HAVE INCREDIBLE STORIES TO TELL.
SO WHAT YOU HAVE TODAY IN FRONT OF YOU IS WHAT IS THE PERCEIVED HISTORIC SITE WHICH IS REALLY THE LONG BARRACK AND THE CHURCH, THE GARDEN BEHIND AND THE CONVETO WALLS, LESS -- JUST ABOUT 4 ACRES OF SPACE, AND ALAMO PLAZA WHICH IS ITS OWN KIND OF ELEMENT SITTING REALLY SURROUNDED BY STREETS, LESS ABOUT AN ACRE OF SPACE.
THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECLAIM THE MISSION FOOTPRINT EXPANDS THE EXPERIENCE OF THE HISTORIC CORE TO ALMOST 7 ACRES OF SPACE THAT CAN TELL ALL OF THOSE STORIES, THE RICH STORIES THAT ARE UNDERLYING THEM.
IT CREATING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR AN INCREDIBLE VISITOR CENTER AND MUSEUM IN WHICH THAT INTERPRETATION CAN REALLY BE BROUGHT TO LIFE.
AND THEN CRITICALLY SURROUNDING THAT AND REALLY INTEGRATED WITH IT IS A RENEWED ALAMO PLAZA, A PLACE THAT WE REALLY BELIEVE WILL BECOME A DRIVING FORCE FOR THE CITY, KIND OF A NEW CENTER FOR PEOPLE TO ACTIVATE AND GRAVITATE TO; ONE THAT, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, REACHES ALL THE WAY SOUTH TO COMMERCE, REACHES OUT TO LOSOYA ON THE WEST AND UP TO NORTH -- TO THE NORTH TO CAPTURE THE NORTH WALL OF THE MISSION THAT NEVER HAS BEEN ACCESSIBLE BEFORE.
SO WHAT COULD THAT LOOK LIKE? WELL, IT REALLY IS A NEW DISTRICT, A NEW OPPORTUNITY, A WHOLE PLACE THAT IS OF AN ENTIRELY NEW CHARACTER FOR THE CITY.
IT INCLUDES A VIBRANT URBAN PLAZA.
HERE THE VIEW, LOOKING TO THE NORTH WITH THE MENING GER ON -- MEN GER ON THE RIGHT AND THE CENOTAPH AS A KIND OF VIBRANT AND CEREMONIAL CENTER GALVANIZING THE CHARACTER OF THAT SPACE.
AND A PLACE THAT CONNECTS THAT HISTORY TO EVERY DAY LIFE, WHERE INSTEAD OF STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF ALAMO STREET WHERE YOU WOULD BE IN THIS IMAGE TODAY, YOU ARE WITHIN THE MISSION FOOTPRINT, YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR PLACE THERE AND YOU HAVE A TOTALLY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE OF THE LONG BARRACK, THE CHURCH AND EVERYTHING THAT SURROUNDS YOU.
THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES ARE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZING THAT THE STORY HERE IS A 300 YEAR HISTORY.
IT IS A HISTORY THAT WORKS FROM THE MISSION PERIOD THROUGH THE BATTLE PERIOD, ALL THE WAY UNTIL TODAY.
AND THAT THERE ARE STORIES AS THIS DIAGRAM SUGGESTS SPREAD OUT ALL THROUGHOUT THE MISSION FOOTPRINT, IN THE GARDEN, TO THE NORTH AND TO THE SOUTH WITHIN THE PLAZA.
IT TAKES A BIG CHANGE TO ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO INTERPRET ALL THESE STORIES FOR ALL OF THE DIFFERENT CULTURES AND GROUPS AND COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE LIVED AND ACTIVATED OR ENLIVENED THIS SPACE.
SO IMAGINE THAT YOU'RE STANDING WITHIN THE MISSION FOOTPRINT ON AN EVERY DAY SORT OF PART OF THE DAY WHEN THE MUSEUM IS OPEN AND ACTIVE, WHAT ARE YOU SEEING? YOU'RE SEEING NOW AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACCESS THE CONVENTO THROUGH THE LONG BARRACK.
YOU'RE SEEING THE BURIAL GROUNDS THAT ARE IN FRONT OF THE CHAPEL, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR LIVING HISTORY, FOR FAMILIES TO COME AND SCHOOL TOURS TO COME AND REALLY TO BE OCCUPYING THIS SPACE AS A VIBRANT OUTDOOR MUSEUM, ONE THAT IS FULL OF SHADE, THAT IS SAFE FROM VEHICULAR TRAFFIC AND WHERE PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY REALLY BEGIN TO LEARN ALL THAT THE SITE HAS TO TELL.
IMAGINE THAT YOU'RE STANDING HERE ALONG THE WEST EDGE OF THE MISSION FOOT FRINT LOOKING IN.
THIS IS A 24/7 PUBLIC PROMENADE
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IN WHICH YOU CAN IMAGINE ANYONE WALKING NORTH AND SOUTH THROUGH THE CITY IS LOOKING INTO THE SITE AND SEEING THE RENEWED A ACEQUIA WITH WATER.WHERE TRAVIS WROTE HIS FAMOUS LETTER AND, AGAIN, SEEING THE LIVING HISTORY TAKING PLACE.
IT'S NOT SEPARATE FROM THE CITY, IT'S ACTUALLY A VIBRANT PART OF THE CITY.
HERE AGAIN, STANDING AS IF YOU WERE IN THE STREET SORT OF AT THE INTERSECTION OF HOUSTON AND ALAMO LOOKING TO THE NORTH TOWARDS THE GIBBS AND THE FEDERAL BUILDING, HERE IS A PLACE WHERE WE KNOW A LARGE AREA OF NATIVE AMERICAN BURIAL GROUNDS ARE CURRENTLY UNDER THE STREET.
IMAGINE THAT ACTUALLY WE CAN INTERPRET THOSE.
WE KNOW THE NAMES AND IDENTITIES, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE BURIED THERE, WE CAN MAKE A WAY IN WHICH PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND THAT AND ACTUALLY LEARN ABOUT THAT.
WE CAN SEE THE NORTH WALL WHERE TRAVIS FELL, AND IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF ALAMO STREET NOW, IT IS NOT ACCESSIBLE.
AND A PLACE IN WHICH CEREMONIES AND -- CAN TAKE PLACE BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE THE SPACE TO DO IT.
MAKING NEW CONNECTIONS OUTSIDE OF THE PLAZA TO THE CITY HERE TODAY AS IF YOU'RE STANDING AT THE HYATT ENTRANCE ON LOSOYA LOOKING INTO THE SITE, HERE WOULD BE A GARDEN-LIKE SPACE AS A THRESHOLD INTO THE HISTORIC CORE WHERE YOU COULD SEE THE 18-POUNDER AND THE LOSOYA HOUSE AS THEY OVERLAPPED AND TOLD DIFFERENT STORIES FROM DIFFERENT MOMENTS, THE SOUTH GATE AND THE LUNET.
AGAIN, THINK ABOUT HOW THIS IS NOW INTEGRATED IN AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT WAY WITH THE CITY, WHAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITY THAT PRESENTS.
THESE ARE NOT EASY THINGS TO ACCOMPLISH.
AND IN OUR PROCESS, THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF QUESTIONS, AND I WANT TO FOCUS ON TWO PARTICULARLY THAT HAVE COME UP, AND SEE IF WE CAN SORT OF RESPOND AND HELP YOU UNDERSTAND WHY THOSE ARE SO IMPORTANT CHANGES TO REALIZING THIS KIND OF OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THE VIBRANT CIVIC PLAZA AND THE OUTDOOR MUSEUM EXPERIENCE.
AND AT FIRST IS THE PROPOSING TO MOVE THE CENOTAPH JUST 500 FEET TO THE SOUTH FROM ITS CURRENT LOCATION TO AN AREA IN FRONT OF THE MENGER AS THE CENTERPIECE OF THE PLAZA.
WE LOOKED AT WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE TO LEAVE IT IN PLACE AS TO WHERE IT IS TODAY, AND ITS SCALE AND ITS PRESENCE WITHIN A PLACE IN WHICH WE IMAGINE REENACTMENTS AND OUTDOOR STORYTELLING AND THE CONTINUITY OF A SHADED CANOPY, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THAT WOULD NOT ALLOW THIS.
AND WE THINK THAT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO THE SUCCESS OF THIS SPACE.
WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT IT HELPS CLARIFY PERIODS OF HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE, THIS MISSION FOOTPRINT IS FROM A PERIOD, THE 19TH CENTURY AND THE -- AND BEFORE, AND THE CENOTAPH IS A 20TH CENTURY ARCHITECTURAL AND SCULPTURAL MONUMENT.
SEPARATING THOSE TWO THINGS ENABLES US TO TELL THOSE STORIES MUCH MORE CLEARLY WITHOUT TAKING THAT OUT OF ITS IMPORTANT PRESENCE AS A KIND OF A MARKER AND AN ENTRY TO THE SPACE.
WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS SITE WHERE THE CURRENT BANDSTAND IS IS A SITE THAT WAS ORIGINALLY CONSIDERED BY THE DESIGNERS OF THE CENOTAPH 100 YEARS AGO EFFECTIVELY, AND THAT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THING FOR US TO UNDERSTAND.
SO WE ARE NOT PUSHING IT TO THE SIDE, WE ARE GIVING IT AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE REINTERPRETED AND REUNDERSTOOD WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF A REBUILT ALAMO PLAZA.
THE OTHER IS ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE THAT A VESTITURE FOR HAS WHEN THEY COME -- THAT A VISITOR HAS WHEN THEY COME TO THE SITE, TO COME TO KNOW THE ALAMO'S HISTORY AND ITS STORY.
TODAY YOU COME TO WHAT IS EFFECTIVELY CART FOR INTERPRETATION, AND ONE POINT OF ENTRY.
WHAT WE UNDERSTAND FROM THE VISITOR RESEARCH AND IS CLEARLY IDENTIFIED, EVEN IN THE 2014 GUIDING PRINCIPLES, THAT PEOPLE NEED TO BE -- THEY NEED TO HAVE THIS STORY EXPLAINED TO THEM AND GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERSTAND IT.
WHAT HAPPENS TODAY IS MOST PEOPLE COME AND THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THE EXTENT OF THE ALAMO, THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A MISSION HERE, THAT THEY CAN EXPERIENCE, ALL THEY THINK THEY HAVE IS THE CHURCH, SOME OF THEM DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND THAT THEY CAN GO BEYOND LOOKING AT THE FRONT FACADE.
SO IT IS CRITICAL TO US THAT VISITORS WHO AR I RIEF -- ARRIVE HERE ARE BROUGHT TO A CENTRAL POINT OF INFORMATION, EDUCATION AND ORIENTATION IN WHICH THEY BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND THE FULL OPPORTUNITIES AND THE FULL STORIES THAT ARE HERE IN FRONT OF THEM.
THIS IS DURING MUSEUM HOURS, WE WOULD ASK THAT PEOPLE BE DIRECTED TO THIS, IT'S STILL OPEN TO THE PUBLIC ALL OF THE
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TIME, IT IS FREE, THERE IS NO TICKETING INVOLVED, SO ANYBODY WALKING THROUGH THE CITY CAN STILL ENTER THE SITE.THEY'D BE ASKED TO COME TO THIS ONE POINT OF LOCATION.
SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE FULLY UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE HERE.
THE OTHER IMPORTANT THING TO SAY IS THAT EVEN WITH THIS PLAN, THERE IS ALWAYS NORTH/SOUTH ACCESS ALONG THE WEST SIDE OF THE MISSION FOOTPRINT, SO THAT ANYBODY WALKING THROUGH FROM THE NORTH TO THE SOUTH IS NOT OBSTRUCTED BY THE OUTDOOR MUSEUM.
WE ALSO RECOGNIZE AND HAVE WORKED WITH THE CITY TO CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE THERE ARE TWO OTHER PRIMARY PORTALS THAT WOULD BE OPENED ON AN AS-NEEDED BASIS, SO SPECIAL DAYS WHEN THERE'S A LOT OF ACTIVITY OR WHEN WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT FLOWTHROUGH, THAT THOSE WOULD BE OPENED AND MADE ACCESS NL, SIMILAR -- ACCESSIBLE, SIMILAR TYPE OF INTERPRETATION COULD HAPPEN IN THOSE LOCATIONS.
AND THEN IT'S ALSO CRITICAL THAT THAT IS JUST DURING MUSEUM HOURS, SO THAT IS WHEN THE MUSEUM IS OPEN.
NIGHTS, WEEKENDS, ANY OF THE AFTER-HOURS, ANYBODY CAN WALK THROUGH THIS SITE, JUST AS THEY DO TODAY, TAKING PICTURES IN FRONT OF THE CHAPEL AND FLOWING EAST/WEST AND NORTH/SOUTH.
SO WE THINK THAT IT WILL HAVE A TRANSFORMED EXPERIENCE AS A PLACE OF REVERENCE AND CARING, BUT IT WILL STILL BE THAT PLACE THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS AND EXPERIENCES TODAY.
IF ALL OF THESE THINGS CAN BE ACHIEVED AND WE BELIEVE THEY CAN, YOU HAVE AN EXPERIENCE OF LIVING HISTORY, YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE THE MISSION STORIES, PEOPLE CAN TRACE THEIR HISTORICAL ROOTS, THEIR EXPERIENCES, WE CAN UNDERSTAND THE DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES OF HISTORY AND COMMUNITIES, WE CAN HONOR THE LIVES LOST, AND INDEED WE CAN SEE EXCAVATIONS AND ARCHEOLOGY IN ACTION.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE POSSIBLE IF WE CAN TAKE A FEW STEPS HERE AND TAKE A BOLD MOVE FORWARD TO EMBARK ON A FULL AND ENGAGING DESIGN PROCESS.
WITH THAT, I THINK, SHERYL, YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE IT BACK.
>> SCULLEY: THANKS, JOHN. AND ERIC.
ON AUGUST 30TH, THE ALAMO ADVISORY COMMITTEE APPROVED SEVEN RESOLUTIONS IN SUPPORT OF THE PLAN, AND THE RESOLUTIONS WERE SUBMITTED TO THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE ON AUGUST 31ST, AND ON SEPTEMBER 4TH, THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED THE ALAMO PLAN AND SENT IT TO THE ALAMO EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION.
ON OCTOBER 2ND, JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, THE ALAMO EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE THAT INCLUDES MAYOR NIRENBERG AND COMMISSIONER BUSH APPROVED THE ALAMO PLAN.
SO IN ORDER TO PROCEED WITH THE DETAILED DESIGN PLAN FOR THE RESTORATION OF THE BUILDINGS, AS WELL AS THE PLAZA PLANNING, THE DEVELOPMENT OF DESIGN PLANS FOR THE VISITORS' CENTER AND THE MUSEUM, WE'LL NEED TO OBTAIN NECESSARY APPROVAL TS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL, AND WE ARE AND HAVE INITIATED THE STEPS NECESSARY TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE MOVING THE PLAN FORWARD.
THERE IS A JOINT MEETING OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE HISTORIC AND DESIGN REVIEW COMMISSION SCHEDULED FOR TODAY FOLLOWING THIS MEETING THAT BEGINS AT 5:30.
AND THAT IS AT 1901 SOUTH ALAMO STREET, AND THAT MEETING WILL INCLUDE -- IT'S A JOINT MEETING OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND HDRC TO CONSIDER THOSE ITEMS THAT THEY MUST APPROVE.
THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION WILL ALSO RECEIVE A BRIEFING ON THE PLAN ON OCTOBER 23RD AND IT'S SET TO BE SCHEDULED FOR CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERATION NEXT THURSDAY, DEPENDING UPON THE CONVERSATION -- AUDIO] -- CITY COUNCIL IS REQUIRED TO CLOSE SECTIONS OF HOUSTON, MARKET AND LOSOYA TO VEHICULAR ACCESS AS WELL AS TO CREATE THE PEDESTRIAN RIGHT OF WAY TO CLOSE, VACATE AND ABANDON PART OF ALAMO STREET AND HOUSTON STREET TO ENABLE US TO RECAPTURE THE HISTORIC PLAZA.
THE PLANNING COMMISSION NEEDS TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL REGARDING THE PROPOSED LEASE BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE, AND OUR CITY ATTORNEY ANDY SEGOVIA TRANCE MILTED A -- TRANSMITTED A COPY OF THAT PROPOSED LEASE TO YOU LAST FRIDAY.
AS YOU KNOW, THE CITY-OWNED PROPERTY IS PART OF WHAT NEEDS TO BE RECAPTURED TO ESTABLISH THAT HISTORIC PLAZA AND THE ORIGINAL FOOTPRINT.
SO THE LEASE IS A GROUND LEASE AS WELL AS A MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT AS TO HOW THAT LAND
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WILL BE OPERATED.THE HDRC MUST FIRST ALSO REVIEW THE PROPOSED DESIGN CHANGES TO ALAMO PLAZA AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL.
THOSE PROPOSED CHANGES INCLUDE BUT AREN'T LIMITED TO THE RELOCATION OF THE CENOTAPH, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A FORMAL POINT OF ENTRY TO THE PLAZA DURING MUSEUM HOURS, AND THE REROUTEING OF THE TWO FIESTA PARADES IN A MANNER THAT STILL ACCOMMODATES THE IMPORTANT FIESTA TRADITIONS THAT COUNCILMAN TREVINO TALKED ABOUT, AND I HAVE TO SAY WORKED VERY HARD TO ACCOMMODATE AND REACH CONSENSUS ON THOSE FIESTA TRADITIONS.
THE OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION MUST ALSO REVIEW AND APPROVE THE RELOCATION AND REPAIR PLAN FOR THE CENOTAPH PRIOR TO ANY WORK BEGINNING.
AND WHILE THE HDRC DOES NOT HAVE PURVIEW OVER THE HISTORIC BUILDINGS THAT ARE OWNED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS, THE HDRC WILL REVIEW AND PROVIDE COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION ON THOSE -- ANY CHANGES TO THE BUILDINGS AND HOW THEY'LL BE USED IN THE FUTURE.
AND SO THERE ARE THREE COUNCIL ACTIONS THAT ARE PROPOSED: THE FIRST IS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD CONSIDER THE CLOSURE OF THE SECTIONS OF ALAMO STREET, HOUSTON STREET AND CROCKET STREET TO VEHICULAR TRAFFIC IN ORDER TO CREATE THE PEDESTRIAN RIGHT OF WAY AS WELL AS THE ABANDONMENT OF RIGHT OF WAY ON ALAMO AND HOUSTON STREET NECESSARY TO RECAPTURE THE HISTORIC PLAZA.
SO THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST ACTION.
SECONDLY, THE COUNCIL NEEDS TO CONSIDER AND APPROVE THE LEASE AND MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT WITH THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE FOR THE OPERATION OF THOSE AREAS THAT ARE OWNED BY THE CITY, BUT WILL BE UNDER THE MANAGEMENT OF THE GLO.
THIRDLY, AUTHORIZING THE CITY TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE CONTRACTS FOR THE RESTORATION AND RELOCATION OF THE CENOTAPH.
SO THOSE ARE THE THREE ACTIONS.
THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION MUST ALSO REVIEW AND APPROVE THE RELOCATION OF THE CENOTAPH AND THE PROPOSED PLANS FOR THE HISTORIC BUILDINGS OWNED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND AS I SAID WHILE THE HDRC DOESN'T HAVE PURVIEW OVER THOSE HISTORIC BUILDINGS OWNED BY THE STATE, HDRC WILL, AGAIN, REVIEW AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE TEXAS HISTORIC COMMISSION ABOUT THOSE BUILDINGS, AND AS THE COUNCILMAN IDENTIFIED EARLIER, THOSE BUILDINGS WILL BE ANALYZED AND RECOMMENDATIONS MADE TO THE ARCHITECTS THAT WILL BE SELECTED TO DEVELOP THE DESIGN PLANS FOR THE VISITOR CENTER AND MUSEUM.
THE CITY WILL ALSO BE ASKED TO TAKE ACTIONS ON THE LEASE AGREEMENT, THE THIRD ITEM THAT I MENTIONED, AND LET ME JUST SAY THAT THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THIS INCLUDE A 50-YEAR LEASE WITH TWO 25-YEAR EXTENSIONS.
ONE OF YOU ASKED ME A QUESTION, IS THAT AS THE SOLE DISCRETION OF THE GLO TO ACQUIRE THE LAND PERHAPS IN 50 YEARS, AND, NO, IT WOULD -- COUNCILMAN COURAGE REQUIRES CITY TO APPROVE THAT BEFORE THAT COULD GO FORWARD.
BUT IT IS BASICALLY A 50-YEAR LEASE WITH TWO 25-YEAR EXTENSIONS.
THEY WILL ENSURE THAT THE PLAZA AREA REMAINS OPEN, ACCESSIBLE AND FREE OF CHARGE TO THE PUBLIC.
THEY'LL ENSURE THAT THE PUBLIC ENTERS THE ALAMO COMPLEX, THE CHURCH AND THE NEW MUSEUM AND VISITOR CENTER AND THE OUTDOOR HISTORIC FOOTPRINT FROM A MAIN ENTRY POINT DURING MUSEUM HOURS.
WILL OPEN TWO ADDITIONAL ACCESS AND EXIT POINTS DURING MUSEUM OPERATING HOURS IF THERE IS NO MUSEUM PROGRAMMING GOING ON WITHIN THE PLAZA AREA OR THERE ARE TIMES OF HIGH ACTIVITY, AND IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE LEASE, YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE ARE MORE THAN 30 DAYS THAT ARE ALREADY IDENTIFIED TO HAVE THOSE ACCESS POINTS OPEN.
THEY WILL ALSO PROVIDE HIGH QUALITY PROGRAMMING AND SERVICES TO ENHANCE THE HISTORIC EXPERIENCE AT THE ALAMO AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROPER HISTORIC FOOTPRINT, AND THEY WILL ALSO COMPLY WITH ALL APPLICABLE LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL LAWS, THE TEXAS HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE, STATE ANTIQUITY CODE, AND ENSURE THAT THE DESIGN FOR THE PLANNED MUSEUM WITHIN THE CURRENT FOOTPRINT OF THE THREE BUILDINGS WE TALKED ABOUT, CROCKET, THE OLD PALACE AND THE WOOLWORTH BUILDINGS IS REVIEWED BY THE HDRC AND APPROVED BY THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION.
THEY WILL ALSO ENSURE THAT THE ALAMO PLAN RECOGNIZES AND INTERPRETS THE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE WOOLWORTH BUILDING IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, AND I KNOW, MAYOR, THAT WAS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO
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YOU AND SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL TO ENSURE THAT THAT HAPPENS, AND THAT IS INCLUDED WITHIN THE LEASE AND MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT WITH THE GLO.SO THE CITY AND THE GLO WILL DEVELOP A SERVICE AND DELIVERY PLAN TO ACCOMMODATE THE AREA BUSINESSES.
THERE ARE CHANGES AND, OF COURSE, THERE ARE SERVICES PROVIDED TO THE BUSINESSES IN THE AREA THAT WILL BE IMPACTED, AND LORI AND HER TEAM HAVE ALREADY BEGUN THOSE MEETINGS, WORKING WITH AREA BUSINESSES, THE CITY AND THE GLO WILL ALSO WORK WITH THE BATTLE OF FLOWERS, FIESTA FLAMBEAU, FIESTA COMMISSION AND CAVALIERS ON REROUTEING OF THE PARADES IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE THE IMPORTANT TRADITIONS -- IN AUDIO] -- REMIND EVERYONE THAT THIS PROJECT IS PARTIALLY FUNDED, IT IS NOT FULLY FUNDED.
SO THE CITY'S ADOPTED FISCAL YEAR 2016 CAPITAL BUDGET INCLUDED $17 MILLION FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT OF ALAMO PLAZA AND THE SURROUNDING AREA.
AND ADDITIONALLY, THE 2017 BOND PROGRAM INCLUDED AN ADDITIONAL $21 MILLION, THAT WAS VOTER APPROVED, FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF FACILITIES IN SUPPORT OF THE ALAMO PROJECT AND IMPROVEMENTS IN THE STREET AREAS AND PLAZA.
SO FOR A TOTAL OF $38 MILLION FROM THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE APPROVED $31 MILLION IN 2015, AND THAT WAS FOR THE ACQUISITION OF THE BUILDINGS ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE ALAMO CHURCH, AND 75 MILLION WAS APPROVED BY THE LEGISLATURE IN 2017 FOR THE RESTORATION OF THE ALAMO ITSELF, THE CHURCH AND THE LONG BARRACKS, AND THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE SURROUNDING AREA.
IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE ALAMO ENDOWMENT, AND THEY HAVE COMMITTED TO PRIVATELY FUNDRAISING APPROXIMATELY 200 MILLION, WE HOPE PERHAPS EVEN MORE THAN THAT, FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN.
SO THIS IS AN EXTENSIVE PUBLIC/PRIVATE PROJECT.
THESE FUNDING COMMITMENTS AND FUND FUNDRAISING WILL ALLOW FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MASTER PLAN AND THE INTERPRETIVE PLAN, AND THAT IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED, ALL OF THIS, BEFORE 2024.
SOME OF YOU HAVE ASKED, WHAT IS THE SCHEDULE FOR SOME OF THIS.
LET ME JUST MENTION THE THREE OR FOUR MAJOR COMPONENTS.
THE CHURCH AND THE LONG BARRACK EXPECTED TO BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN 2021 UNTIL 2023, SO THERE IS A DESIGN PROCESS AND APPROVAL PROCESS THAT WILL PRECEDE THAT.
THE VISITOR CENTER AND MUSEUM IS EXPECTED -- AND THESE ARE TENTATIVE PLANS, THEY AREN'T FINALIZED THROUGH CONTRACTS YET, BUT THE EXPECTATION IS THAT THE MUSEUM WOULD BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION BY THE SPRING OF 2020, AND THAT IT WOULD TAKE TWO AND A HALF YEARS TO THREE YEARS TO COMPLETE THE VISITOR CENTER AND MUSEUM.
THE CENOTAPH CONSERVATION, ITS RESTORATION AND REPAIR AND REASSEMBLY WOULD BE DONE IN APPROXIMATELY 2020, AND THE ALAMO PLAZA CONSTRUCTION WOULD BEGIN IN 2021 AND CONTINUE FOR TWO YEARS IN CONCERT WITH THE OTHER CONSTRUCTION.
SO WE HAVE TRIED TO ACCOMMODATE AND COVER QUESTIONS THAT COUNCILMEMBERS HAVE ASKED OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, AND WE ARE NOW AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU, SHERYL AND THANK YOU TO THE REST OF THE TEAM ON THE PRESENTATION.
I'D LIKE TO OFFER MY COLLEAGUE COUNCILMAN TREVINO, IF YOU HAVE ANY CLOSING REMARKS, COUNCILMAN?
I REALLY -- JUST THAT, YOU KNOW, I JUST INVITE ALL MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES TO REALLY LOOK AT THE VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES THAT WERE DEVELOPED WAY BACK SINCE 2014, AND, IN FACT, IN MY HAND I HAVE ONE OF THE DISCUSSION DRAFTS OF AUGUST 26, 2014, AND IN THESE OUTLINES, IT REALLY TALKS ABOUT ALL OF THE THINGS YOU JUST HEARD IN THIS PRESENTATION.
AND IT'S -- THIS IS AN IMPORTANT HISTORIC TIME FOR ALL OF US, IT IS A HISTORIC PARTNERSHIP WITH THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE AND THE ALAMO ENDOWMENT THAT SHERYL OUTLINED, OUT OF OUR $38 MILLION INVESTMENT WE'RE LOOKING AT A HALF A BILLION DOLLARS PROJECT QUITE EASILY, AND THE IMPACT IS INCALCULABLE.
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STUDY, BRIEF ECONOMIC STUDY THAT WE WILL BE LOOKING AT 5,000 NEW PERMANENT JOBS, WE WILL SEE AN IMMENSE IMPACT TO DOWNTOWN, BUT ULTIMATELY IT'S THESE VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES THAT HAVE DRIVEN THIS FORWARD.AND I'M JUST PROUD TO SAY WHAT YOU'RE SEEING TODAY IS NOTHING NEW.
THIS IS A RESPONSE TO THESE VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
I WANT TO THANK THE DESIGN TEAM FOR ADHERING TO THOSE VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
I WANT TO THANK THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR HOLDING STEAD FAST ON WHOO WE KNOW IS GOING TO BE THE TELLING OF A VERY COMPLETE STORY.
WITH THAT, I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE AND SPECIFICALLY SHERYL SCULLEY.
WE'VE WORKED VERY HARD OVER THE LAST FOR YEARS -- FOUR YEARS TO REALLY MAKE THIS HAPPEN AND SPECIFICALLY ON THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE SINCE OCTOBER OF 2015, AND REALLY, REALLY PROUD OF WHERE WE ARE IN THIS PROJECT.
THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF A PROJECT, THERE'S MUCH MORE TO DO, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING TO MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES ABOUT THIS PROJECT AS IT PROGRESSES.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN TREVINO.
AND AS A MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND MAYOR, I WAS GOING TO MAKE ONE APPOINTMENT, KIND OF TOWARDS THE END, TO THE ALAMO ADVISORY COMMITTEE, SO I'D LIKE TO OFFER LIONEL SOSA, LIONEL, IF YOU'D LIKE TO COME UP AND SAY A FEW WORDS.
THANK YOU, MAYOR, FOR APPOINTING ME AT THE VERY END WHEN EVERYTHING WAS ALMOST A DONE DEAL.
>> BUT WHAT I SAW THERE AT THE END WAS THIS AMAZING COOPERATION BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT REALLY STARTED IN ONE PLACE AND KIND OF WANTED EVERYTHING TO THIS WONDERFUL PLACE WHERE NOBODY GOT EVERYTHING THEY WANTED, BUT EVERYBODY GOT A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING.
AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU DON'T SEE ALL THE TIME.
AS COUNCILMAN TREVINO, AS YOU SAY, IT'S A HISTORIC TIME.
BECAUSE AS WE ARE NOW CONCLUDING OUR 300TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CITY'S FORMATION AND WE LOOK TO THE NEXT 300 YEARS, THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF IT, A NEW TRANSFORMATION OF OUR CITY THAT WILL HAVE AN IMPACT -- A CLOSER RELATIONSHIP WITH THE RIVERWALK AND THEN WITH THE NEW HEMISFAIR PARK COMING IN THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS AS WELL, IT WILL ALL BE A NEW EXPERIENCE.
I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE SPENT 11 YEARS IN THE [INDISCERNIBLE] BUILDING, THAT WAS MY OFFICE.
AND FOR 11 YEARS, ABOUT 12 HOURS EVERY DAY, BECAUSE I WORKED LONG DAYS IN MY YOUTH, I SAW THE PEOPLE OUT THERE AND I SAW THEM WANDERING AROUND, WHERE AM I? WHAT IS THIS? IS THIS ALL THERE IS? A LITTLE TINY BUILDING IN THE MIDDLE OF DOWNTOWN, WHERE IS THE STORY? WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE? THEY LEFT DISAPPOINTED.
WHEN THIS PROBABILITY -- PROJECT IS COMPLETED, NO ONE WILL LEAVE DISAPPOINTED, NOT THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO, THEY'LL HAVE FULL ACCESS, 24 HOURS A DAY, NOT THE CONSERVATION SOCIETY THAT WANTS VERY, VERY MUCH TO KEEP WHAT WE'VE ALWAYS HAD, AND NOT EVEN THE FOLKS THAT ARE SO EMPHATIC ABOUT THE CENTER OF THIS THING IN THE ALAMO GROUNDS.
SO EVERYBODY'S GETTING A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT THEY WANT.
I HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE, JUST LAST WEEKEND, TO GO TO THE COPENA ACADEMY, HE WAS THE FELLOW WHO ACTUALLY DID THE SCULPTURES AND I FOUND THE CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY AND MR. COPENI FOR THE CONTRACT THAT HE HAD TO DO THE SCULPTURES, AND IT WAS -- HE GOT PAID $23,000 FOR IT.
AND THAT GAVE HIM ENOUGH MONEY AT THAT TIME, I THINK IT'S NOW -- INTO DAY'S DOLLARS, IT WOULD BE ABOUT 3 MILLION BUCKS, TO MOVE FROM NEW YORK AND MAKE HIS HOME IN SAN ANTONIO AND TO CONTINUE TO CREATE WORK.
IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH ALL OF THE COMMISSION FOR THIS SHORT TIME, AND I'M VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT EVERYBODY HAS DONE FOR FOUR LONG YEARS.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, LIONEL.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
THE THIRD TRICHAIR OF THE ALAMO CITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE IS SUE ANN PEM BER TON, DO YOU WANT TO SAY A FEW REMARKS BEFORE WE GET STARTED WITH THE CONVERSATION?
>> I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE CITY FOR KIND OF ALLOWING AND ENTRUSTING THIS PROCESS TO SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
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NAMED JULIAN CASTRO IF I WOULD BE ON THIS COMMITTEE, SO IT'S BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME, SINCE 2014.THERE'S SEVERAL OTHER MEMBER WHOSE HAVE BEEN A PART OF THAT PROCESS.
ONE OF THE KEY THINGS IS ALWAYS LOOKING AT THE ANKLE AND MAKING -- ANGLE AND MAKING SURE OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES WERE THOROUGHLY THOUGHT OUT, IMPLEMENTED AND NOW BEING PUT INTO THIS PROCESS.
I'LL TRY AND BE AS BRIEF AS POSSIBLE.
THIS IS ABOUT FOUR AND A HALF YEARS OF A PROCESS.
FIRST I I'D LIKE TO THANK COUNCILMAN TREVINO WHO HAS VERY ABLY GUIDED THESE STEPS TO DEVELOP A MASTER PLAN AND GET US THROUGH NOT JUST A JOINT AGREEMENT BUT TOWARDS A LEASE DOCUMENT THAT WE CAN APPROVE AS CITY COUNCIL AND RESPECTIVE OF ALL THE VOICES THAT HAVE BEEN PART OF THE CONVERSATION, AS WELL AS COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN WHO HAS ALSO QUITE ABLY GUIDED US THROUGH WHAT IS A GROUNDBREAKING VENT FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO BUT ALSO FOR TEXAS AND THAT IS RECOGNIZING WHAT IS THE ONLY WORLD HERITAGE SITE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS AND THE FIRST ONE FOR THE UNITED STATES IN A LONG TIME IF YOU ASK ANYBODY, I WOULD VENTURE TO BET, IF YOU ASK ANYONE, AND HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, IN DALLAS, BOSTON, OR IN TOKYO, WHAT IS THE ONE BRAND, WHAT IS THE ONE IMAGE THEY RECOGNIZE UNIVERSALLY ACROSS THE WORLD, IT'S PROBABLY TEXAS.
AND THE ONE IMAGE THAT COMES TO MIND WHEN PEOPLE THINK ABOUT TEXAS IS THE ALAMO.
AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT RESPONSIBILITY, IT'S A GREAT HONOR, AND IT'S PERHAPS AN OBLIGATION AS CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO THAT WE DO OUR PART FOR THE NEXT GENERATION TO PRESERVE AND TO REVERE AND TO TAKE CARE OF WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LANDMARK IN OUR STATE.
THAT SAID, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN IMPORTANT TO ME AND MY COLLEAGUES, I BELIEVE, THAT THIS CENTER OF CIVIC LIFE FOR SAN ANTONIO REMAINS THAT WAY, AND THAT 300 YEARS OF HISTORY AT THE ALAMO IS NOT JUST REFLECTIVE OF WHAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND AND KNOW ABOUT THE ALAMO, BUT ALSO IT IS REFLECTIVE OF THE 300 YEARS OF ACTIVE CIVIC LIFE THAT'S OCCURRED THERE.
THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN VERY IMPORTANT, AND I THINK THAT HAS BEEN THE CRUCIBLE OF THE CONVERSATION FOR ME FOR THIS PERIOD OF TIME THAT IT'S BEEN WORKED ON.
I WOULD SAY AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHEN THIS IS PASSED, WHEN THIS IS CONSTRUCTED AND WE WALK ON THE GROUNDS IN 2024, AS CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO, AS CITIZENS OF TEXAS, AND AS PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD A ROLE IN PRESERVING AND ENHANCING THE ALAMO, WE WILL BE VERY PROUD OF WHAT WE ACCOMPLISHED THIS YEAR.
I DO KNOW THAT SINCE I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF SAN ANTONIO, AND PERHAPS MUCH, MUCH LONGER THAN THAT, PEOPLE HAVE ATTEMPTED TO DO EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY AND WHAT WE'LL DO IN THE NEXT STEPS.
AT LEAST SINCE 1994, AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANN MCGLONE IS ACTUALLY IN THE ROOM RIGHT NOW, BUT WE HAVE ATTEMPTED TO GET TO THIS POINT, FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS, TO GET TO THIS POINT, A REDEVELOPMENT, A MASTER PLAN THAT RESPECTS THE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE AS CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO BUT ALSO OUR RESPONSIBILITIES AS A STATE.
I THINK IF COUNCILMAN PEAK, MAYOR PEAK, FOLKS THAT WERE ENGAGED IN THE DISCUSSION AT THAT POINT COULD SEE WHAT WE'RE ACCOMPLISHING TODAY, THEY'D BE DARNED PROUD.
THAT SAID, I KNOW THAT WE'RE ALSO ACCOMPLISHING SOMETHING THAT CITIZENS IN OUR CITY HAVE BEEN TRYING TO DO FOR OVER 100 YEARS.
SO I DON'T TAKE ANY OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING VERY LIGHTLY, BUT LET ME JUST TELL YOU WHY I CHOSE TO SIGN THE RESOLUTION, WHICH WASN'T IMMEDIATELY.
THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS THAT HAVE OCCURRED OVER THE LAST TWO AND A HALF, THREE WEEKS SINCE THE LAND COMMISSIONER SIGNED THE RESOLUTION AND SIGNALED HIS READINESS TO MOVE FORWARD.
THE CIVIC SPACE OF SAN ANTONIO IS NOT JUST IN NAME.
WE MUST HAVE 24/7 UNHINDERED ACCESS TO THE PLAZA.
IN ORDER FOR US TO SANCTIFY THE SPACE, TO RECOGNIZE THE HISTORY OF THE BATTLE, TO HONOR THE DEFENDERS, TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR THE HISTORY THAT OCCURRED OVER THE LAST 300 YEARS ON THAT SITE, THERE ARE ALSO CHANGES THAT NEED TO BE MADE.
CONSCIOUS CHANGE, DELIBERATE CHANGES, CHANGES DONE WITH CARE AND CAUTION, BUT ALSO WITH RESPECT.
I WASN'T THERE ALL THE WAY, I'LL ADMIT TO YOU, COUNCILMAN, ON THE ISSUE OF THE STREET.
[01:00:01]
BUT WHEN I UNDERSTAND THAT NOT ONLY THE STREET FUNCTION AS PART OF THE PLAZA, BUT ALSO SITES OF VERY IMPORTANT ARCHEOLOGY AND HISTORY, INCLUDING INDIGENOUS BURIAL GROUNDS, IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT HISTORY.IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO ME THAT WE UNDERSTAND OUR HISTORY OF SAN ANTONIANS WITH RESPECT TO THE ALAMO IS INCLUSIVE OF THINGS LIKE WHAT HAPPENED AT THE LUNCH COUNTER AT WOOLWORTH, AND THAT WE TELL THE STORY, WHICH IS NOT BEING TOLD TODAY, BY THE WAY, OF CIVIL RIGHTS IN SAN ANTONIO.
THIS PLAN ALSO RESPECTS THE FACT THAT THERE ARE TIMES IN OUR CALENDAR THAT THE ALAMO PLAZA BECOMES OUR PERMANENT WEEKEND PLACE.
I ALSO KNOW THAT 95% OF THE 1.6 MILLION PEOPLE THAT GO DOWN TO THE ALAMO RIGHT NOW STAY FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES, MAYBE LESS THAN THAT, AND THEY'RE NOT FROM HERE.
I SURELY HOPE BY THE TIME THEY LEAVE HERE, THEY LEAVE ENHANCED, THEY LEAVE UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE THAT OUR CITY PLAYED IN TEXAS INDEPENDENCE, AND OUR CITY PLAYED IN THE ROLE OF THE CONFLUENCE OF CULTURES THAT HAS BECOME SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS TODAY.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, I FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE HAVING WORKED WITH THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE, WITH THE LAND OFFICE TO MODIFY THE PROPOSAL THAT NOT ONLY RESPECTS THE PARTNERSHIP AND THE TRUST NOW BETWEEN THE STATE AND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, BUT ALSO PUTS THAT TRUST IN WRITING IN A CONTRACT THAT REFLECTS THE FACT THAT WE NOT ONLY TRUST EACH OTHER, BUT WE'RE GOING TO BE MUTUALLY LEVERAGED IN THIS PARTNERSHIP IN A SITE THAT IS IMPORTANT TO BOTH OF US, TO ALL OF US.
SO IN CLOSEING, I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO'S BEEN INVOLVED WITH THIS PLAN, THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, OF WHICH I KNOW THERE'S A DIVERSITY OIVF OPINIONS, AND A LOT OF VOCAL OPPOSITION AT TIMES THAT HAS RESULTED IN WHAT I THINK IS A VERY ELEGANT PLAN, ONE THAT WE CAN ALL BE PROUD OF.
I'M VERY PROUD OF ARRIVING AT THIS POINT.
I LOOK FORWARD TO PUTTING MY SIGNIFICANT ON THE PAPER -- SIGNATURE ON THE PAPER, ONCE AGAIN TO FINALLY MOVE FORWARD TO CONSTRUCTION, AND HOPE.LY WITH MY -- HOPEFULLY WITH MY COLLEAGUES AT THE TABLE WHO HAVE HAD AN ACTIVE ROLE GETTING TO THE FINISH LINE, WE CAN ENJOY WALKING ON THAT PLAZA THAT FINALLY GETS THE ALAMO RIGHT, PRESERVED, SANCTIFIED, AND READY FOR
AND I WANT TO THANK COUNCILMAN TREVINO AND THE TEAM THAT'S PUT TOGETHER THIS PLAN.
IT'S GONE THROUGH A LOT OF DIFFERENT COMMENTS, A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS, AND I HAD DIFFERENT OPINIONS ALSO.
I'VE GOT CONCERNS WITH THIS OVERALL PLAN.
AND I DO HAVE A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS HERE.
I'M NOT SURE WHO IS GOING TO ANSWER THESE THINGS.
I'LL JUST ASK THEM AND Y'ALL CAN HELP AS A TEAM OR WHATEVER TO ANSWER THESE THINGS.
SO, STARTING OFF WITH THE CENOTAPH.
YOU KNOW, I'VE GOTTEN MANY, MANY COMMENTS ABOUT THE CENOTAPH.
I HAVEN'T HEARD ANY COMMENTS COMING TO ME ABOUT IT OBSTRUCTING A VIEW OR IT IMPEDING ANY REENACTMENTS OUT THERE.
IT SOUNDS LIKE WE DON'T DO ANY SCHOOL TOURS OUT THERE NOW.
WE DON'T DO ANY LIVE REENACTMENTS, WE DON'T DO ANY EDUCATION OUT IN THAT AREA.
DO WE DO THAT TODAY? ARE THERE SCHOOL TOURS? ARE THERE REENACTMENTS?
>> PERRY: WE DO THAT TODAY BUT IT MAKES IT SOUND LIKE WE'RE NOT DOING IT, BUT WE ARE.
I GOT CONCERNS ABOUT DAMAGING THE STRUCTURE AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THAT GOING TO COST US ON ACTUALLY MOVING IT.
AND WILL WE BE ABLE TO RESTORE THAT STRUCTURE IF IT GETS DAMAGED.
HAS THERE BEEN A COST ANALYSIS DONE ON ACTUALLY MOVING THAT STRUCTURE FROM ONE -- THE 500 FEET?
>> SCULLEY: A VERY PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS, BUT NOTHING IN TERMS OF IN ENGINEERING OR DESIGN.
LET ME JUST SAY THE CENOTAPH DOES NEED TO BE RESTORED.
IT HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED SINCE IT WAS INSTALLED 100 YEARS AGO.
AND SO -- NEARLY 100 YEARS AGO.
BUT THAT WOULD BE THE NEXT PHASE IN THE DEVELOPMENT, IF THE COUNCIL APPROVES MOVING FORWARD.
[01:05:02]
PHASE, COUNCILMAN.>> TREVINO: I WOULD JUST ADD THE PLAN IS TO CREATE A NEW MODERN SUPERSTRUCTURE TO HOLD THE PIECES THAT ARE UP NOW.
THE CENOTAPH WILL NOT BE MOVING AS A SINGLE PIECE ACROSS TO ITS NEW LOCATION.
IT WILL BE RELOCATED THOUGHTFULLY AND PUT BACK TOGETHER THE WAY IT WAS ORIGINALLY PUT UP IN THE FIRST PLACE.
I WOULD ALSO ADD, THOUGH, YOUR QUESTION ABOUT ARE THERE TOURS NOW WITH SCHOOL CHILDREN.
THERE ARE, BUT THEY ARE RESTRICTED TO THE AREAS THEY CAN GO.
LET'S REMEMBER, CURRENTLY WE HAVE THE ROAD THERE IN ITS PLACE.
WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO CHANGE IS THE EXPERIENCE THAT THE SCHOOL KIDS HAVE IS TO GO INTO THE CHURCH ITSELF AND THEN BACK INTO THE GARDENS.
THEY DON'T HAVE A FULL APPRECIATION OF WHAT THE MISSION OF HISTORIC FOOTPRINT IS.
PART OF THE RELOCATION IS TO RECAPTURE THAT MISSION FOOTPRINT TO CLEARLY DELINEATE, WHETHER YOU'RE A SCHOOL CHILD OR A RESIDENT HERE OR A VISITOR, YOU WILL CLEARLY UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE STANDING.
WELL, I'VE SEEN TOURS OUT THERE AND THEY DON'T JUST LIMIT THEM TO THE CHAPEL ITSELF.
THEY TOUR THE GROUNDS THERE IN FRONT AROUND THE CENOTAPH.
AND I WOULD DISAGREE THAT THEY DON'T GET AN APPRECIATION FOR THE AREA ITSELF.
AND WHERE THE EXTENT OF THE BOUNDARIES ARE TODAY.
THAT'S MY COMMENTS ON THE CENOTAPH.
AND I THINK THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RESTORING IT IN PLACE VERSUS RELOCATING IT TO A DIFFERENT LOCATION.
I HAVE SEEN THE PICTURES OF THE SUPERSTRUCTURE AND IT'S NOT GOING TO BE AN EASY JOB.
IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY, VERY EXPENSIVE JOB TO RECREATE THAT SUPERSTRUCTURE, WHEREVER.
IF THE DECISION IS TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE IT.
RENOVATING IN PLACE IS A LOT DIFFERENT THAN REMOVING IT AND MOVING IT SOMEWHERE ELSE.
>> TREVINO: COUNCILMAN, I WOULD WANT TO ADD -- I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADD THAT THE CURRENT LOCATION IS NOT PART OF ANY KIND OF MASTER PLAN IN THE PAST.
THE FACT THAT WE'RE RELOCATING IT IN AN AREA WHERE IT CAN BE INCORPORATED WITH ALL THE NEWER ELEMENTS TO BE A PART OF AN OVERALL MASTER PLAN OR SCHEME IS ALSO WHY WE THINK IT'S GOING TO BE ENHANCED.
BECAUSE OF THE CEREMONIAL ACTIVITY ZONE OF THE NEW ALAMO PLAZA, WE FEEL THERE ARE STILL SOME TWEAKS TO BE DONE IN THAT DESIGN AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHY WE THINK IT'S GOING TO BE ENHANCED AS PART OF THIS PROPOSITION.
WELL, I THINK YOU HIT IT ON THE HEAD WHY YOU THINK.
THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE THAT DISAGREE WITH THAT THOUGHT PROCESS ON WHAT THEY THINK SHOULD BE DONE AS WELL.
SO, VERY APPROPRIATELY WORDED THERE.
I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT WE DID A TELEPHONE SURVEY.
IN DISTRICT 10 WE HAD 565 CONNECTS.
DISTRICT 1, RIGHT DOWN HERE DOWNTOWN.
AND OVERALL -- AND I'LL GET TO ANOTHER PORTION OF IT HERE IN JUST A SECOND, BUT THAT WAS WITH ALMOST 1,300 CONNECTS.
SO LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE, THE CROCKETT -- THE FACILITIES ABOUT RE-PURPOSE.
WE HAVE A LETTER FROM THE CONSERVATION SOCIETY SAYING WE NEED TO KEEP THOSE BUILDINGS.
AND I'M HOPING THAT THAT GETS REINTEGRATED INTO THIS PLAN AND NOT TAKE THOSE BUILDINGS DOWN AND CREATING A NEW STRUCTURE.
I HAVE BEEN ALL OVER THIS WORLD AND TO A LOT OF MUSEUMS AND I'VE SEEN DIFFERENT TYPES OF MUSEUMS, DIFFERENT FLOOR LEVELS, DIFFERENT STRUCTURES THAT WERE CONVERTED INTO VERY, VERY NICE MUSEUMS. SO THERE SHOULDN'T BE A REASON IN THE WORLD THAT THESE BUILDINGS CAN'T BE RE-PURPOSED FOR THAT.
IS THAT THE CURRENT PLAN NOW TO RE-PURPOSE THESE BUILDINGS?
>> SCULLEY: THAT IS YET TO BE STUDIED.
IN FACT, AS WE MENTIONED, THERE IS AN ANALYSIS OF THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE BUILDINGS AND HOW THEY PERHAPS COULD BE INTEGRATED INTO THE MUSEUM.
AND AN ARCHITECTURAL TEAM IS BEING CONSIDERED RIGHT NOW.
IN FACT, THERE ARE, COUNCILMAN, MORE THAN 30 PROPOSALS THAT HAVE BEEN RECEIVED FROM INTERNATIONAL ARCHITECTS, AS WELL AS LOCAL, TO STUDY THAT.
IT IS YET TO BE DETERMINED BUT WE WILL TAKE EVERY CONSIDERATION.
AND AS I SAID EARLIER, THE HDRC
[01:10:03]
WILL REVIEW AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION MUST ALSO APPROVE WHAT HAPPENS WITH THOSE BUILDINGS.ON THE STREETS AROUND THE ALAMO, THIS IS ONE OF THEM THAT I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH.
RIGHT IN THE CENTER OF OUR CITY THAT WE'RE GOING TO CLOSE SOME STREETS.
THAT'S GOING TO REROUTE TRAFFIC.
I THINK THE FUTURE WILL SHOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ADDITIONAL CONGESTION ALONG LOSOYA AND REROUTING THOSE STREETS AROUND THAT AREA.
ALAMO STREET, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN DISCUSSIONS, AND I THINK THE PARADE FOLKS AND EVERYBODY HAS AGREED TO CLOSING THAT STREET.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I HEAR THINGS ABOUT BURIAL GROUNDS.
ARE WE TALKING ABOUT BURIAL GROUNDS ON ALAMO STREET? WERE THERE BURIAL GROUNDS ALONG ALAMO STREET?
>> PERRY: SO HOW CAN THERE STILL BE BURIAL GROUNDS REMAINING THERE? WE HAVE A 48-INCH DRAINAGE LINE AND A HUGE ELECTRICAL DUCT BANK GOING ALONG ALAMO STREET THAT'S AND HOW COULD WE STILL HAVE BURIAL GROUNDS ALONG ALAMO STREET? THAT'S MY QUESTION.
WE HAVE HUGE UTILITY CORRIDORS GOING THROUGH THERE.
WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO IDENTIFY WITH BURIAL GROUNDS THERE? THAT'S MY QUESTION.
I DON'T KNOW, COUNCILMAN, IF YOU WANTED TO COMMENT ON THAT.
>> TREVINO: I THINK THE WHOLE POINT, AS WE SAID, WE WANT TO TELL A COMPLETE STORY AT THE ALAMO.
AND PART OF THE STORY IS -- ARE ALL THE PEOPLE THAT FOUGHT, LIVED, AND DIED THERE.
AND SO SOME OF THOSE BURIAL GROUNDS TELL THE STORY.
WE KNOW THE NAMES OF THOSE FOLKS.
WE HAD A SLIDE THAT ACTUALLY DEMONSTRATED -- IN YOUR PACKET THERE'S INFORMATION OF HOW WE PLAN TO ACKNOWLEDGE ALL THE FOLKS THAT ARE BURIED ON THOSE GROUNDS.
WELL, TO CLOSE THE STREETS I THINK IS GOING TO BE CAUSING CONGESTION.
NOT ONLY FOR STREETS FOR CARS AND OTHER MODES OF TRANSPORTATION, BUT ALSO FOR PEDESTRIANS.
SO -- BY THE WAY, I PUT ALL THIS IN THE REPORT IN AN ARTICLE, SO PLEASE GO AND TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
THE ALAMO PLAZA GRADE LOWERING.
I HAVE HEARD THAT IT'S GOING TO BE LOWERED AROUND 16 INCHES.
TAKING A LOOK AT THE ELEVATIONS IT'S MORE THAN 16 INCHES.
THAT'S THE LOWEST PART THAT IT WOULD BE 16 INCHES.
IT ACTUALLY GOES UP TO 30 AND 3S TOWARDS THE CHAPEL.
EXPLAIN TO ME AGAIN WHY WE'RE LOWERING THAT WHOLE -- AND IS THIS JUST IN FRONT OF THE CHAPEL OR IS IT AROUND THE CHAPEL? THE WHOLE AREA? IS THAT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, THE WHOLE AREA?
>> I'M NOT SURE OF THE REFERENCE TO GOING BELOW THE 16 INCHES.
AND, OF COURSE, THERE'S LOTS OF DESIGN TO DO SO THE EXACT NUMBER I WOULDN'T PROFFER A GUESS.
WE ARE PROPOSING TO LOWER THE GRADE, NOT DOWN TO ANY OF THE ARCHAEOLOGY.
THERE'S OBVIOUSLY LOTS OF BUILDUP OF THE CITY THAT HAS HAPPENED OVER THE YEARS.
WE ARE NOT PROPOSING TO GO DOWN AND TO DISTURB THE ARCHAEOLOGY, EXCEPT IN THOSE AREAS WHERE THROUGH ARCHAEOLOGY IT WOULD BE REVEALED.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THESE GLASS PANELS WHERE YOU COULD ACTUALLY BEGIN TO SEE THE FOOTPRINT OF THE MISSION EDGES IN THE BUILDINGS.
ONE OF THE REASONS ABOUT LOWERING THE GRADE IS IN RELATION TO THE CURRENT CHURCH FACADE.
AND ALL OF THAT FILL OVER TIME IS ACTUALLY DETRIMENTAL TO THE CURRENT CONDITION TO HAVE THE CHURCH.
AND SO PART OF THIS IS ACTUALLY ABOUT REMOVING FILL THAT HAS HAPPENED OVER THESE YEARS TO PRESERVE THE ARTIFACTS.
WE ALSO THINK JUST AS A CHARACTER AND AN URBAN DESIGN IDEA THAT THIS EXPERIENCE OF MOVING INTO THE SITE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENTIATING IT FROM THE KIND OF EVERYDAY SIDEWALKS AND STREETS OF THE CITY TRANSFORMS THE CHARACTER AND QUALITY OF THAT SPACE SUCH THAT IT HAS THIS KIND OF REFERENTIAL NATURE THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
>> PERRY: COULD YOU PULL UP THOSE PICTURES THAT I SUPPLIED? OKAY .
THIS IS A PICTURE BACK IN THE LATE 1860S/EARLY 1870S.
BUT WHAT'S THAT DARK LINE ON IT? YOU SEE THE DARK LINE? THAT'S A DAMP LINE.
THAT WAS THERE BACK IN THE 1860S.
AND, GUESS WHAT? THIS WAS AT THE LOWER ELEVATION.
[01:15:03]
THERE WAS NO BUILDUP.IF YOU LOOK, YOU CAN SEE THE STEPS TO THE CHAPEL AND PEOPLE LOWER.
SO THIS WAS AT THE ORIGINAL FOUNDATION DEPTHS.
WELL, DIDN'T GET TODAY'S PICTURE.
IF YOU GO OUT THERE TODAY AND LOOK AT THE ALAMO YOU WON'T HARDLY EVEN SEE THAT DAMP LINE.
SO WE'RE JUSTIFYING TAKING OUT 16 INCHES OR MORE OF THE FILL AROUND THAT WHOLE AREA BECAUSE OF FOUNDATION PROBLEMS? I GOT AN ISSUE WITH THAT.
1870 YOU HAD A DARKER DAMP LINE.
THAT MEANT IT WAS CREEPING UP THE WALLS WITH THE DAMP CONDITIONS.
LOOKING AT WHAT WE HAVE TODAY, THE ELEVATIONS THAT WE HAVE TODAY, WE DON'T HAVE DRAINAGE ISSUES.
WATER DOES NOT STAND AROUND THERE THE WAY IT DID BACK IN THOSE DAYS.
AND THE DAMP LINE HAS ACTUALLY FADED.
YOU HAVE TO REALLY LOOK FOR IT.
SO, IN MY OPINION, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO TAKE OUT ALL THIS DIRT TO GET IT DOWN TO A LEVEL THAT WE'RE GETTING BACK DOWN TO ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDS.
WE DON'T HAVE TO DIG DOWN TO DIG OUT THOSE AREAS TO LOOK AT THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE PERIMETER WALLS.
YOU CAN DO THAT WITHOUT DIGGING DOWN THAT WHOLE AREA, WHICH IS GOING TO CAUSE TREMENDOUS DISRUPTION TO THAT AREA.
NOTWITHSTANDING MAYBE TAKING OUT THE BIG TREES THAT WE HAVE THERE NOW.
THE CACTUS, ALL AROUND THE GARDENS.
IT'S BEAUTIFUL AROUND THERE RIGHT NOW.
AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE YEARS TO RECLAIM THAT.
SO THAT'S MY COMMENTS ON TAKING OUT ALL OF THAT EARTHWORK AROUND THOSE FACILITIES THERE.
NOW, LET'S TALK ABOUT ONE LAST THING HERE FOR ME ON MY COMMENTS.
THE ACCESS TO THE FACILITY ITSELF.
I AM TOTALLY IN DISAGREEMENT OF PUTTING UP A BARRIER AROUND THAT PLAZA.
I'M GOING TO SAY THIS IS THE LINE IN THE SAND FOR ME.
I DON'T THINK THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL INTENT.
WE HAVE GOTTEN MANY COMMENTS FROM DIFFERENT AGENCIES AND INDIVIDUALS THAT WE DON'T WANT THAT SECTION SECTIONED OFF.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ONE ENTRANCE DURING THE DAY THAT WILL CAUSE PEOPLE TO WALK AROUND THE ENTIRE SITE TO FIND THE ENTRANCE EITHER TO THE MUSEUM OR NEXT TO THE MUSEUM THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT THE INTENT OF -- I MEAN, WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY DEEDED TO US.
JUST LISTEN TO THE WORDS HERE.
THIS IS THE ORIGINAL DEED AND IT SHALL BE -- AND IT BEING UNDERSTOOD THAT THE PROPERTY HEREBY CONVEYED AND IS SO CONVEYED ON CONDITION THAT IT SHALL BE DEDICATED TO THE PUBLIC USE AS AN OPEN SPACE.
WITH THIS PLAN, ARE WE GOING TO HAVE AN OPEN SPACE?
ANDY SEGOVIA, WHO HAS DONE A LEGAL OPINION ON THAT ORIGINAL TRANSACTION CAN DISCUSS THAT, IF YOU WISH.
>> PERRY: WELL, I'M LOOKING AT THIS AS A SPIRIT AND INTENT OF WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY CONVEYED.
ARE WE GOING TO CHANGE WHAT WAS -- THE WAY I READ IT.
YOU CAN HAVE LAWYERS COME IN ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ISSUE AND ARGUE IT.
BUT THE WAY I READ IT, IT SAYS OPEN.
WHAT WE ARE PROVIDING IS A POROUS SPACE, WHICH IS NOT AN OPEN SPACE.
AND THAT'S WHAT SAN ANTONIO HAS BEEN FOR MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS.
PEOPLE GO OUT THERE AND HAVE PICK IN ADDITION.
THEY'RE GOING TO ENJOY THAT SPACE.
THAT IS NOT THE INTENT OF THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE.
AND, TO ME, THIS WOULD BE DEVASTATING FOR US TO GO HAVE TOURISTS, NOT ONLY TOURISTS BUT SAN ANTONIANS TRYING TO FIND THAT SINGLE ENTRANCE TO GET INTO THAT PLACE AND THEN FIND THERE'S A LINE THERE.
THEY'LL TURN AROUND AND GO HOME SAYING I'M NOT GOING TO WAIT IN LINE TO GO THROUGH THERE.
YOU KNOW, I HEAR THIS THAT WE NEED TO MANAGE THEIR EXPECTATIONS.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO COME THERE FOR ONE REASON.
THEY WANT TO GO IN FRONT OF THE CHAPEL, TAKE SOME PICTURES, AND
[01:20:01]
PROBABLY LEAVE.SHOULD WE MANAGE THAT EXPERIENCE? DO WE HAVE TO TELL THEM YOU WILL GO THROUGH THAT MUSEUM AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND THEN GET TO LEARN ALL ABOUT THE ALAMO? IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE CHAPEL? I DON'T THINK SO.
THAT IS NOT WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING.
WE SHOULD ALLOW THAT FREE OPEN SPACE TO FLOW THROUGH THAT WHOLE AREA ALL THE TIME.
LIKE I SAID, THAT'S MY LINE IN THE SAND.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE DEED A LITTLE BIT, BECAUSE THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO HERE IS DEED.
THE LEASE TERM SECTION 205 THE LEASE STATES THAT THEY SHALL HAVE THE OPTION TO PURCHASE THE PREMISES FOR FAIR MARKET VALUE CONTINGENT ON CITY APPROVAL FOR THE PURCHASE.
I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD EVER SELL THIS LAND TO THE STATE.
WE NEED TO KEEP IT IN OUR INVENTORY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND, AGAIN, THE ACCESS TO IT, TO ME, THAT'S NON-NEGOTIABLE.
IT SHOULD BE OPEN 24 HOURS A DAY AROUND THE ENTIRE SITE.
[APPLAUSE] YOU KNOW, THERE'S SEVERAL DIFFERENT AREAS THAT SAYS THAT IT SHALL REMAIN OPEN, ACCESSIBLE, AND FREE OF CHARGE.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S ACTUALLY IN THE DEED.
I DON'T THINK WE SHOULDN'T HAVE THAT LANGUAGE IN THERE.
IT SHOULD BE OPEN FREE ACCESS 24/7, 365.
ALREADY READ WHAT THE ORIGINAL DEED FROM THE CATHOLIC CHURCH SAID.
AND, AGAIN, WE ARE NOT PROVIDING AN OPEN SPACE IN THIS PLAN.
IT'S A POROUS SPACE AND THERE'S A DIFFERENCE WITH THAT.
IT SAYS THAT THE GLO SHALL NOT CHARGE A FEE TO ENTER THE ALAMO PLAZA AREAS OF THE PREMISES.
IT GOES ON TO SAY WITHOUT THE PRIOR WRITTEN APPROVAL WHICH SHALL NOT BE REASONABLY WITHHELD BY THE CITY MANAGER OR HER DESIGNEE.
THAT SHOULD NOT BE IN THERE AT ALL.
THERE SHOULD NOT BE A FEE TO GO INTO THAT ALAMO GROUNDS, PERIOD.
[APPLAUSE] THEN IT GOES IN SECTION 806, ACCESS TO THE PREMISES.
SECTION A CITES THAT THIS HISTORIC MISSION SPACE WILL HAVE SIX ACCESS POINTS AND WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC 24/7 THROUGH THE MUSEUM ENTRIES AS DESCRIBED IN THE ALAMO PLAN.
WELL, LET ME TELL YOU, AGAIN, I DON'T AGREE THAT WE NEED TO BE RESTRICTING IT THROUGH THE MUSEUM OR EVEN NEXT TO THE MUSEUM.
I'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THE CONTROL ACCESS.
AND WE'VE GOT SEVERAL -- LET ME JUST GO THROUGH A COUPLE OF THESE HERE.
BACK IN JULY WE GOT A LETTER FROM THE AIA.
WHAT DOES THAT STAND FOR? AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS.
GOING THROUGH SEVERAL POINTS THAT WE ARE VIOLATING UNDER THIS PLAN.
AND THAT'S FROM THE INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS.
THAT THIS PLAN THAT WE'RE PRESENTING VIOLATING THESE ISSUES.
SO OUR OWN ARCHITECTURAL INDUSTRY IS TELLING US, HEY, YOU'RE NOT GOING BY WHAT WE'RE PLANNING FOR IN CURRENT MODERN CITIES.
THIS IS FROM A CONSERVATION SOCIETY.
7,000 SIGNATURES ABOUT KEEPING OUR HISTORIC BUILDINGS THERE ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE ALAMO.
THIS WAS FROMRO KYLE BEETERMAN O JUST CAME IN ON OCTOBER 5.
MANY LEGISLATORS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT MOVING THE CENOTAPH.
THIS WILL CERTAINLY BE DISCUSSED IN THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION TO INCLUDE THE FUNDING OF THIS PROJECT, IF IT DOESN'T CHANGE.
THEY SIN CYST THE BATTLE REMAIN THE FOCAL POINT, THE BATTLE.
[01:25:06]
ANOTHER LETTER FROM LAKEN FLATO.IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE PLAZA BE A DYNAMIC AND WELCOMING CIVIC SPACE IT HAS BEEN FOR THE PAST 200 YEARS .
PERHAPS THE MOST MEMORABLE PLACE IN THE STATE.
THE PLAZA IS CURRENTLY ENVISIONED WITH WALLS, FENCES, AND GATES SEPARATING THE ALAMO GROUNDS FROM THE REST OF THE CITY CREATES A WALL DESTINATION FOR THE ALAMO.
VISITORS AND INHIBITS THE USE OF THE SPACE FOR THE PUBLIC.
BEING ABLE TO FREELY MOVE INTO THE PLAZA FROM ANY DIRECTION AT ANY TIME OF THE DAY IS A PIVOTAL CHARACTER IN ALL GREAT PLAZAS AND WAS PART OF DIRECTIVE IN THE ORIGINAL ALAMO MASTER PLAN'S GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
WHICH SAYS THE PLAN SHOULD ENHANCE CONNECTIVITY AND RESPECT THE CONTINUUM OF HISTORY OF THE PLAZA.
CONSISTENT WITH THE ORIGINAL GUIDELINES WE FEEL THAT THE PLAZA SHOULD BE BOTH AN HISTORIC AND REVERENTIAL PLACE AS WELL AS A VIBRANT PUBLIC SPACE FULLY CONNECTED TO THE CITY.
YOU CAN DO THAT WITHOUT FENCES AND WALLS OR GATES.
AGAIN, I'VE GOTTEN MANY E-MAILS, TEXTS, PHONE CALLS WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE VERY UNHAPPY WITH THIS OVERALL PLAN.
I'VE JUST OUTLINED A FEW OF THEM.
AND I JUST -- FOR US TO SIT HERE SAYING WE WILL MANAGE THEIR EXPECTATIONS ON WHAT THEY SHOULD SEE GOING INTO THE PLAZA AND INTO THE ALAMO IS JUST WRONG.
AGAIN, I HAVE BEEN TO A LOT OF MUSEUMS. I SPENT TEN YEARS IN EUROPE AND THERE'S A LOT OF CASTLE RUINS.
CASTLES, PALACES ALL OVER THE PLACE.
AND YOU'RE FREE TO ROAM AROUND.
THEY'RE NOT PUSHING YOU THROUGH A PARTICULAR ENTRANCE SAYING YOU WILL GO HERE, FIND IT.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE HAD HERE FOR OVER 200 YEARS.
AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO COME IN AND SAY, NOPE, YOU GOT TO DO THIS PLAN TO MANAGE THE VISITORS' EXPECTATIONS.
PEOPLE WANT TO COME HERE, GO INTO THE FRONT OF THE ALAMO, TAKE THEIR PICTURES, AND MAYBE LOOK AROUND.
YOU CAN MANAGE THOSE EXPECTATIONS WITH WE'VE ALREADY PUT SOME BRONZE PLAQUES OUT THERE TO HELP VISUALIZE WHAT WAS THERE BEFORE.
THERE'S OTHER WAYS THAT YOU CAN DO THAT THAN FUNNELING THEM THROUGH A MUSEUM OR BLOCKING OFF ACCESS TO THE REST OF THE CITY.
AND I'M REALLY HOPING THAT OTHER COUNCIL FOLKS HERE WILL REALIZE THAT AND, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE TO SIGN THIS LEASE TO THE STATE.
WE DO NOT HAVE TO APPROVE THIS THING.
AND I SAY WE MAKE SOME MAJOR CHANGES ON THIS AND THEN AGREE TO LEASE IT TO THE STATE AND NOT TO SELL IT TO THE STATE, BY ANY MEANS.
SO, SIR, I'M SORRY FOR VENTING HERE A LITTLE BIT.
I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS AS A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS.
AND, AGAIN, I'VE GOTTEN VERY FEW COMMENTS ABOUT THIS PLAN, IT BEING A GOOD THING.
AND YOU GO THROUGH THIS BOOK AND YOU LOOK AT THE PICTURES.
THERE'S BEAUTIFUL PICTURES IN HERE.
BUT DO YOU SEE THE WALLS OR FENCES OR BARRIERS? NO.
YOU DON'T SEE THAT ANYWHERE IN THIS BOOK.
BUT THEY'RE GOING TO BE THERE.
YOU CAN'T JUST WALK UP TO THESE FACILITIES AND LOOK AT THEM THE WAY THEY'RE SHOWN IN THIS BOOK.
THERE'S GOING TO BE BARRIERS THAT WILL KEEP YOU OUT.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULDN'T BE DOING.
SIR, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN PERRY.
I DON'T THINK ANYONE'S GOING TO APPLAUD FOR ME, CLAYTON.
[LAUGHTER] I AM PASSIONATE TOO ABOUT TWO THINGS.
I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT THE SPURS.
I'M ALSO PASSIONATE ABOUT PROCESS.
AND SO I'M GOING TO REMIND EVERYBODY AND STAFF IN PARTICULAR, LORI, I THINK I HAVE BEEN FRUSTRATING TO GET WITH ON THIS BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN VERY DELIBERATE ABOUT KEEPING MY HANDS OFF OF THE PROCESS.
THAT'S BECAUSE I THINK THIS PROCESS NEEDED TO PLAY OUT WITHOUT INTERFERENCE FROM CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND THAT'S WHY WE APPOINT COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE GOT LEADERS AND SMART
[01:30:02]
PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITY TO COME TOGETHER AND HASH OUT A LOT OF THESE ISSUES BEFORE SENDING IT BACK UP TO US TO MAKE THE TOUGH CALLS.AND WHAT I CAN SAY ABOUT THE PROCESS IS THAT TO ME IT SEEMS LIKE -- SHERYL AND LORI AND YOU AND YOUR TEAM, YOU GUYS DID A LOT OF WORK TO MAKE SURE IT WAS TRANSPARENT.
BY DOING A LOT OF IT OUT IN THE OPEN.
AND THAT IT WAS VERY INEFFICIEND THING.
BECAUSE UNLIKE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT WE WANT TO BE VERY EFFICIENT, WE TOOK FOREVER TO GET TO THIS POINT BECAUSE YOU HELD MEETING AFTER MEETING SO YOU COULD GET AS MANY VOICES INVOLVED.
I CAN'T THINK OF ANOTHER INSTANCE WHERE YOU HAVE DONE THAT WHERE YOU'VE GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND AND ACTUALLY PROBABLY HELD TEN TIMES MORE MEETINGS THAN YOU WOULD FOR ANY OTHER ISSUE.
AND I THINK THAT THAT ACTUALLY IS A TESTAMENT TO THE FACT OF HOW SERIOUS AN ISSUE THIS IS.
SO THANK YOU FOR GIVING IT THAT SERIOUSNESS.
I WILL COMMENT THAT I WAS ASKED EARLIER TODAY WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE ALAMO PLAN.
AND MY COMMENT WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO SACRED ICONS AND SHRINES EVERYBODY IS AN EXPERT.
AND THE HARD PART ABOUT SHRINES AND ICONS IS THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS EXACTLY HOW TO REVERE AND HOW TO PRESERVE AND HOW TO DISPLAY THAT ICON.
THE PROBLEM IS THAT EVERYBODY HAS A DIFFERENT OPINION, RIGHT? AND THEY FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT IT.
AND I HAVE A FEELING -- NO, I DON'T HAVE A FEELING.
I'M CONFIDENT WHEN I SAY THAT NO MATTER WHAT PERMUTATION OF AN ALAMO PLAN THAT YOU PUT IN FRONT OF US SOMEWHERE SOMEONE WOULD BE UPSET ABOUT IT AND THEY WOULD HAVE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE PROCESS.
THAT THERE WASN'T ENOUGH MEETINGS.
AND THEY WOULD HAVE A COMPLAINT WITH THE PROVIDENCE OF THE DESIGNER OR THE DESIGN ITSELF.
I'M SURE THAT YOU WOULD GET IT.
I DON'T THINK WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK VERY HARD TO FIND PEOPLE WHO DISAGREED WITH THE WAY THE 9/11 MEMORIAL WAS DESIGNED AND EXECUTED, RIGHT? OR WITH THE PEOPLE WHO HAD EXECUTED IT OR WITH THE MATERIALS USED.
THE SAME WOULD PROBABLY HOLD TRUE FOR THE WORLD WAR II OR ANY OTHER WAR MEMORIAL.
OR, FOR THAT MATTER, I BET IF YOU GO BACK IN TIME YOU WILL PROBABLY FIND THE WRITINGS OF CRITICS HOW THEY DESIGNED ST. PETER'S BASILICA.
THERE'S ARCHITECTURE SCHOOLS WITH LIBRARIES THAT ARE JUST SPILLING OVER WITH BOOKS OF DESIGNERS AND ARCHITECTS CRITICIZING PLANS, YOU KNOW, FROM OTHER DESIGNERS AND ARCHITECTS.
I MEAN, IT'S A FULL-CONTACT SUPPORT, COUNCILMAN TREVINO, BEING AN ARCHITECT.
BECAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS ANOTHER ARCHITECT BEHIND YOU TELLING YOU HOW YOU DID IT WRONG.
SO, THAT IN MIND, I'LL TELL YOU I HAVE BEEN HANDS OFF UNTIL NOW BECAUSE I WANTED THIS PROCESS TO PLAY THROUGH.
AND I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY PRODUCED A REALLY GOOD RESULT FOR US TO START REALLY LOOKING AT THIS AND TALKING ABOUT IT THE WAY WE'RE DOING IT TODAY.
AND SO, MAYOR, I ALSO GOT TO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS TO US TODAY.
I THINK THE WRONG DECISION WOULD BE TO BRING IT NEXT YEAR.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE HASHED AND REHASHED AND REALLY KICKED AROUND ENOUGH.
AND SO I TAKE THIS VERY SERIOUSLY.
SO I DO HAVE SOME TECHNICAL QUESTIONS.
AND ANDY SEGOVIA, IF YOU COULD HELP ME.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THE FIESTA COMMISSION HAS ASKED US TO KEEP IN MIND THAT WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THEM, OR THAT THAT CONTRACT IS BEING RENEWED SOMETIME SOON.
MY ONLY REQUEST IS THAT AS WE DO EXECUTE THIS LEASE WITH THE STATE OF TEXAS THAT WE MAKE SURE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT THERE'S OTHER OBLIGATIONS THAT WE MAY HAVE WITH THE FIESTA COMMISSION AND THAT OUR ABILITY TO KEEP THOSE OBLIGATIONS NOT BE SNUFFED OUT BY THE TEXAS CONTRACT.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT?
>> IF ANYTHING IT ACKNOWLEDGES THAT.
IT DOES SAY WE'RE GOING TO WORK WITH NOT ONLY THE FIESTA COMMISSION BUT OTHER STAKEHOLDERS IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE WE CAN, AS BEST WE CAN, PRESERVE THE TRADITIONS OF THE PARADES, RECOGNIZING THE NEW FOOTPRINT.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE PARTNERS OF OURS, YOU KNOW, KNOW THAT OUR OBLIGATIONS TO THEM ARE FRONT AND CENTER AS WELL.
THANK YOU FOR ADDRESSING THAT.
>> ABSOLUTELY, JUST TO REINFORCE YOUR POINT, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER AGREEMENTS WE HAVE WITH THEM ARE CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE HAVE UNDER THE LAND USE.
>> PELAEZ: ALSO, ANDY, THERE'S
[01:35:06]
A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE THOSE STEAM TRAILS BEHIND AIRPLANES, THOSE CONTRAILS, THEY ARE THEY ARE SPRINKLING DUST ON US AND THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT BELIEVE THE YETTIES AND COLONEL SANDERS GET TOGETHER ONCE A YEAR.>> I ACTUALLY BELIEVE THE AIRPLANE ONE.
>> PELAEZ: AND SO I HAVE HEARD A LOT OF CONSPIRACY THEORIES ABOUT THIS ALAMO THING.
WHEN IT COMES TO UNESCO, ARE YOU COMFORTABLE, DO YOU KNOW WHETHER OR NOT UNESCO CONTROLS THE SITE TODAY?
>> THEY DON'T TODAY AND THEY WON'T UNDER THE LEASE AS WELL.
AND WHEN YOU SAY THEY WON'T, I THINK YOU AND I BOTH AGREE THAT THERE'S NOTHING UNDER THIS LEASE OR ANY OTHER DOCUMENT THAT YOU WOULD LET US SIGN THAT IS GOING TO LET UNESCO CONTROL HOW WE MANAGE ANY OF THOSE ASPECTS.
>> YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, COUNCILMAN.
THERE'S NOTHING I WOULD PUT BEFORE YOU THAT WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WOULD HAVE SUCH A RIGHT GIVEN TO UNESCO.
IT'S NOT CONCEIVABLY IN ANY OTHER DOCUMENT THAT I HAVE SEEN.
>> PELAEZ: AND, COUNCILMAN TREVINO, HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU MET WITH ANY SHADOWY FIGURES AND KABALLS TO MAKE SURE YOU ANSWER TO YOUR UNESCO OVERLORDS?
>> TREVINO: ASIDE FROM YOU? NOBODY.
>> PELAEZ: NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, MAYOR.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN PELAEZ.
AND, LIKE COUNCILMAN PERRY, I'M NOT SURE WHO MIGHT ANSWER THEM.
OUT OF THE HUNDREDS OF MEETINGS THAT WERE HELD, WHAT WERE A FEW OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THOSE PUBLIC MEETINGS THAT WERE ACTUALLY ADOPTED AND ADDED TO THE PLAN? CAN SOMEBODY TELL ME WHAT CAME OUT OF THOSE PUBLIC MEETINGS AS NEW IDEAS THAT WERE INCORPORATED?
>> TREVINO: FIRST OF ALL, THERE WAS THE GLASS WALLS.
ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS THE TREES.
WE DID TALK ABOUT PROVIDING MORE ACCESS POINTS ON SITES.
THOSE ARE INCLUDED AS ANCILLARY POINTS ON SITE.
THE CENOTAPH RELOCATION WAS ORIGINALLY OVER OFF OF MARKET STREET AND IS NOW REMAINING IN THE ALAMO PLAZA BY 500 FEET TO THE SOUTH.
AND I WOULD SAY THERE WAS MAYBE A COUPLE OTHER LITTLE ITEMS. I DON'T REMEMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
>> SCULLEY: YOU COVERED THEM, COUNCILMAN.
THE WORK YOU DID WITH THE FIESTA COMMISSION ON ACCOMMODATING THE PARADES AS WELL AND THE CEREMONIES ASSOCIATED WITH SOME OF THE TRADITIONS THAT HAPPENED THERE AT THE ALAMO.
IN CREATING, MOST PEOPLE SAID THAT THEY DID WANT US TO CREATE REVERENCE IN FRONT OF THE ALAMO.
THAT THERE WAS -- IT WASN'T A REVERENT PLACE.
AND CERTAINLY WASN'T RESPECTFUL.
AND WE HEARD THAT TIME AND AGAIN FROM THE PUBLIC AS WE HAD MEETINGS.
>> COURAGE: I KNOW THERE WAS A GREAT AMOUNT OF CONTENTION ABOUT THE PARADES.
WERE THERE ANY SPECIAL OR PARTICULAR ARRANGEMENTS MADE WITH THE ORGANIZATIONS TO ACCOMMODATE THEIR AGREEING TO MOVE THEIR LOCATIONS?
AND THOSE CONVERSATIONS WERE LED BY COUNCILMAN TREVINO AND THEY REACHED CONSENSUS ON MOVING THE PARADE ROUTE AND ACCOMMODATING THE CEREMONIAL WREATH LAYING AT THE ALAMO AS PART OF THE BATTLE OF FLOWERS PARADE.
>> COURAGE: THERE WERE NO OTHER PARTICULAR SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS THAT WERE GUARANTEED TO ANYBODY TO GET THAT DONE?
>> TREVINO: WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT THERE'S ACTUALLY MORE WORK TO BE DONE.
AT THE HEART OF THIS IS KNOWING THAT THE PARADES HAVE A VERY SPECIFIC TRADITION.
AND IN THAT TRADITION WE WANTED TO ACCOMMODATE SOME ABILITY TO WORK WITH THEM ON HOW WE CAN HAVE THAT TRADITION BE ENHANCED.
THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE CONCEPTUALLY DRAWN.
[01:40:01]
ACTIVITY ZONE.I CAN'T TELL YOU EXACTLY HOW THAT'S GOING TO LAY OUT BECAUSE IT'S NOT DESIGNED.
THE AGREEMENT IS WE'RE GOING TO SIT DOWN AND WE'RE GOING TO WORK ON THAT TOGETHER.
I THINK THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO DO IT.
AND I WOULD SAY THAT THE BATTLE OF FLOWERS ORGANIZATION AND ALL THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS JOINED IN AGREE WITH THAT ASSUMPTION AND WILL BE WORKING WITH US TO REALLY PUT A FINE POINT ON HOW WE ESTABLISH THAT AND WORK THAT INTO THE PLAN.
I GUESS I JUST ASKED THAT QUESTION BECAUSE I RECEIVED DOZENS AND DOZENS OF LETTERS FROM PEOPLE WHO WERE BELONGING TO THOSE ORGANIZATIONS WHO INSISTED FOR A VERY, VERY LONG TIME NOT TO MOVE THE PARADE SITES.
AND THEN IT SEEMS ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE WAS A CHANGE IN DIRECTION.
SO THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT THAT.
WE'RE SAYING THAT WE'RE ALLOCATING AS A CITY $38 MILLION TOWARD IMPROVEMENTS THAT WILL BE TAKEN ON, RIGHT?
SOME OF THAT $21 MILLION OF THAT WAS VOTER APPROVED.
>> COURAGE: WHAT WERE THE SPECIFICS? I DON'T REMEMBER.
WHAT WERE THE SPECIFICS? THE USE FOR THAT BOND MONEY.
WAS IT A CERTAIN STREET, A CERTAIN AREA? OR WAS IT JUST OPEN?
>> SCULLEY: WELL, IT WAS OPEN TO BE USED IN THE AREAS THAT ARE OWNED BY THE CITY, THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY, THE RECREATION OF THE PLAZA AND ANY OF THE WORK ASSOCIATED WITH RE-ESTABLISHING THE MISSION, THE HISTORIC FOOTPRINT.
>> COURAGE: AND THE $17 MILLION IN THE CURRENT BUDGET.
>> SCULLEY: LIKEWISE, THE SAME THING.
THAT WAS ACTUALLY IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2016 BUDGET THAT THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED $17 MILLION TO BE USED TOWARD THE ALAMO.
AND IT WAS VERY GENERAL AT THE TIME.
>> COURAGE: THAT'S STILL BEING HELD IN THE BUDGET TO BE USED BUT IT HASN'T BEEN USED YET, BUT IT WAS APPROVED IN 2016?
>> COURAGE: NOW, WILL THAT COVER THE COST OF MAKING LOSOYA STREET A TWO-WAY STREET?
>> SCULLEY: THAT HAS NOT YET BEEN COSTED OUT, NOR HAVE WE APPROPRIATED WHERE THE CITY DOLLARS WILL GO TOWARD THE PROJECT AT THIS TIME.
SO THAT'S YET TO BE DETERMINED.
AS WE HAVE SAID THROUGHOUT THE PRESENTATION AND IN DISCUSSION, THIS IS IN EXCESS OF A $400 MILLION PROJECT.
THERE ARE MANY COMPONENTS AND WE'LL BE MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COUNCIL AS TO HOW THOSE FUNDS SHOULD BE APPROPRIATED AS THE PROJECT PLANS CONTINUE TO BE DEVELOPED IN MORE DETAILED DESIGN.
>> COURAGE: HOW MIGHT THE IMPACT -- WHAT MIGHT BE THE IMPACT ON THE BUSINESSES ALONG THE RIVER, ALONG LOSOYA STREET? I KNOW THEY RELY ON THE EGRESS DELIVERY, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
>> SCULLEY: I'LL ASK LORI TO SPEAK TO THE DETAIL OF THIS.
BUT OUR STAFF HAS ALREADY MET WITH ALMOST ALL OF THE BUSINESSES TO HAVE PRELIMINARY CONVERSATIONS.
WE MENTIONED THAT WE WILL NEED TO DEVELOP A DELIVERY AND SERVICE PLAN FOR THE BUSINESSES SO THAT THEY CONTINUE TO HAVE ADEQUATE SERVICE.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT A MORE STANDARDIZED DELIVERY PLAN THAT IS CONSISTENT DURING TIMES WHEN THERE ISN'T HEAVY TRAFFIC DOWNTOWN SO THAT SOME OF THOSE TRUCKS ARE NOT BLOCKING THE ROADWAYS.
THOSE ARE DETAILS YET TO BE DETERMINED.
BUT I BELIEVE THAT -- LORI, YOU MAY WANT TO COMMENT ON THIS --
>> COURAGE: I UNDERSTAND WE'RE TAKING THE STEPS TO WORK THIS OUT.
AND WE KNOW THAT CHANGE IS DIFFICULT.
WE KNOW THAT THERE IS AN IMPACT, BUT WE ARE WORKING WITH THOSE BUSINESSES AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
THIS IS THE BEGINNING PART OF THAT.
>> TREVINO: COUNCILMAN, I WOULD ADD OUR SECOND MEETING WITH OUR STAKEHOLDER GROUP IS THIS FRIDAY.
WE ARE LEARNING A LOT FROM THEM AND FEEL LIKE WE'RE NOT ONLY GOING TO CREATE A PLAN FOR LOSOYA BUT WE'RE GOING TO CREATE A PLAN FOR ALL OF DOWNTOWN.
THIS IS ABOUT HELPING AN ENTIRE SYSTEM THAT'S HAPPENING DOWNTOWN, NOT JUST LOSOYA STREET BUT THE STREETS AND THE IMPACT OF THE BUSINESSES AND DELIVERIES IN THOSE AREAS.
>> COURAGE: SO LOSOYA STREET REDEVELOPMENT MAY BE PART OF A BIGGER DOWNTOWN PLAN THAT'S GOING TO TAKE PLACE.
IS THAT RIGHT? OR THAT'S BEING THOUGHT OF?
>> TREVINO: SO THERE'S ALREADY AN ONGOING TRAFFIC STUDY.
THEY'RE LOOKING AT TRAFFIC ALL OVER DOWNTOWN.
LOSOYA IS A PIECE OF A MUCH LARGER PICTURE.
WHAT I'M SAYING IS WHAT WE'RE LEARNING IS THAT THE DELIVERY FOLKS, THE STAKEHOLDERS, WORK TOGETHER IN SUCH A WAY THAT THEY PROVIDE -- THEY ARE PROVIDING SOME INSIGHT ON HOW WE PROVIDE OR PROCEED WITH THE DESIGNING OF SOME OF THE ELEMENTS THAT MAY BE
[01:45:01]
HELPFUL WITH THE DELIVERY OPTIONS AND THE STAKEHOLDERS UP AND DOWN LOSOYA STREET.IT'S PART OF A MUCH BIGGER PICTURE AND WE BELIEVE THIS IS A RIGHT APPROACH.
WE BELIEVE THEY ARE EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROCESS.
>> SCULLEY: TO CLARIFY, IF I MIGHT, IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE DEVELOPING A WHOLE NEW PLAN FOR TRANSPORTATION, BUT RATHER CONSIDERING LOSOYA IN LIGHT OF THE TRANSPORTATION PLAN THAT EXISTS, HOW DOES THAT FIT TOGETHER, WHAT OTHER ADJUSTMENTS NEED TO BE MADE IN THE TRANSPORTATION NETWORK.
AND ALSO THINKING FUTURISTICALLY.
WHAT IS THE FUTURE? WILL WE HAVE MORE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION? WHAT OTHER MODES OF TRANSPORTATION? HOW DO WE ACCOMMODATE MORE BICYCLE LANES AND PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY? SO LOSOYA IS BEING CONSIDERED IN LIGHT OF THE BIGGER TRANSPORTATION PLAN THAT WE HAVE FOR DOWNTOWN.
OVERLAY ON THAT THE DELIVERY CONVERSATION.
WE DID SOMETHING SIMILAR EIGHT TO TEN YEARS AGO WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT SOMETHING HAS SIMPLE AS GARBAGE COLLECTION DOWNTOWN, WHICH WAS DONE AT ALL DIFFERENT HOURS OF THE DAY AND NIGHT.
AND WE WORKED TOGETHER TO HAVE THAT DONE MORE CONSISTENTLY TO MAKE THAT A BETTER EXPERIENCE FOR THOSE WHO LIVE AND WORK IN SAN ANTONIO, BUT ALSO THOSE WHO VISIT.
SO WE'RE DOING SOMETHING SIMILAR WITH REGARDS TO SERVICE DELIVERY.
>> COURAGE: I UNDERSTAND THAT.
I'M JUST TRYING TO AVOID HEARING SOMEWHERE DOWN THE LINE THAT BECAUSE WE CLOSED ALAMO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SPEND X AMOUNT OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF ADDITIONAL MONEY, BESIDES THAT $38 MILLION, TO TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM BY MAKING LOSOYA STREET A TWO WAY AND TRYING TO ACCOMMODATE THAT.
MY PRESUMPTION IS THAT THE COST OF DOING THINGS WITH LOSOYA SHOULD COME OUT OF THAT $38 MILLION.
AND IF IT'S NOT GOING TO, WE NEED TO KNOW HOW MUCH THAT'S GOING TO COST.
BECAUSE IT'S DIRECTLY ATTRIBUTABLE TO WHETHER OR NOT WE CLOSE DOWN ALAMO STREET.
I JUST DON'T WANT TO GET SURPRISED -- WHICH I FEEL LIKE I HAVE BEEN SURPRISED ON A COUPLE OTHER OCCASIONS WHEN WE FIND OUT THERE'S ACTUALLY THIS ADDITIONAL COST THAT, YOU KNOW, IS GOING TO COME UP.
SO THAT'S WHY I BRING THAT UP.
AND I JUST LIKE TO KNOW THAT THE MONEY THAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO REROUTE TRAFFIC AWAY FROM ALAMO PLAZA IS WITHIN THE $38 MILLION THAT WE'VE ALREADY SET ASIDE TO HANDLE THE REDEVELOPMENT OF ALAMO PLAZA.
>> SCULLEY: I THINK IT IS YET TO BE FINALIZED.
SO WE HAVE MORE WORK TO DO BEFORE WE COMMIT TO THAT ENTIRELY.
AND AS I INDICATED EARLIER, THE ALAMO ENDOWMENT PLANS TO FUND RAISE MORE THAN $200 MILLION TOWARD THIS PROJECT.
SO WE'LL HAVE TO ALLOCATE HOW THE DOLLARS ARE COMMITTED TO THE ENTIRE PROJECT, BUT THE CITY'S DOLLARS ARE DIRECTED INTO PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY.
SO IT IS POSSIBLE THAT OUR MONEY WILL BE USED FOR LOWS STREET AND FOR SOME OF THE WORK IN THE HISTORIC FOOTPRINT THAT IS WITHIN THE CITY-OWNED PROPERTY.
>> COURAGE: YEAH, I WOULD EXPECT IT WOULD BE.
I THINK THAT COVERS SOME OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD.
BUT ALSO I WANT TO SHARE MY OBSERVATIONS BASED ON TALKING WITH PEOPLE AND HAVING PEOPLE COME AND COMMUNICATE WITH ME.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT IN THIS B SESSION TO HAVE THE COUNCIL SHARE WHAT IT'S HEARING AND FEELING ON THESE ISSUES.
YOU KNOW, I WANT TO SAY I LIKE THE CONCEPT OF RESTORING AND PROTECTING THE ALAMO CHURCH AND THE LONG BARRACKS.
I LIKE THE CONCEPT OF A MUSEUM TO TELL THE WHOLE STORY OF THE ALAMO AND SAN ANTONIO, WHICH ARE TOTALLY INTERTWINED.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE THAT.
I LIKE THE PLANS FOR THE HISTORICAL AND EDUCATIONAL REENACTMENTS.
I THINK THOSE ADD A LOT TO ANYONE WHO VISITS.
AND I THINK THAT EXPANDING THOSE WILL BE VERY GOOD TOO.
AND I LIKE THE CONCEPT OF RESTORING THE CENOTAPH BUT NOT ITS RELOCATION.
I THINK IT NEEDS TO STAY WHERE IT IS.
[APPLAUSE] AND I CAN APPRECIATE MAKING THE ALAMO PLAZA A PEDESTRIAN PLAZA.
ALTHOUGH I'LL MISS THE PARADES MARCHING IN FRONT OF THE CHAPEL.
BUT I DON'T APPRECIATE LIMITING OUR CITIZENS' ACCESS TO IT.
AND I FEEL THAT'S A BIG PROBLEM.
I'M ALSO CONCERNED THAT FOR THE
[01:50:04]
NEXT 100 YEARS THE ALAMO PLAZA IN THE HEART OF OUR CITY WILL NO LONGER BE MANAGED BY THE PEOPLE AND THE ELECTED OFFICIALS OF SAN ANTONIO BUT RATHER WILL BE CONTROLLED BY THE GLO.I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S HOW PEOPLE EXPECT US TO MANAGE THE CITY AND SUCH AN IMPORTANT FEATURE.
EVERYTHING THAT THE COMMITTEES THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS HAVE BROUGHT FORWARD, THE COMMITTEE'S WISHES, EVERYTHING THEY WISH TO DO CAN BE DONE WITHOUT CLOSING OFF THE PLAZA.
WITHOUT CLOSING OFF THE PLAZA OR RELINQUISHING THE PLAZA TO THE STATE, THIS COUNCIL HAS THE AUTHORITY TO CREATE, BY ORDINANCE, RULES, REGULATIONS, LICENSES, AND PROCESSES THAT CAN RECREATE AND MAINTAIN THE ATMOSPHERE AND SENSE OF REVERENCE AND RESPECT TO THIS HISTORIC BATTLEFIELD.
WE DON'T HAVE TO CLOSE IT OFF TO DO THAT.
RELOCATING THE CENOTAPH, TO ME, MEANS MOVING THE MONUMENT THAT RECOGNIZING AND SYMBOLIZES THE FALLEN HEROES OF THE ALAMO FROM THE ACTUAL BLOOD-STAINED BATTLEFIELD TO AN AREA AWAY FROM THAT SACRED PLACE.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S WARRANTED.
FOR THOSE REASONS, I'M NOT VERY INCLINED TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF THE CURRENT REQUEST TO GO AHEAD AND SIGN A LEASE AGREEMENT WITH THE GLO.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN COURAGE.
>> GONZALES: I HAVE QUITE A FEW QUESTIONS, SO LET'S SEE WHO CAN ANSWER THEM.
THE FIRST ONE IS REGARDING THE ALAMO COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT AND THE EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE PROJECTS.
WHO CAME UP WITH THIS PLAN, THIS STRUCTURE?
>> SCULLEY: ALL THREE ENTITIES AGREED TO THE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT AND DEVELOPED IT AND CAME UP WITH IT IN 2015.
>> SCULLEY: IT WAS APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IN OCTOBER OF 2015 AND WAS DEVELOPED COOPERATIVELY BETWEEN THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE, THE ALAMO ENDOWMENT, AND THE CITY.
AND I DO REMEMBER VERY MUCH DECIDING ON -- OR HAVING A DISCUSSION ABOUT SORT OF THE TIMELINE THAT WE AS A COUNCIL WOULD HAVE MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO REVIEW AND HAVE MULTIPLE EDITS.
I MEAN, I KNOW THAT MANY OF US HAVE SEEN THIS PLAN OVER THE YEARS, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF US THAT HAVE BEEN HERE A LONG TIME, A COUPLE OF ITERATIONS.
AND SO WAS IT ALWAYS, FOR EXAMPLE, THE ENDOWMENT AUDIO] THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
SO, SHERYL, WERE YOU ALWAYS APPOINTED OR WAS IT CITY MANAGER OR WERE YOU APPOINTED BY A PREVIOUS MAYOR? HOW DID THAT -- I GUESS IVY WAS THE MAYOR AT THAT TIME.
BOTH OF US WERE APPOINTED BY MAYOR TAYLOR AT THE TIME WHEN THE COUNCIL APPROVED THE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT IN OCTOBER OF 2015.
THE COUNCILMAN WAS SERVING ON THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE BEFORE THAT AND BEFORE COUNCILMAN TREVINO, COUNCILMAN DIEGO BERNAL SERVED ON THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
BUT THE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WAS JUST APPROVED IN 2015, WHICH WAS WHEN THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE WAS APPOINTED.
AND I WAS APPOINTED WITH THE COUNCILMAN TO REPRESENT THE CITY.
AND THE OTHER ARE ALSO APPOINTED POSITIONS BY THE TEXAS GENERAL LAND OFFICER, THE COMMISSIONER, GEORGE BUSH?
>> SCULLEY: COMMISSIONER GEORGE P. BUSH APPOINTED HIS REPRESENTATIVES, THE TWO, TO THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE AND THE ENDOWMENT AND APPOINTED THEIR TWO REPRESENTATIVES.
>> GONZALES: WHEN WAS THE ENDOWMENT CREATED?
>> SCULLEY: YEAH, JEFF GORDON IS WITH THE GLO, AN ATTORNEY WITH THE GLO.
>> THE ENDOWMENT WAS CREATED UNDER PRIOR COMMISSIONER JERRY PATTERSON.
[01:55:11]
GLO'S OPERATIONS AND MANAGEMENT OF THE ALAMO, YEAH.>> GONZALES: AND WAS IT ALWAYS $200 MILLION? WAS THE IDEA WAS THEY WOULD ALWAYS RAISE $200 MILLION? I IMAGINE THE ENDOWMENT WAS TO RAISE MONEY FOR A PLAN, BUT THERE WAS NO PLAN AT THE TIME.
I'M ASSUMING THERE WAS NO PLAN AT THE TIME.
THE ENDOWMENT WAS IN EXISTENCE LONG BEFORE THE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT AND LONG BEFORE THE CITY AND THE ENDOWMENT GOT TOGETHER.
THE $200 MILLION, SHERYL CAN ADDRESS THAT.
IT CAME OUT OF DISCUSSIONS WITH THE ENDOWMENT MEMBERS AS TO WHAT THEY THOUGHT THEIR COMMITMENT WOULD BE.
BUT THE ENDOWMENT PREDATES THE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT.
>> GONZALES: I KNOW WE'VE GONE THROUGH MANY ITERATIONS OF THIS PLAN SINCE I THINK 30 OR 40 YEARS.
SO I'M JUST TRYING TO GET A LITTLE HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ABOUT HOW WE END UP WITH ULTIMATELY VERY FEW PEOPLE MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF INVESTMENT.
WHEN DID IT START? WAS THERE ALWAYS THIS IDEA THAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE SOMETHING AT THE ALAMO?
>> SCULLEY: THE PLAN TO RESTORE AND RECREATE THE HISTORY OF THE ALAMO BEGAN WITH A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT.
THERE HAVE BEEN PLANS IN THE PAST, BUT BECAUSE THERE WASN'T A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY, THE STATE, AND FUNDRAISERS TO HELP SUPPORT THIS EFFORT, THOSE OTHER PLANS -- THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS.
OTHER PLANS DIDN'T GET OFF THE GROUND.
SO THE $200 MILLION OR MORE HAS COME ABOUT AS THIS PLAN HAS BEEN DEVELOPED OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS.
>> GONZALES: AS THIS PLAN HAS BEEN DEVELOPED.
>> SCULLEY: THIS CURRENT PLAN HAS BEEN DEVELOPED SINCE THE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WAS PUT IN PLACE IN 2015.
>> GONZALES: BUT THERE WAS PREVIOUSLY AN ENDOWMENT THAT WAS TRYING TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE ALAMO?
>> SCULLEY: YES, BUT NOT FOR THIS PLAN.
THEY WERE CREATED, AS JEFF JUST SAID, FOR THE OPERATIONS AND MANAGEMENT OF THE ALAMO.
>> GONZALES: AND WHAT ABOUT -- AND I GUESS WHO WAS MANAGING THAT, THE COMMISSIONER?
>> SCULLEY: THE GLO OWNS THE ALAMO, THE BUILDINGS.
THE CHAPEL AND THE LONG BARRACKS.
WE OWN THE PLAZA AND THE STREET IN FRONT OF THE ALAMO.
>> GONZALES: SO THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN TRYING TO RAISE MONEY TO RESTORE --
>> SCULLEY: THERE HAVE BEEN MANY ATTEMPTS OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS TO DO SOMETHING AT THE ALAMO TO RESTORE.
>> GONZALES: AND SO THE TIMING IS SUCH -- OBVIOUSLY IT WASN'T UNDER MOST OF US WERE NOT SITTING HERE WHEN THIS WAS CREATED.
WHEN THIS AGREEMENT WAS CREATED IT WAS NOT THIS COUNCIL.
THERE WAS ONLY ABOUT THREE OF UE TIME THAT AGREED TO THIS MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE?
>> GONZALES: SO SOME OTHER QUESTIONS I HAVE ABOUT THE --
THIS CITY COUNCIL EXTENDED THE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT A YEAR AGO.
>> SCULLEY: SO THAT THE STRUCTURE STAYS IN PLACE THROUGH THE COMPLETION OF THE RESTORATION AND THE ALAMO PLAN.
THIS CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THAT.
SO REGARDING -- I'M NOT SURE WHO MENTIONED IT, ONE OF THE GENTLEMAN BACK THERE.
THERE WAS MENTION OF AN RFQ -- OR MAYBE IT WAS TREVINO WHO MENTIONED IT.
SOMETHING ABOUT AN RFQ FOR THE BUILDINGS.
AND WHO ISSUES THE RFQ AND IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT ALL STATE.
WE HAVE NO SAY IN WHO DEVELOPS IT OR HOW IT GETS DEVELOPED, WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, OR WHAT THEY PUT THERE.
THERE IS HOPE AMONGST US THAT THAT WOULD BE A MUSEUM, BUT THERE'S NO GUARANTEE THAT THAT WILL BE A MUSEUM.
>> TREVINO: SO THE RFQ WAS PUT OUT BY THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE.
AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF FILTERING THROUGH THE 30 APPLICANTS THAT CAME IN.
AND THAT IS GOING TO BE REVIEWED BY THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE.
AND WE'VE ALSO STATED THAT WE'RE ALSO INTENDING TO ENGAGE THE ALAMO CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AS YOU SAW IN THE CHART WHERE THERE'S 30 MEMBERS AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS OF THE PLAN.
[02:00:01]
SO THE MUSEUM DESIGN WILL BE EVALUATED THROUGH THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE AND WE'LL BE LOOKING TO GET SUPPORT FROM THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE AS WE MOVE FORWARD.SO THE RFQ, YOU SAID THERE WERE 30 PEOPLE THAT RESPONDED.
>> SCULLEY: VISITORS CENTER AND MUSEUM.
>> GONZALES: YOU SAID THAT WAS STILL BEING ANALYZED.
>> SCULLEY: YEAH, THERE'S ACTUALLY TWO IN OUR REQUEST FOR INFORMATION WITH REGARD TO HOW THOSE BUILDINGS, IF THEY CAN BE INCORPORATED INTO THE MUSEUM AND HOW THAT COULD OCCUR.
SO THAT RFI -- I THINK IT'S AN RFI.
>> GONZALES: IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RFI, NOT RFQ.
>> TREVINO: THE RFQ IS FOR THE MUSEUM ARCHITECT.
AND THEN THE BUILDINGS -- I BELIEVE IT'S AN RFP -- TO DO THE STUDY OF THE EXISTING STRUCTURES.
AND THAT INFORMATION WILL GO TO THE ARCHITECT THAT'S SELECTED THROUGH THE RFQ PROCESS.
SO THERE ARE TWO SEPARATE THINGS BUT ALL RELATED.
THE BUILDINGS NEED A STUDY AND THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE HAS PUT OUT AN RFP TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION THAT WE WILL GIVE TO THE ARCHITECTS THAT WILL BE SELECTED FOR THE MUSEUM DESIGN.
>> GONZALES: I GUESS THIS IS ALSO WHERE I GET CONFUSED.
IT SEEMS LIKE SOMEBODY SAID EARLIER WE DON'T REALLY KNOW IF THOSE BUILDINGS -- IN FACT, WHEN I CAME TO A PRIVATE PRESENTATION, I THINK IT WAS DOUG WHO SAID THE BUILDING COULD NOT BE USED FOR ANYTHING BECAUSE OF WHAT WAS EXPRESSED HERE IN ONE OF THE SLIDES THAT THE BUILDINGS DON'T MATCH UP.
I MEAN, UNLESS YOU CHANGED YOUR MIND ABOUT THAT AND IT'S STILL UP FOR DISCUSSION, IN FACT THOSE BUILDINGS CAN BE USED FOR THAT.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE SOME CLARITY ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE IN THAT SPACE.
I THINK THAT WHAT WE'VE DISCUSSED IS THERE ARE THREE DIFFERENT BUILDINGS AND THREE INDEPENDENT STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS. AND SO THERE'S SOME CHALLENGE TO HOW THOSE BUILDINGS WOULD BE INCORPORATED AS PART OF AN OVERALL MUSEUM AND VISITOR CENTER DESIGN.
WHAT WE'VE COMMITTED TO IS TO CREATE A STUDY TO PROVIDE ALL THE USEFUL INFORMATION POSSIBLE AND THEN GIVE THAT TO THE MUSEUM DESIGNERS THAT THEY CAN THEN FIND A WAY TO INCORPORATE THE ELEMENTS OF THOSE BUILDINGS INTO A NEW MUSEUM DESIGN THAT'S GOING TO BE A MUCH BIGGER SPACE, MUCH BIGGER BUILDING ALL TOGETHER.
BUT YOU HAVE A SITUATION WHERE YOU HAVE DIFFERING HEIGHTS --
>> GONZALES: THAT'S WHAT I UNDERSTOOD IN THAT PREVIOUS PRESENTATION WHEN DOUG SAID THAT THAT SPACE COULD NOT BE USED FOR A MUSEUM.
SO THAT'S WHY I WAS A LITTLE SURPRISED TO SEE IT HERE NOW AGAIN PRESENTED POTENTIALLY AS A MUSEUM, THAT THERE WAS ALREADY AN RFQ OUT THERE.
WE WON'T HAVE ANY SAY SINCE WE DON'T OWN THE PROPERTY.
IT'S NOT FOR COUNCIL TO DECIDE WHAT HAPPENS IN THAT SPACE SINCE WE DON'T OWN IT.
>> TREVINO: WELL, PART OF THE PLAN IS TO CREATE A MUSEUM/VISITORS CENTER AND THROUGH THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE AND CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE WE WILL BE PUSHING FOR SOMETHING WE FEEL IS APPROPRIATE AND THOUGHTFUL FOR OUR CITY.
THAT'S WHY WE FEEL THAT GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS OF AN RFQ AND AN RFP THAT PROVIDES INFORMATION TO THE ARCHITECTS THAT ARE SELECTED IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF HOW WE CONTINUE THIS ROBUST PROCESS THAT HAS GENERATED MANY TALENTED PEOPLE WHO HAVE, YOU KNOW, REALLY WORKED ON THIS PROJECT TO MOVE THIS FORWARD.
SO WE DO HAVE REPRESENTATION IN TERMS OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE AND CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
I STILL DIDN'T GET THE ANSWER TO MY QUESTION.
DO WE AS A COUNCIL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DECIDE WHAT GOES IN THAT BUILDING? NO? THAT'S REALLY WHAT I WAS AFTER.
THEN WHY MENTION THAT THERE'S AN RFQ AND THERE'S A PROCESS? BECAUSE WE REALLY HAVE NO SAY WHETHER OR NOT -- I MEAN --
>> SCULLEY: WE'RE TAKING YOUR INPUT TODAY.
BECAUSE COUNCILMAN TREVINO AND I REPRESENT THE CITY AND THE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT.
IT'S CALLED A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT BECAUSE THE STATE AND CITY ARE WORKING TOGETHER ON THIS PROJECT.
SO WE'RE TAKING ALL OF THIS INPUT, AS WE HAVE OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, AND REPRESENTING THAT AS MEMBERS OF THAT COMMITTEE TOWARD THIS.
THEY'RE OWNED BY THE STATE BUT
[02:05:03]
IT IS PART OF THE BIGGER PLAN.YOU DON'T HAVE APPROVAL OF THE BUILDINGS BUT WE TAKE INPUT AND REPRESENT THAT AS WE SERVE ON THAT COMMITTEE.
WELL, I LOOK FORWARD TO RESTORING THE BUILDINGS TO, YOU KNOW, A USE THAT'S FUNCTIONAL.
I THINK A MUSEUM SEEMS TO MAKE SENSE BUT IF FOR WHATEVER REASON IT CAN'T BE USED AS A MUSEUM THAT THEY ARE USED FOR SOMETHING RELEVANT TO THE SPACE.
I'M JUST SUGGESTING -- I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THOSE BUILDINGS STAY WHERE THEY ARE AND BE RESTORED TO SOMETHING.
ANOTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS -- REGARDING THE FUNDING -- AND IT'S LISTED HERE ON THE LAST PAGE OF THE CITY'S $38 MILLION AND THE 100-PLUS MILLION FROM THE STATE.
68 PAGES HERE SO I'M TRYING TO GET TO THE END.
200-PLUS FROM THE ENDOWMENT THAT THEY HAVE COMMITTED TO RAISING.
AND THE IDEA IS THEY WOULD RAISE MORE.
SO DO WE HAVE AN IDEA WHERE THIS FUNDING WILL GO? SO WE KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT RESTORATION OF THE BUILDING, THE HISTORIC STRUCTURES, THE OLD WOOLWORTH BUILDING IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS, OR ARE THEY? WHERE MIGHT WE ANTICIPATE THIS FUNDING TO GO?
>> SCULLEY: THE CITY'S FUNDING WOULD GO INTO THE LAND AND THE AREAS THAT THE CITY OWNS.
AND THE STATE MONEY, $31 MILLION, HAS ALREADY BEEN USED TO ACQUIRE THE BUILDINGS ACROSS THE STREET.
THERE'S ANOTHER $75 MILLION THAT WILL GO TOWARD THE RESTORATION AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE OVERALL PLAN, AS WELL AS THE PRIVATE MONEY BEING USED FOR THE VISITORS CENTER AND MUSEUM AND ANYTHING ELSE RELATED TO THE PLAN.
>> GONZALES: SO THAT FUNDING IS INTENDED TO GO TO THE VISITOR CENTER AND MUSEUM?
PRIVATE MONEY MAY BE USED FOR ANY ASPECT ON THE ALAMO.
>> GONZALES: DO WE HAVE ANY DECISION MAKING INTO HOW THAT MONEY GETS SPENT, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT LOOKS LIKE WE DON'T HAVE ANY REPRESENTATION ON THE ALAMO ENDOWMENT, OR DO WE? DOES THE CITY COUNCIL OR CITY HAVE ANY REPRESENTATION ON THE ALAMO ENDOWMENT BOARD?
BUT WE DO, THE CITY COUNCIL HAS AUTHORITY OVER THE CITY DOLLARS THAT WILL BE SPENT ON THIS PROJECT.
SO THE $200 MILLION, WE DON'T GET TO DECIDE.
THE STATE DECIDES HOW THAT GETS SPENT?
AND THEN -- I'M JUST TRYING TO ORGANIZE MY QUESTIONS HERE.
REGARDING THE LONG-TERM LEASE -- WELL, I GUESS IT'S RAISING A LOT OF QUESTIONS I HAVE REGARDING THE LONG-TERM LEASE AND INABILITY TO SIGH WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS SPACE, GIVEN THAT WE HAVE VERY LITTLE -- WHAT APPEARS TO BE VERY LITTLE CONTROL OVER THOSE THINGS.
AND IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE WE HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER THE BUILDINGS.
WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER WHAT HAPPENS IN THAT SPACE.
WE CAN ONLY CONTROL THE STREET AND SOME ACTIVITY IN THE PLAZA.
AND SO I'M VERY CONCERNED, ESPECIALLY EVEN ENTERING INTO A LONG-TERM LEASE.
IT GIVES UP ALL OF OUR POWER TO HAVE ANY DECISION MAKING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS VERY PUBLIC SPACE THAT HAS EVOLVED OVER TIME.
AND I'M VERY RESPECTFUL OF THE FACT THAT THERE WAS A BATTLE HERE AND THAT PEOPLE HAVE A MYTH ABOUT THAT BATTLE AND THAT IT WAS A VERY SIGNIFICANT PART OF TEXAS HISTORY.
BUT THERE'S A WHOLE OTHER PART OF TEXAS HISTORY THAT MANY OF US ARE JUST LEARNING ABOUT.
I'M BORN AND RAISED HERE AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR THIS DISCUSSION BECAUSE IT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT A LOT OF DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE STORY THAT I HAVE NEVER KNOWN.
BUT I'M VERY CONCERNED WITH THE FACT THAT WE HAVE TO GIVE UP SO MUCH IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS PLAZA REALLY WHAT WE ALL, I THINK, ENVISION THAT IT WOULD BE, WHICH IS A WELCOMING OPEN SPACE FOR ALL OF OUR CONSTITUENTS AND WE SEEM TO BE FOCUSING EXCLUSIVELY ON THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE.
AND I KNOW THAT WHAT WE HEAR A LOT IS THAT 95% OF THE PEOPLE THAT GO ARE VISITORS.
AND SO THAT WE SHOULD BE CATERING TO THOSE VISITORS.
BUT THERE'S A LOT OF REASONS WHY THOSE OF US THAT HAVE LIVED HERE
[02:10:02]
OUR WHOLE LIVES DON'T GO IS BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T HAD REALLY THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT OUR HISTORY.AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT HAPPENS AS WE'RE EVOLVING.
BUT I'M NOT SEEING ANY SAFEGUARDS TO MAKE SURE THAT IT DOES.
SO CAN YOU GIVE ME ANY ASSURANCE THAT THERE ARE SAFEGUARDS THAT WE'RE NOT SELLING THE FARM IN THIS AGREEMENT?
>> SCULLEY: I THINK YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD BECAUSE THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT IS REALLY TO DISPLAY, EXPLAIN EDUCATE EVERYONE WHO GOES TO THE ALAMO ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE HISTORY, THE BATTLE OF 1836.
BUT THE ENTIRE 300 YEARS OF HISTORY AND THE LAYERS OF HISTORY.
AND SO THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS PROJECT IS FOR THE COMMUNITY TO BE WELCOME AT THE LOCATION, BUT ALSO TO LEARN AND UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY OF THE ALAMO AND EXPERIENCE THAT.
YOU KIND OF GO THERE AND WONDER WHERE YOU GO, AS LIONEL SOSA SAID EARLIER.
YOU AREN'T SURE WHERE YOU ARE.
IS THAT IT? AND YOU WALK AWAY AND YOU HAVE A COUPLE OF MINUTES THERE.
WE WANT TO MAKE IT AN EXPERIENCE.
WHEN YOU GO TO THE ALAMO DURING MUSEUM HOURS, YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE MUSEUM TO GET ON TO THE PLAZA.
ANYONE WHO LIVES HERE CAN GO ON TO THE PLAZA AT ANY TIME OF THE DAY.
BUT WE WANT IT TO BE AN EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE THAT IS RESPECTFUL OF THE ENTIRE 300 YEARS OF ITS HISTORY.
AND THAT IS, IN ESSENCE, ITS PURPOSE.
RESTORATION OF THE BUILDINGS THAT ARE THERE TO ENSURE THEIR CONTINUED EXISTENCE AND TO CREATE THAT EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY.
>> GONZALES: SO LET ME GET, AGAIN, TO ANOTHER QUESTION.
BECAUSE I FEEL SOME CONFUSION ABOUT IS THE PLAZA OPEN, IS THE PLAZA CLOSED? THERE'S A MUSEUM AND MAIN ENTRANCE, CONTROLLED ACCESS AND THERE'S NOT CONTROLLED -- SO I JUST WANT TO START SORT OF FROM THE BEGINNING ABOUT THAT.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, HERE YOU'RE SHOWING IT'S OPEN 24/7 AND THERE'S A PLAZA.
BUT YET WE SEEM TO UNDERSTAND STILL THAT THERE'S A MUSEUM ONLY DURING MUSEUM HOURS.
COULD SOMEBODY PLEASE EXPLAIN WHY THERE IS A MAIN ENTRANCE? AND IF THERE'S A MAIN ENTRANCE AND IT'S ONLY AVAILABLE DURING HOURS? JUST EXPLAIN IT AGAIN, BECAUSE I FEEL VERY CONFLICTED ABOUT HOW THAT LOOKS.
>> TREVINO: SO I THINK AT THE HEART OF THIS IS --
>> GONZALES: CAN YOU SHOW IT ON THE PLAN? LIKE WHAT SCREEN IS IT?
>> TREVINO: IF WE CAN PULL IT UP -- THERE YOU GO.
I GUESS I'LL JUST WALK UP THERE.
SO YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT THE FORMAL ENTRY OF THE SITE?
>> GONZALES: HOW ABOUT SHOW ME THE INFORMAL ENTRIES OF THE SITES?
FIRST, I JUST WANTED TO MENTION AT THE HEART OF THIS ENTIRE DESIGN IS REFERENCING THE VISION AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
I FOUND THIS DOCUMENT FROM AUGUST 26, 2014 AND I WANT TO KIND OF PEEL BACK A LITTLE BIT AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY WE'RE DOING THIS, AS YOU'RE POINTING OUT.
IT SAYS DEVELOP A STRATEGY TO ORIENT VISITORS TO THE STORIES AND CONTEXT BEFORE THEY EXPERIENCE THE ALAMO COMPOUND, PROVIDE INFORMATION AND SERVICES TO FACILITATE THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE.
WE'RE TRYING TO CHANGE THE EXPERIENCE ALTOGETHER.
AND IF WE COULD GET TO -- ARE YOU -- OH.
>> TREVINO: SO THIS IS THE SLIDE THAT WILL DEMONSTRATE THE POROSITY DURING NON-MUSEUM HOURS.
AND IT JUST SHOWS THAT WHAT YOU HAVE IS WE HAVE EXPANDED THE PLAZA OUT INTO -- DOWN ALAMO STREET YOU HAVE THIS ENTIRE SPACE.
WHAT WE KNOW IS THE ENTIRE SITE ITSELF IS ACCESSIBLE FROM NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, AND WEST.
WE POINTED OUT -- YOU CAN SEE THIS IS HOUSTON STREET.
THE BROWN LINES, ARE THOSE STREETS? WHAT ARE THOSE?
>> TREVINO: THESE LINES ARE JUST GRAPHIC TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THIS IS KIND OF THE FLOW.
SO THE BLACK LINES ARE JUST DEMONSTRATING POTENTIAL ACCESS POINTS THROUGHOUT THE SITE.
IT'S NOT COMPLETELY DESIGNED JUST YET BUT SOMEWHERE IN THERE
[02:15:04]
WOULD BE SOME ACCESS POINTS ON SITE.>> GONZALES: SO IF YOU WERE JUST WALKING DOWN, I GUESS IT'S ALAMO STREET.
WHERE IS ALAMO STREET IN THIS SCENARIO?
>> TREVINO: THIS ESSENTIALLY IS ALAMO STREET.
>> GONZALES: AND SO IF YOU WERE, YOU KNOW, LIKE TODAY, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE GO TO EVENTS AT THE ALAMO, LIKE WE'RE MEETING AT ALAMO PLAZA AND WE COME HERE FROM CITY HALL.
AND SAY WE JUST WANTED TO MEET A FRIEND FOR LUNCH.
WE WANTED TO JUST GO AND HAVE LUNCH IN THE PLAZA.
>> TREVINO: SO IF YOU WANTED TO HAVE LUNCH AND LET'S SAY YOU WERE COMING FROM CITY HALL, YOU COULD ACCESS LOSOYA, COME THROUGH HERE.
>> GONZALES: BUT IS IT LIKE -- I MEAN, WHAT IS IT? IS IT JUST AN OPENING? IS IT A GATE? LIKE, HOW DO PEOPLE KNOW THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH THOSE SPOTS?
>> TREVINO: WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS ORIENT PEOPLE TO THE SITE.
AND WHAT WE'RE DOING IS HELPING TO GUIDE THEM AS THEY'RE WALKING INTO THE SITE.
THAT'S WHY I MENTIONED -- LET'S SAY YOU'RE WALKING DOWN LOSOYA AND YOU'RE WALKING THIS WAY.
THERE WOULD BE SOME OPPORTUNITY TO DIRECT YOU INTO THIS, IF YOU WANT TO GET ON TO THE SITE YOU WOULD GO THROUGH THE CROCKETT BUILDING, WHAT IS KNOWN AS THE CROCKETT BUILDING, ON TO THE SITE.
IF YOU'RE COMING FROM THE SOUTH, YOU WOULD WALK UP DOWN ALAMO STREET TOWARDS THE CROCKETT BUILDING.
NOW, I WOULD ALSO POINT OUT THAT ALONG THE BACK SIDE OF THE CROCKETT BUILDING IS A 24/7 ACCESS.
>> GONZALES: BUT CAN YOU GET THROUGH THE REST OF THE PLAZA?
>> TREVINO: YOU CAN GET -- FROM THE CROCKETT BUILDING YOU WOULD HAVE THAT FORMAL ENTRY INTO THE HISTORIC FOOTPRINT.
THE REST OF THE PLAZA, WHICH WE'RE ALSO COUNTING AS THIS AND THESE AREAS, ARE ALWAYS ACCESSIBLE.
>> GONZALES: BUT YOU CAN'T JUST COME IN THROUGH ANY OF THE OTHER ACCESS POINTS?
>> TREVINO: NOT DURING MUSEUM HOURS.
SO FROM 9:00 TO 6:00 WE'RE COUNTING AS MUSEUM HOURS.
>> GONZALES: IF YOU'RE SAYING YOU CAN'T COME IN DURING THESE ACCESS POINTS DURING MUSEUM HOURS, YOU HAVE TO ENTER -- NO, I'M SORRY.
DURING NON-BUSINESS HOURS, RIGHT? I MEAN, THESE ACCESS POINTS ARE OPEN DURING NON-MUSEUM HOURS OR DURING MUSEUM HOURS? NON-MUSEUM HOURS.
>> TREVINO: THIS DIAGRAM IS NON-MUSEUM HOURS.
SO LET'S SAY SOMEBODY IS WALKING TO WORK BEFORE 9:00 A.M., THIS IS ALL OPEN.
AFTER 6:00 P.M., IT'S ALL OPEN.
>> TREVINO: CAN WE GO TO THE PREVIOUS SLIDE? AND SO THIS IS DURING MUSEUM HOURS.
THIS IS ESSENTIALLY THE FORMAL ENTRY.
SO THE MUSEUM LOCATED HERE WHERE THE CROCKETT BUILDING IS, THAT WOULD BE THE FORMAL ENTRY INTO THE MISSION HISTORIC FOOTPRINT.
THAT CLARIFIES WHAT I WAS AFTER.
WHICH, YOU KNOW, NOT WILD ABOUT THAT IDEA.
THAT'S NOT -- I DON'T THINK THAT'S NECESSARY.
I THINK THAT THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'VE BEEN ARGUING AGAINST THIS WHOLE TIME.
OR AT LEAST WHAT I HAVE FELT LIKE IS JUST NOT NECESSARY.
THERE'S LOTS OF PARTS OF THE PLAN THAT I DO LIKE BUT I THINK THIS IS JUST NOT NECESSARY.
I MEAN, I'VE BEEN SEEING DIFFERENT ITERATIONS OF THIS AND THIS IS THE ONE THAT I'VE SEEN THAT ALMOST GIVES NO INFORMATION.
I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE AS WE'VE GONE ON AND ON, THE INFORMATION GETS LESS AND LESS CLEAR.
AND SO THAT ALSO GIVES ME TREMENDOUS PAUSE THAT IT SEEMS LIKE AS WE START TO ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS THE INFORMATION GETS MORE AND MORE VAGUE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, SO I UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN THE FIRST ITERATION CAME OUT EVERYBODY WAS IN AN UPROAR.
[02:20:47]
THEY'RE JUST THAT.AND IT'S BEEN HELPFUL TO GO OUT ON TO THE SITE TO TAKE A LOOK AND SEE THE PROXIMITY OF THINGS AND TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE THEY LAY OUT.
>> GONZALES: I THINK I GOT MOST OF MY QUESTIONS THAT I HAD REGARDING THE PLAN.
>> SALDANA: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN GONZALES.
I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LEASE.
AND I AM NOT A LEGAL EXPERT AND I WILL NOT PLAY ONE ON TV, SO I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, BASIC QUESTIONS HERE, OF CLARIFICATION FOR THIS.
BEFORE I GO INTO MY QUESTIONS I'D LIKE TO, NUMBER ONE, THANK ALL OF THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY -- THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN IN THIS, THROUGH THIS, LONG HOURS, LOTS OF CONVERSATION, AND I WANT TO THANK THEM.
SPECIFICALLY I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MARCELO MARTINEZ AND RAMON VASQUEZ WHO REALLY ADDED A LOT OF INFORMATION TO THE CAC AND REALLY GAVE SOME GREAT INPUT.
AND WE HAVE BEEN IN CONVERSATION COMPLETELY WITH MY MEMBERS.
THANK YOU TO COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO WHO HAS REALLY TAKEN THIS, NOT JUST PASSION, BUT PERSONALLY AS WELL.
>> VIAGRAN: I DO WANT TO THANK THE MAYOR FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD IN AN AS MENTIONED B, SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
SHERYL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK AND I DO WANT TO THANK THE CHAIRMAN POWELL WHO'S ALSO BEEN WORKING ON THIS A LOT, AND LORI FOR YOUR TIME AND EVERYONE'S TIME ON THIS.
ALL OF THE CITIZENS WHO HAVE BEEN TO PUBLIC MEETINGS, WHO HAVE BEEN TO CITIZENS TO BE HEARD, WHO HAVE BEEN ON THE TRAVEL CIRCUIT, I GUESS, TALKING ABOUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED WITH OUR ALAMO, BECAUSE THIS IS AN ABSOLUTELY IMPORTANT TOPIC HERE.
AND I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THEIR DILIGENCE, BECAUSE THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS, THE GRAVITY OF THIS IS NOT TAKEN LIGHTLY.
THIS IS A SIGNIFICANCE OF TELLING THE STORIES OF THE AMERICAS.
NOT JUST THE BATTLE OF THE ALAMO.
NOT JUST THE STORY OF TEXAS AND NOT JUST THE STORY OF SAN ANTONIO.
THIS IS TELLING THE STORY OF THE AMERICAS.
SO THAT IS WHY WE ARE DOING AND GOING THROUGH ALL OF THIS.
AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK -- I KNOW COUNCILMEMBER TREVINO, SHERYL AND I VISITED SOME -- A WORLD HERITAGE SITE AND YOU ALL VISITED GETTYSBURG BEFORE ALL OF THIS HAD EVEN TAKEN PLACE TO SEE THE DEEP -- THE SACREDNESS AND THE REVERENCE, BUT ALSO THE CONTROL THAT IS HAPPENING IN THAT WORLD HERITAGE SITE IN PHILADELPHIA WHEN WE WENT THERE TO INDEPENDENCE HALL WITH THE LAND COMMISSIONER AND WITH OTHERS TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING AND THE FENCED OFF PORTIONS, AND THERE IS MANAGED TOURS THAT GO THROUGH THAT WORLD HERITAGE SITE THERE.
AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR MY COLLEAGUES' QUESTIONS, BECAUSE THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT BOATS THAT WE WILL EVER -- VOTES THAT WE WILL EVER ENTER INTO AS A COUNCIL AND IT SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY.
AND SINCE 2014, I DON'T THINK WE'VE BEEN TAKING THIS LIGHTLY, BECAUSE IT'S BEEN TAKING THIS LONG, AS IT SHOULD.
AND I HAVE TO SAY TO MY -- I HAD TO SAY THIS, I WASN'T SURE, BUT I AM, TO COUNCILMEMBER PERRY, YOU KNOW, MY PEOPLE, MY FAMILY STORY AND THE STORY OF THE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY HAS BEEN MANAGED FOR TOO LONG BECAUSE IT HASN'T EVEN BEEN TOLD IN THAT ALAMO AND IN THAT MISSION FOOTPRINT, AND I THINK THAT IS WRONG.
SO TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE IN THIS MISSION FOOTPRINT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO ME.
AND SO TO THE LEASE AGREEMENT THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD TO US TO LOOK AT THE PROPERTIES
[02:25:02]
THAT THE CITY OWNS, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE -- CAN YOU SHOW US SLIDE NUMBER 3? BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR THE CONTEXT FOR ME WHEN LOOKING AT THE LEASE.ALL THE PROPERTY THAT THE STATE OF TEXAS ALREADY OWNS RIGHT NOW AND THE PROPERTY THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO OWNS, THAT WE ARE ENTERING INTO THIS LEASE AGREEMENT.
SO MY FIRST QUESTION TO YOU, ANDY, IS LOOKING AT THE TERM -- THE LEASE OF THE TERMS. IN THE LEASE OF THE TERMS, IT SAYS THAT GLO MAY AUTOMATICALLY RENEW THIS LEASE FOR TWO ADDITIONAL 25-YEAR TERMS. WHAT WOULD NOT ENACT THAT AUTOMATIC 25-YEAR RENEWED OF A LEASE?
>> SEGOVIA: IF THE GLO DETERMINES THEY DON'T WANT TO RENEW THE LEASE, THEY WOULD PROVIDE US NOTICE, COUNCILWOMAN, SO THEREFORE IT WOULD END AT THE 50.
AND ALSO IN SECTION 15, I GUESS -- 14 AND -- LET'S GO TO 15.
>> VIAGRAN: THE DEFAULT IN REMEDIES.
>> VIAGRAN: IF THE DEFAULT IN REMEDIES, IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT THIS COMP PLAN -- THIS INTERPRETIVE PLAN THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, IF THEY DO NOT EXECUTE THIS TO WHAT WE ARE AGREEING -- TO WHAT WE'RE CONCEPTUALLY AGREEING TO, AND THE CITY, ONE OF THE PARTIES, ENTERING INTO THIS LEASE AGREEMENT SAYS YOU'RE NOT HOLDING UP YOUR END OF THE BARGAIN, THEN CAN WE TERMINATE THE LEASE AS WELL?
>> SEGOVIA: THERE'S A LOT OF HURDLES, BUT THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IS YES.
AND TO USE AN EXTREME EXAMPLE, IF, FOR EXAMPLE, THE GLO STARTS BUILDING AN AMUSEMENT PART, FOR EXAGGERATION, YES, WEED BE ABLE TO TERMINATE THE LEASE BECAUSE IT'S COMPLETELY INCONSISTENT WITH THE ALAMO PLAN.
>> VIAGRAN: AND SO, TOO, ONE OF COUNCILMEMBER GONZALES' CONCERNS FOR THE NUMBER 11 DISPUTE RESOLUTION, IT SAYS DURING THE TERM OF THE LEASE, THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE -- AND WHO IS THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE?
>> SCULLEY: THE SIX REPRESENTATIVES OF THE THREE AGENCIES, GENERAL LAND OFFICE, THE CITY AND THE GLO.
>> VIAGRAN: SO IT WOULD BE -- BUT NO LESS THAN ANNUALLY Y'ALL WOULD MEET AT LEAST ANNUALLY TO REVIEW THE FOLLOWING: REVIEW AND MONITOR THE PROJECT -- THE PROGRESS OF THE CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES AND DISCUSS OTHER STRATEGIC ISSUES THAT MAY REQUIRE COORDINATION AND THE LIST OF ITEMS THAT NEED TO BE DISCUSSED.
>> VIAGRAN: SO THERE'S STILL THAT MEETING THAT WILL HAPPEN THAT THE CITY WILL CONTINUALLY PLAY A PART IN.
>> SCULLEY: IN FACT, THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE CONTINUES THROUGH THE COMPLETION OF THE ALAMO PLAN, WHICH IS TO BE DONE AS WE SAID BY 2024.
AND THEN WOULD MEET AT LEAST ANNUALLY.
>> SEGOVIA: AT LEAST ANNUALLY.
THEY CAN MEET MORE OFTEN, COUNCILWOMAN, IF THAT'S WHAT'S REQUIRED.
I HAVE FOUND IN MY EXPERIENCE WHEN WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT LIKE THIS WHERE IT'S LONG-TERM, INVOLVING A MAJOR COMPLEX PROJECT LIKE THIS, IF YOU BUILD IN A DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCESS THAT HAS THE PARTIES MEETING ON A REGULAR LACE IT'S AND IDENTIFYING -- REGULAR BASIS AND IDENTIFYING ISSUES AS THEY COME UP, AND DON'T ALLOW THEM TO FESTER, BECOME EVEN BIGGER PROBLEMS, THAT THAT SEEMS TO WORK VERY WELL IN AN AGREEMENT OF THIS TIME, AGAIN, A VERY LONG-TERM AGREEMENT, THAT HAS A LOT OF ISSUES FRANKLY THAT THAT GROUP WILL NOT BE DEALING WITH THAT WE ENVISION TODAY, BUT IT'S SET UP SO THERE'S CONSTANT COMMUNICATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF ISSUES SO THAT THE RIGHT PEOPLE CAN FOCUS ON THEM TO GET THEM RESOLVED BEFORE THEY BECOME SOMETHING THAT IS REALLY PROBLEMATIC.
>> VIAGRAN: AND EVEN ENTERING INTO THIS LEASE AGREEMENT HERE, THE CITY IS NOT BEING DEFORCED OF THEIR PARTICIPATION OF WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
>> SEGOVIA: WE HAVE BUILT THAT INTO, I WOULD SAY, INTO THE LEASE.
>> VIAGRAN: ANOTHER QUESTION I HAVE UNDER SECTION 7, THE CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT EASEMENT CONCERNING DEDICATIONS OF THE PREMISES AS FOLLOWS, SO THEN THE CITY WILL EXECUTE ALL THE DOCUMENTATIONS, PETITIONS, REZONING, HISTORICAL APPLICATIONS, SO THAT -- HOW I INTERPRET THAT IS IF WE ARE DOING EXCAVATIONS, IF WE ARE DOING ARCHEOLOGICAL DIGS, IF WE ARE LOOKING AT THE BUILDINGS IN AND AROUND THE AREA, THAT THE CITY IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE THE ONE INITIATING THE PERMITTING PROCESS, SO WE WILL STILL BE IN THE LOOP IN EVERYTHING?
>> SEGOVIA: FOR THE PROPERTY THAT'S OWNED BY THE CITY, YES, FOR SURE.
>> VIAGRAN: SO JUST FOR THE PROPERTY OWNED BY THE CITY.
>> VIAGRAN: BUT WILL -- IF THEY'RE MAKING ANY CHANGE, MEANING THE STATE, THEY'RE MAKING ANY CHANGES, THEY ARE STILL GOING TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH PERMITTING AND THE
[02:30:01]
HISTORIC DESIGN REVIEW COMMISSION AND THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION, IF THEY'RE DOING EVEN DIGS ON THEIR PROPERTY?>> SEGOVIA: THAT WOULD BE DETERMINED BASED ON WHAT PROJECT THEY'RE UNDERTAKING OF THE PROPERTY AND WHAT APPLICABLE LAWS OR CODES THAT WOULD APPLY TO THAT, COUNCILWOMAN.
>> VIAGRAN: SO DO THESE LAWS AND CODES OF THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION AND THE ANTIQUITY CODES, DO THEY APPLY TO THE STATE OF TEXAS?
>> SEGOVIA: WE HAVE STATED THAT FOR SURE THE ANTIQUITIES CODE DOES, AND, I DON'T KNOW, JEFF, IF YOU WANT TO HELP WITH THAT ONE.
>> COYLE: CERTAINLY WITH RESPECT TO OUR PROPERTY WE ARE SUBJECT TO THE ANTIQUITIES CODE AND WE WORK WITH THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION ALL THE TIME WHEN WE DO PROJECTS AT THE ALAMO.
ANOTHER QUESTION THAT I HAVE ON THE MANAGEMENT AND USE OF PREMISES FOR THE CITY PROPERTY UNDER B, IT TALKS ABOUT HOW THE HIGH QUALITY OF PROGRAMMING AND SERVICES THAT ENHANCES THE HISTORIC AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SITE, GLO WILL USE ITS BEST EFFORTS TO TELL THE FULL STORY OF TEXAS REVOLUTION AND THE BATTLE OF THE ALAMO, THE WHOLE HISTORY OF THE ALAMO AND THE WORK TRADITIONAL GROUPS THAT HAVE HISTORICAL CULTURAL TIES.
CAN YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME WHY USING THE TERM "USE ITS BEST EFFORTS"?
>> SEGOVIA: ABSOLUTELY, COUNCILWOMAN.
THAT'S A PRETTY COMMON STANDARD THAT WE USE WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AN OBLIGATION THAT CAN'T BE COUNTED, IN OTHER WORDS.
THERE'S NO OBJECTIVE CRITERIA.
IT'S OBVIOUSLY BEYOND TRYING, IT'S BEYOND JUST SIMPLY TRYING AND IT MEANS THAT THEY HAVE TO MAKE THAT A PRIORITY AND THAT WE CAN QUESTION IF IT ISN'T -- IF THEY AREN'T EXERCISING BEST EFFORTS TO TELL THE WHOLE STORY, THEN WE CAN CERTAINLY CALL THEM TO TASK TO THAT.
THE REASON IT SAYS "BEST EFFORTS," THOUGH, IS THAT, AGAIN, ON A PROVISION LIKE THIS, WHAT YOU DON'T WANT WITH RESPECT TO THE GLO IS SOMEBODY SAYING, FOR EXAMPLE, WELL, YOU NEED TO BUILD A SECOND OR THIRD MUSEUM TO BUILD -- TO COMPLETELY TELL THE WHOLE STORY.
SO TO GUARD AGAINST THAT, WE INCLUDED THAT "BEST EFFORTS," WHICH, AGAIN, IS A STANDARD IN WHICH -- IT'S A HIGH STANDARD, BUT IT ALSO PROTECTS THEM FROM THAT ARGUMENT TO SAY WELL, YOU NEED TO BUILD A SECOND OR THIRD MUSEUM, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
ONE, I DO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING IN THIS LEASE, BECAUSE ACCESS, FREE FLOW ACCESS, I GUESS I'LL SAY, IN AND AROUND THE MISSION FOOTPRINT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS VERY NECESSARY.
AND I THINK -- I REALLY DO THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING IN THERE ALL OF THESE LIST OF DAYS ALREADY THAT WE ALREADY KNOW.
THESE ARE NEGOTIATING DAYS THAT WE KNOW WE MUST HAVE AT LEAST THOSE THREE AND MAYBE MORE OPEN IF THE CROWD, THE FOOT TRAFFIC IS REALLY BIG.
AND SO I APPRECIATE THAT RIGHT THERE.
AND KNOWING THAT YOUR AIM IS TO HAVE A TARGET WITH LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES OF A WAITING TIME, THAT THAT'S IN THE LEASE AS WELL.
SO -- AND THE BEST EFFORT OF THE GLO AND EVERYONE WHO'S MANAGING THE AREA, THE MISSION, WILL HAVE THAT -- WORKING TOWARDS THAT, WHICH I THINK IS EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
HERE ON NUMBER 14, ASSIGNMENT AND SUBLETTING, THE GLO SHALL NOT ASSIGN THE LEASE TO ANY THIRD PARTY EXCEPT THE GLO MAY ASSIGN SPECIFIC RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES UNDER THE LEASE TO THE ALAMO ENDOWMENT, ALAMO TRUST.
WHEN WOULD THEY DO THAT FOR -- GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE OF REASONS TO DO THAT, IF YOU ALL HAVE ONE.
>> SEGOVIA: I'M GOING TO HAVE JEFF TO HELP ME ON THAT ONE AGAIN.
>> COYLE: ALAMO TRUST, INC., IS A NONPROFIT CORPORATION WHICH CURRENTLY MANAGES THE ALAMO WITH AN AGREEMENT WITH THE GLO.
WHEN, FOR INSTANCE, PORTIONS OF THE LEASE TERMS KICK IN, IT MAY THEN BE APPROPRIATE FOR US, SINCE THE ALAMO TRUST IS ALREADY MANAGING THE ALAMO GROUNDS FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS, TO THEN ASSUME RESPONSIBILITIES OVER PORTIONS OF THE PLAZA AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WE'D CERTAINLY COORDINATE WITH THE CITY, BUT WE DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE TO JUMP THROUGH EXTRA HOOPS WHEN WE BASICALLY WOULD BE EXTENDING THE MANAGEMENT CONTROL THAT THE ALAMO TRUST ALREADY HAS OVER THE ALAMO GROUNDS TO NEWLY LEASED PROPERTY, SO THAT WAS THE REASON FOR THAT.
AND I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD BE YOU, ANDY, OR WHOM, BUT IT'S ABOUT THE TEXAS ANTIQUITY CODE AND IT'S FROM QUESTIONS FROM OUR -- SOME OF OUR CAC MEMBERS, SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE PERMIT FOR THE ANTIQUITIES CODE, THE
[02:35:03]
PERMIT REQUIRES SIGNATURES OF THE LANDOWNER, SPONSOR AND PRINCIPLE INVESTIGATOR.>> VIAGRAN: WHO WOULD THAT BE IN.
>> SEGOVIA: THE PRINCIPLE INVESTIGATOR WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE ARCHEOLOGICAL FIRM THAT IS SELECTED FOR ANY PARTICULAR PROJECT, SO THAT WILL BE AN INDIVIDUAL, COUNCILWOMAN, AND THEN THE SPONSOR, THAT'S YET TO BE DETERMINED, BUT THE OWNER WOULD BE THE CITY, FOR CITY-OWNED PROPERTIES.
>> VIAGRAN: AND STATE ON THE OTHERS?
AND WHO WILL DEVELOP THE RESEARCH DESIGN THAT INCLUDES SCOPE OF WORK AND THE METHODOLOGY?
>> DEPENDING ON THE PROJECT, I WOULD ASSUME THAT THE GLO WOULD, WE'D BE FUNDING THE ARCHEOLOGICAL PROJECT.
I WOULD ASSUME THAT WE WOULD WORK AND GET THEIR EXPERTISE TO ASSIST US IN THAT.
WOULD YOU-ALL STILL GET -- SEEK THE ADVICE FROM -- AS WAS MENTIONED IN THE LEASE, THOSE EXPERTS OR GROUPS WITH THE HISTORICAL AND THE CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE AREA AS WELL
ANOTHER POINT, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT BURIAL GROUNDS, AND YOU HAVE TWO OF THEM MARKED OUT ON THE ALAMO PLAN BOOK.
AND SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN, TOO, IS ABOUT THAT THERE'S ORAL HISTORY AND ARCHIVAL RECORDS THAT THERE MAY BE MANY MORE UNMARKED BURIALS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN FOUND YET.
IF WE WERE TO HAPPEN UPON THOSE, THEN WHAT WILL THE PROCESS PROCEDURE BE?
>> I'M GOING TO ASK DOUG MCDONALD TO MAYBE ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS.
>> MCDONALD: SO WE'RE STARTING IN ACTUALLY IN NOVEMBER, WE'LL BE STARTING THE CHURCH RESTORATION, AND THERE ARE A LOT OF BURIALS WE KNOW INSIDE THE CHURCH AND ALL AROUND THAT, SO WE ARE ACTUALLY DEALING WITH THIS EVEN TODAY.
AND BEFORE WE EVEN START ANY WORK WHATSOEVER, WE'RE GOING TO WRITE OUT AND PRODUCE FOR EVERYBODY WHO WANTS TO LOOK AT IT A SPECIFIC SET OF PROTOCOLS THAT WILL CALL FOR WHAT WE THINK ARE THE MOST LIKELY CIRCUMSTANCES.
BUT, FOR INSTANCE, WE WILL TAKE AND REMOVE THE STONE THAT'S ON TOP AND THE NEXT LAYER UNDERNEATH THAT, AND THEN WE USE GROUND-PENETRATING RADAR, AND YOU CAN PRETTY WELL TELL WITH GROUND-PENETRATING RADAR WHAT ARCHEOLOGISTS CALL ANOMALIES AND THE ANOMALIES ARE LIKELIHOOD THERE'S GOING TO BE A BURIAL THERE.
IN EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE IT'S POSSIBLE, YOU'LL ACTUALLY MOVE AND DO THE WORK SOME OTHER PLACE AND TRY AND AVOID THAT.
THERE MAY BE SOME CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE THAT'S NOT AVAILABLE AND THEN THE PROTOCOLS WILL KICK IN PLACE RKTSZ AND THOSE WILL ALL BE ESTABLISHED AND WORKED THROUGH WITH LOCAL GROUPS AND FRIENDS AND PEOPLE WHO JUST HAVE AN INTEREST, WE'RE GOING TO SHARE ALL THOSE WITH THEM.
THERE'S SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE WHO'VE SAID THEY WANT TO GET COPIES TO ALL THE APPLICATIONS.
I COMMITTED TO THEM WE'LL SEND THEM COPIES OF EVERY PERMIT WE DO, SO WE'RE VERY COMMITTED TO THIS, VERY TRANSPARENT.
THERE'S NOTHING ABOUT THIS THAT WE WANT TO HIDE.
WE WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENING AND WE WANT EVERYBODY'S BEST OPINIONS AND SUGGESTIONS IN TERMS OF HOW WE -- IT'S A VERY -- THIS SITE IS A VERY SPECIFIC SITE IN MANY, MANY REGARDS, AND THERE'S NOT A -- WE'RE GOING TO TAKE IT WITH CONSIDERATION.
I THINK IT'S A SITE -- THERE'S MARVELOUS HISTORY TO THIS SITE.
THIS IS NOT JUST LIKE ANOTHER URBAN SPACE IN ANOTHER CITY.
THIS IS A UNIQUE HISTORIC SPACE IN THE AMERICAS, AND IT'S RIGHT HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR CITY.
AND I THINK THAT WHAT THIS PLAN DOES IS IT HONORSON THAT ENTIRE HISTORY. AND WHAT I BELIEVE IS WHEN WE'RE DONE, EVERYBODY COMES HERE, INSTEAD OF SAYING, OH, I WAS AT THE ALAMO AND I GOT ANOTHER SELFIE, THEY'RE GOING TO SAY, I WAS AT THE ALAMO AND I UNDERSTAND THAT ONLY 30% EVEN KNOW IT WAS A MISSION, OKAY? I WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW IT WAS A MISSION.
I WANT EVERYBODY WHEN THEY LEAVE, OH, PEOPLE LIVED HERE AND DIED HERE, BUT NOT JUST THE HEROES AND DEFENDERS, THOSE ARE ALL -- THAT'S ALL IMPORTANT PART OF THE NARRATIVE, BUT THAT ENTIRE HISTORY WILL BE THERE.
SO I JUST FRAME THAT IN THE CONTEXT OF ALL THIS IS SOMETHING WE TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY, AND WE'VE GOT GOOD PROFESSIONAL STAFF THAT WILL GUIDE US THROUGH ALL THOSE STEPS.
AND THAT INFORMATION THAT YOU'LL BE PROVIDING AND SENDING THE PERMITS AND APPLICATIONS OF WHEN YOU DO THAT INFORMATION THAT YOU SEND TO THE CAC BECAUSE SOME OF THE CAC MEMBERS HAVE REQUESTED IT, SHERYL, COUNCILMEMBER TREVINO, MAYOR, I WOULD LIKE THAT THE CITY ALSO RECEIVE THOSE PERMITS, I'M SURE THAT WE CAN ALSO RECEIVE THOSE JUST SO WE KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING AND THAT YOU CAN SEND THAT TO US AS WELL.
[02:40:02]
>> SCULLEY: AND YOU'RE SAYING THAT IN THE CONTEXT OF YOU WANT PERIODIC UPDATES SO YOU KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING AT THE SITE.
>> SCULLEY: IN THAT CONTEXT, YES, OF COURSE.
>> VIAGRAN: AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD, COUNCILMEMBER, I THINK IT WOULD BE A GREAT UPDATE OF WHEN IT'S NECESSARY AT THE ARTS CULTURAL HERITAGE COMMITTEE AS WELL.
SO SOME ARE SOME OF THE OTHER REQUESTS THERE.
AND THEN I THINK FINALLY, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE -- I JUST HAVE TO -- I HAVE TO ASK THIS QUESTION, COUNCILMEMBER, BECAUSE A LOT -- I'VE HEARD A LOT OF THINGS ABOUT THE CENOTAPH AND WHAT IS UNDERNEATH THE CENOTAPH, THERE'S -- SOME FIRE WAS BURNED THERE AND THERE'S SOMETHING UNDERNEATH THE CENOTAPH.
IS THAT TRUE? CAN MAYBE SOME OF OUR EXPERTS OR -- THAT THEY HAVE BURNED THE BODIES AND THE BODIES ARE BURNED UNDERNEATH THE CENOTAPH, AND THAT'S WHY IT WAS... CAN YOU ANSWER THAT, COUNCILMEMBER TREVINO.
>> TREVINO: WELL, I THINK DOUG WOULD LIKE TO ANSWER THAT.
>> VIAGRAN: JUST SHORT, PLEASE, DOUG.
>> MCDONALD: THERE ARE NO BONA FIDE HISTORIANS HAVE EVER SUGGESTED OR FOUND ANY EVIDENCE THAT THERE IS EVIDENCE OF FUNERAL PYRE ON THAT SITE.
BECAUSE WHEN THAT BATTLE WAS OVER, THEY INTENDED TO REMOVE EVERYBODY FROM THE SITE BECAUSE THEY WERE GOING TO OCCUPY THE SITE.
THEY MOVED ALL THE BODIES, THEY MOVED THEM TO [INDISCERNIBLE] STREET AND THAT'S WHERE THE FIRES WERE.
AND FINALLY, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE IS -- THERE IS CHANGE, THERE IS CHANGE, BUT THERE'S ALSO OPPORTUNITY HERE.
AND AS WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, I THINK THERE'S SO MANY -- EVERYONE FEELS VERY PASSIONATELY ABOUT THIS, AS THEY SHOULD AND WAS MENTIONED BY THE COUNCIL, WE WOULD HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPINIONS AND VIEWPOINTS OF WHAT THIS SHOULD LOOK LIKE AS WELL, BUT THERE HAS BEEN VERY, VERY THOROUGH PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN THIS AND PASSIONATE ON EVERY END.
AND WHAT I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO END WITH IS WITH THE WOOLWORTH BUILDING.
YOU KNOW, WE ARE JUST REDISCOVERING OUR AFRICAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE IN SAN ANTONIO.
WE ALSO HAVE DISCOVERED -- IN THE LIVING HERITAGE SYMPOSIUM THAT WE HAD MORE THAN A MONTH AGO, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW UNFORTUNATELY BECAUSE OF JUST CHANGE AND DIFFERENT THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN OUR COMMUNITY, A LOT OF THE STORIES OF OUR AFRICAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE AND COMMUNITY HAS BEEN ERASED BECAUSE IT WAS JUST NEVER TOLD.
AND NOW WE'RE REDISCOVERING THOSE STORIES AND NOW WE'RE TELLING THESE STORIES.
THAT IS WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT THE STORY OF OUR CIVIL RIGHTS AND WHAT HAPPENED THERE, AND THE PART THAT SAN ANTONIO PLAYED IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, IS THERE AND KEPT AND HELD ONTO, SO SHERYL, COUNCILMEMBER TREVINO, FROM GIVING YOU MY OPINION AND MY HOPE, IS THAT AS YOU ALL MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS ANALYSIS, THAT WE CONTINUE TO DO ALL THAT WE CAN FOR THIS -- FOR THE WOOLWORTH BUILDING AND THE FACADE IN THAT AREA.
SO WITH THAT, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN.
>> SANDOVAL: THANK YOU, MAYOR.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO'S BEEN WORKING ON THIS, SHERYL, LORI, COUNCILMAN, AS WELL AS MY APPOINT TEE -- APPOINTEE TO THE CITIZEN ES' ADVISORY COMMITTEE, MARCELLA MARTINEZ.
I HAVE TO SAY WHEN I BEGAN -- WHEN I CAME INTO THIS PROCESS DURING THE BEGINNING OF THIS COUNCIL PERIOD, I HAD WHAT MIGHT BE A HEALTHY -- WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A HEALTHY SKEPTICISM.
I UNDERSTOOD VERY WELL THE DESIRE TO MAXIMIZE WHAT THE ALAMO HAS TO OFFER TO OUR RESIDENCES AS WELL AS OUR VISITORS, AND I KNEW, LIKE YOU'VE TOLD US, THAT THE VISITORS ARE UNDERWHELMED, AND EVEN PEOPLE WHO COME STAY WITH ME, THEY'RE LIKE, THERE WAS NOTHING THERE? IS THIS IT? WHERE'S THE BASEMENT, RIGHT, OF THE ALAMO, TO QUOTE ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOVIES.
BUT I DID HAVE A BIG CONCERN THAT IF WE GREW THE FOOTPRINT OF THE ALAMO AND GREW THE FOCUS ONTO THE ALAMO, WHAT DID THAT DO TO SAN ANTONIO AND TO THE PUBLIC SPACE THERE, WHICH IS, I GUESS, THE FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION YOU'VE BEEN GRAPPLING WITH, THAT THE MAYOR'S BEEN GRAPPLING WITH, I JUST -- I'M GRAPPLING WITH IT, TOO.
I CONSIDER THIS TO BE ONE OF OUR GATHERING SPACES, AND I THINK EVERY CITY NEEDS A WONDERFUL GATHERING SPACE FOR CITIZENS,
[02:45:02]
RESIDENTS TO COME AND EXPRESS THEMSELVES.THERE WAS A SLIDE UP THERE, I THINK IT WAS REFERRED TO AS A DISTRACTION, AND MAYBE THOSE WEREN'T THE MOST ATTRACTIVE PROTESTS OR, YOU KNOW, DISPLAYS OF FREE SPEECH, BUT THEY WERE IN EFFECT FREE SPEECH, AND THAT'S WHAT THAT SPACE HAS BEEN USED FOR.
BUT, BASED ON TODAY'S PRESENTATION AND SOME OF THE DIALOGUES WE'VE HAD, I DO FEEL THAT WHAT YOU'VE BROUGHT FORWARD IS AN IMPROVEMENT ON WHAT WE HAVE, ESPECIALLY THE CONSIDERATION OF THE WOOLWORTH COUNTER, WHICH HAS BEEN REALLY NOT NOTICED, NOT -- YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING WITH THAT, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE US DOING THAT.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE CONSIDERATION OF THE INDIGENOUS CULTURES THAT EXISTED BEFORE THE MISSION, THE CONSIDERATION OF LIKE THE GENTLEMAN SAID, NOT JUST THE HEROES OF THE ALAMO, BUT THE INHABITANTS OF THE ALAMO, THE SEQUENCE OF THE DIFFERENT GOVERNMENTS AND THE NATIONALITIES THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN THAT SPACE.
BUT GOING BACK TO INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, WE WILL CONSIDER THIS NEXT WEEK ON THE 11TH, THAT'S THE DAY BEFORE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY ON -- I THINK OCTOBER 12TH IS OUR OFFICIAL CITY DAY, SO THAT'S FORTUITOUS, SO WE SHOULD KEEP THAT IN MIND AS WE GO FORWARD.
BUT ALL THAT SAID, I, OF COURSE, HAVE SOME ASSURANCES THAT I'D LIEBLG TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT BETTER UNDERSTANDING, AND SOME OF THIS IS FOR MYSELF, AND SOME OF THIS IS ALSO FOR THE PEOPLE WATCHING AT HOME WHO DO HAVE QUESTIONS WHO SEND THEM INTO US AND WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE THOUGHT THIS THROUGH.
SO A FEW MONTHS AGO, THIS COUNCIL APPROVED AN UPDATE TO OUR PARADE ORDINANCE OR WHAT COULD BE CONSIDERED A DEMONSTRATION ORDINANCE.
SO I'M GOING TO ASK, I THINK IT WAS ANDY WHO WORKED ON THAT, CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO US HOW THIS PROPOSAL WOULD AFFECT THAT PARADE ORDINANCE? WOULD THIS STILL BE A PUBLIC SPACE THAT PEOPLE COULD DEMONSTRATE AT?
>> SEGOVIA: THE ANSWER TO THAT, COUNCILWOMAN, IS IT WOULDN'T AFFECT OUR ORDINANCE.
IT IS BEING LEASED TO THE GLO.
IN OTHER FACILITIES WHERE WE HAVE LEASED SPACE, THE CONVENTION CENTER, THE ALAMODOME, THERE WILL BE AN AREA, AT LEAST, DESIGNATED FOR FREE SPEECH ACTIVITIES.
CAN YOU IDENTIFY WHERE THAT AREA WILL BE?
>> SEGOVIA: I THINK WE STILL ARE WORKING ON THAT, BUT WE -- I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE IT -- HAVE IT DESIGNATED WHERE.
>> SCULLEY: RIGHT IN THIS AREA.
HERE'S THE FOOTPRINT HERE, SO RIGHT HERE TO THE SOUTH OF WHERE THE HISTORIC FOOTPRINT IS LOCATED.
I'LL GIVE YOU A MAP THAT'S AN EXHIBIT TO THE LEASE TO MAKE THIS CLEARER.
OF THE STREETS THAT WE'RE CLOSING, NOT ALL OF THOSE ARE BEING LEASED TO THE GLO, JUST THE HISTORIC FOOTPRINT OF THE MISSION IS BEING LEASED, SO WE'LL GIVE YOU A MAP THAT CLARIFIES, AND WE'LL CALL OUT THAT PUBLIC ASSEMBLY AREA.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE HAD A DIALOGUE WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS ABOUT, ALL THE ADVOCATES THAT CAME FORWARD DURING THE TIME OF THE ORDINANCE
>> SEGOVIA: I'M GLAD YOU ASKED THAT.
WE HAD OUR REGULAR MEETING WITH THAT GROUP WHICH WE COMMITTED WITH THEM AND THE COUNCIL WE'D HAVE A QUARTERLY MEETING.
THIS TOPIC HADN'T COME UP BECAUSE WE HADN'T FULLY IDENTIFIED THE AREA, BUT IT WILL CERTAINLY BE ON THE LIST OF TOPICS THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT.
>> SANDOVAL: WILL YOU BE ABLE TO DO THAT BEFORE OCTOBER 11TH.
>> SANDOVAL: I JUST WANT TO KNO? CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT? OR WHO --
>> SCULLEY: IT'S SCHEDULED FOR -- YOU MEAN THE 18TH.
>> SANDOVAL: OH, SORRY, THAT'S TOMORROW.
SORRY, I WAS TOTALLY OFF ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY.
>> SANDOVAL: AND WHEN WILL THE -- I GUESS WHO DECIDES, DO WE AFFIRM WHAT THE PUBLIC ASSEMBLY SPACE IS, OR IS THAT AN ADMINISTRATIVE DECISION OR IS THAT A COUNCIL DECISION.
>> SEGOVIA: RIGHT NOW, WE'RE VIEWING IT AS AN ADMINISTRATIVE DECISION BECAUSE IT DEPENDS ON, AGAIN, WHERE ULTIMATELY SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENT GOES, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SPACE IS ONE LARGE ENOUGH AND VISUAL ENOUGH SO THAT IT IS CONDUCIVE TO FIRST AMENDMENT.
THAT'S THE SAME SORT OF CRITERIA WE USE FOR THE OTHER ONES, COUNCILWOMAN.
IN OTHER WORDS, WE DEFINITELY -- DEFINITELY DON'T WANT ASSEMBLY SPACE -- ONE THAT CAN
[02:50:01]
ACCOMMODATE AN ASSEMBLY AND FIRST AMENDMENT ACTIVITY AND ALSO BE VISIBLE TO THE PUBLIC.>> SANDOVAL: I APPRECIATE THATF I JUST WOULDN'T WANT US TO BE IN A POSITION WHERE WE'VE SIGNED THE LEASE AGREEMENT AND IT TURNS OUT, YOU KNOW, THAT IT'S NOT CONDUCIVE TO FREE SPEECH.
>> SANDOVAL: SO HOW DO WE AVOID THAT SITUATION.
>> SCULLEY: WE WILL GET YOU THE DELINEATION SO YOU SEE WHERE THAT IS AND THE PROXIMITY TO THE CHAPEL OR THE ALAMO CHURCH.
AND SORRY, ANDY, COULD YOU CONFIRM THAT YOU WILL BE REACHING OUT TO THAT GROUP BEFORE -- IN ADVANCE OF THIS VOTE?
WE TALK TO THEM QUITE OFTEN AND WE HAVE THEIR CONTACT INFORMATION.
>> SEGOVIA: OUR LAST MEETING WAS I THINK LAST WEEK, SO WE'LL REACH OUT TO THEM, COUNCILWOMAN.
>> SANDOVAL: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ANDY.
MY OTHER QUESTION, NOT TO BEAT THE HORSE TO DEATH, BUT I DO WANT TO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT BETTER ABOUT THE POINTS OF ENTRY.
AND RIGHT NOW IS THE IDEA TO HAVE SOME SORT OF STRUCTURE THAT WOULD RESTRICT ACCESS WHERE THERE'S NOT A DESIGNATED POINT OF ENTRY? AND I'M NOT SURE WHO TO ASK THAT QUESTION TO.
>> TREVINO: WE CALL IT A FORMAL POINT.
WE KNOW THAT PART OF THAT IS INCORPORATING THE EXISTING BUILDINGS, SPECIFICALLY CROCKET, TO HELP ORIENT PEOPLE BEFORE THEY GO ONTO THE ALAMO PLAZA.
AND SO IT'S PART OF AN ORIENTATION PROCESS.
IT'S NOT DESIGNED -- THIS WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WILL BE TACKLED BY THE MUSEUM ARCHITECTS.
>> SANDOVAL: SO RIGHT NOW WE ARE NOT AGREEING TO ANY SORT OF STRUCTURE OR BARRICADE IN THE -- WHEREVER THERE'S NOT AN ENTRY IDENTIFIED?
>> TREVINO: I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION.
IS THERE GOING TO BE A FENCE ANYWHERE AROUND THE STRUCTURE.
>> TREVINO: THERE'S GOING TO BE -- AS PART OF THE DESIGN, THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME RAILING, THERE'S GOING TO BE LANDSCAPING, AND OTHER ELEMENTS THAT WILL HELP TO DIRECT PEOPLE TO THE SITE.
AND AS I MENTIONED, OFFMUSEUM HOURS, THERE'S AT LEAST SIX ENTRY POINTS TO THE HISTORIC FOOTPRINT ITSELF.
>> SANDOVAL: AND THE WALL AROUND THE BACK OF THE ALAMO, SO IF YOU -- SORRY, IF YOU LOOK TO THE RIGHT.
>> SANDOVAL: THE STONE WALL, WILL THAT REMAIN OR WILL THAT BE REMOVED.
>> TREVINO: WE'RE REMOVING THAT STONE WALL.
THAT STONE WALL WILL BE REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH A FENCE THAT IS SET BACK INSIDE A LANDSCAPING, SO YOU'LL REALLY JUST SEE A BUNCH OF LANDSCAPING, AND WE'LL TRY TO ERASE THAT DELINEATION OF WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK IS PART OF THE ORIGINAL MISSION.
SO THIS IS WHERE I KIND OF HAVE -- I'M JUST A LITTLE BIT PERPLEXED ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE I KNOW RIGHT NOW THAT MOST OF THE VISITORS TO ALAMO PLAZA ARE FROM OUTSIDE OF SAN ANTONIO AND THAT THE DESIRE IS TO GUIDE THEM TO HAVE THE BEST EXPERIENCE WHEN THEY GO TO -- THE FULL EXPERIENCE WHEN THEY GO TO THE ALAMO.
AND IF I'M UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY, THAT'S WHAT THIS DESIGN IS BASED ON.
I BELIEVE WE ALSO WANT THIS PLAZA TO BETTER SERVE THE RESIDENTS OF SAN ANTONIO, AND THEY DON'T NEED TO BE GUIDED TO THE FORMAL ENTRY POINTS.
I WOULD LIKE FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO GO INTO WHAT IS, AGAIN, OUR GATHERING SPACE AT ANY POINT.
I THINK THE FACT THAT THIS IS A STREET BLOCK, RIGHT, KIND OF IDENTIFIES IT AS THAT IS THE DE FACTO FENCE AROUND IT.
SO I GUESS I DON'T FULLY -- I'M NOT CONVINCED YET THAT WE NEED THE FENCES AROUND IT.
AND I'M OPEN TO LISTENING TO THE OTHER SIDE, IF SOMEONE COULD -- ON THE DESIGN TEAM COULD EXPLAIN TO ME.
>> I'M GOING TO LET JOHN TALK ABOUT THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE, BUT I WANT TO BE -- MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHERE THIS EDGE IS AND WHERE IT ISN'T.
I'M GOING TO STEP AWAY FROM HERE FOR A SECOND.
>> SANDOVAL: THANK YOU, SO THE LISTENERS AT HOME CAN HEAR EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE TO SAY.
SO WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT THE ACTUAL AREA WITHIN THE FOOTPRINT, WHICH IS THE ZONE IN WHICH YOU WOULD GO THROUGH THESE PORTALS TO ACCESS.
EVERYTHING FROM LOSOYA THROUGH ALL THE WAY PAST TO THE CROCKET HOTEL, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO
[02:55:01]
COMMERCE STREET, THAT IS GOING TO FUNCTION JUST LIKE IT FUNCTIONS TODAY, BUT 10 TIMES BETTER BECAUSE IT'S NOT GOING TO HAVE CARS AND THE ALAMO PLAZA EXPERIENCE OF WHAT THE COMMON CITIZENS OF THIS CITY COME TO THIS SPACE TO EXPERIENCE, ALL OF THAT STILL HAPPENS HERE.PEOPLE CAN WALK UP TO THE NORTH, THEY CAN WALK ALONG IN FRONT OF THE GIBBS, IN FRONT OF THE FEDERAL BUILDING, IN FRONT OF THE EMILY HOTEL, THAT IS NOT WITHIN THIS EDGE CONDITION WHICH DELINEATES THE OUTDOOR MUSEUM.
SO ALL OF THAT IS NOT, YOU KNOW, MANAGED AT ALL.
CITIZENS ARE WALKING THROUGH THERE ANY TIME OF DAY AND NIGHT.
IT IS ONLY VERY SPECIFICALLY THIS ZONE IN FRONT OF THE CHURCH, IN FRONT OF THE LONG BARRACK TION -- BARRACKS AND IN FRONT OF THE CHURCH AND JUST IMMEDIATELY BEHIND.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THE ACTUAL CONTEXT AND THEN JOHN CAN SPEAK TO THE PROGRAMMING REASONS.
>> SANDOVAL: I HAVE THE FLOOR.
IN MY LIFE I'VE NEVER ACTED LIKE THIS BEFORE.
>> THE LOCALS KNOW WHERE THEY'RE GOING AND THEY KNOW THEY HAVE A FAVORITE SPOT THAT THEY WANT TO EAT LUNCH AT.
>> SANDOVAL: AND THE FUTURE LOCALS, PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE NOW THAT AREN'T ENJOYING THE PLAZA RIGHT NOW.
I THINK THIS WILL DRAW SOME OF THEM TO USE IT MORE.
>> AND ONE OF THE KEY FACTORS THAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING HERE AS A TEAM IS THAT RIGHT NOW WHEN YOU THINK OF THE ALAMO EXPERIENCE, YOU THINK OF THE CHURCH AND THE CHURCH ONLY.
AND WHAT'S KEY TO THIS, TO WHAT PART OF THE ALAMO PLAN IS, IS THAT PART OF THE OFFERINGS REALLY IS NOT ONLY JUST THE CHURCH NOW, IT IS THE CHURCH, THE OUTDOOR MUSEUM LIVING HISTORY, THE THEATER, THE MUSEUM, THE SPECIALTY TOURS, THE -- ALL THE DIFFERENT OFFERINGS THAT WILL MAKE UP YOUR COMPREHENSIVE ALAMO EXPERIENCE, AND YOU'RE RIGHT, NOT JUST FOR VISITORS BUT FOR LOCALS ALSO.
PART OF THAT UNDERSTANDING AND EVEN THE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE COMPREHENSIVE FULL STORY OF THE ALAMO IS, THE OPPORTUNITY TO TELL THAT STORY IS NOT POSSIBLE WHEN YOU TRY TO SPRINKLE IT ACROSS ALL PERIMETERS.
AND THE GREAT OPPORTUNITY OF BOTH FOR LOCALS AND FOR VISITORS, BRINGING SOMEBODY TO A COMPREHENSIVE SPACE.
AND WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT A DOOR, LIKE A 3-FOOT DOOR RIGHT THERE, THE POTENTIAL -- ALL THE MUSEUM IS NOT DESIGNED YET, BUT THE POTENTIAL TO HAVE A VISITOR CENTER SPACE, A GRAND SPACE WITHIN THE MUSEUM THAT ORIENTS PEOPLE, THAT ALSO PERMITS PEOPLE TO PASS THROUGH THIS AREA INTO THE OUTDOOR SITE, SO WHEN WE PUT THAT DIAGRAM AND THE ONE LITTLE BLACK ARROW, OUR VISION IS NOT -- IN THE BROAD CIRCLE THAT THE BLACK ARROW COMES FROM, THE VISION IS NOT ONE OF A SMALL LITTLE SPACE AND A SMALL LITTLE DOOR WHERE LOCALS CAN GO THROUGH AND GET FUNNELED THROUGH.
THE INTENT IS A GRAND SPACE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THEM ORIENTATION, UNDERSTANDING OF ALL THE OFFERINGS, NOT JUST AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHURCH AND A SPACE TO FLOW THROUGH.
SO IT IS OPEN FOR VISITORS AND FOR LOCALS TO UNDERSTAND, AND IT'S NOT YET BEEN DESIGNED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE GRAND -- IT COULD BE THE ENTIRE WIDTH OF THE CROCKET BUILDING? IS IT 3-FOOT WIDE? IS IT 80 FEET WIDE? THAT'S YET TO BE DETERMINED.
>> SANDOVAL: I UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO GUIDE THEM.
I WOULD WANT YOU TO CONSIDER OTHER WAYS OF DOING THAT GUIDANCE.
I THINK IF YOU'RE FLYING ALL THE WAY TO SAN ANTONIOND A COMING HERE TO VISIT THE ALAMO, YOU KNOW, FOR WHATEVER REASON, YOU SAW THE MOVIES WHEN YOU WERE A KID OR YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT I, THIS CRADLE OF LIBERTY, I WOULD IMAGINE THAT THAT VISITOR IS WILLING TO TAKE AN EXTRA STEP AND DOES NOT HAVE TO BE SPOON FED, BUT IS WILLING TO TAKE THE EXTRA STEP TO FIND WHERE DO I START THIS MAGNIFICENT TOUR? SO I'M JUST WONDERING WHY NOT WAYFINDING OR SOME SIGNAGE AS OPPOSED TO A STRUCTURAL BARRIER.
>> SANDOVAL: I KNOW THIS HAS GOT TO BE ODD, THAT WE'RE THE ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT WE'RE ROLLING UP OUR SLEEVES INTO YOUR WORK AND QUESTIONING IT, BUT, HEY, HERE WE ARE.
ALL THAT IS CORRECT IN ADDITION TO THE INTENT OF WHAT WE SPOKE TO, THE WAYFINDING, THE UNDERSTANDING, EVEN THE UNDERSTANDING BEFORE THEY ARRIVE IS ALSO KEY, WE KNOW FOR ALL THE DESTINATIONS THAT ARE OUT THERE, AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE EXCITEMENT AND ANTICIPATION OF WHAT YOU'RE GOING AND THE UNDERSTANDING OF WHY YOU ARE GOING, AND THE UNDERSTANDING OF THAT EMOTIONAL CONNECTION THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE IS KEY TO ANY EXPERIENCE, AND WHEN YOU JUST HAPPEN UPON A SPACE AS IT IS NOW, THAT GOAL THAT WE ALL TALK ABOUT OF THE EMOTIONAL CONNECTION OF THE ALAMO AND KEEPING THAT ALIVE AND A WHOLE STORY NOT JUST TO TAKE A SELFIE,
[03:00:02]
THAT'S -- THAT PROCESS IS KEY TO THE -- THAT END GOAL.>> SANDOVAL: SO, AGAIN, I'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND REITERATE WHAT I SAID IS I'M NOT CONVINCED THAT WE -- THAT THERE'S NOT ANOTHER WAY TO ACHIEVE IT WITHOUT THE STRUCTURAL BARRIERS.
MY FIRST BRIEFING ON THE ALAMO WHEN I CAME ON COUNCIL WAS BY MRS. HOUSTON, AND WE DISCUSSED THIS VERY ISSUE THAT THERE WAS CONCERN ABOUT THE GLASS WALLS, WHICH ARE PART OF THE CONSIDERATION RIGHT NOW.
DON'T REQUIRE A PHYSICAL BARRIER, AND WE TALKED ABOUT POSSIBLY SOME MARKINGS IN THE GROUND.
YOU MENTIONED THE FREEDOM TRAIL IN BOSTON.
NOW, I REALLY LIKED THAT IDEA AND I -- I WAS HOPING IT WOULD STILL BE CONSIDERED.
THE DELINEATION, ALTHOUGH WE DIDN'T SPEAK TO IT AS MUCH WITH THE VISUALS THAT WERE THERE, YOU MAY HAVE SEEN IT BEFORE, THE DELINEATION OF THE FOOTPRINT IS STILL THERE AND IT REALLY GOES BACK TO THE DEPRESSION IN THE GROUND THAT WE TALKED TO, PART OF THAT ESTABLISHES THAT THRESHOLD, ESTABLISHES THE SPACE FROM A VISUAL STANDPOINT.
SO NOT ONLY THE DELINEATION IN THE GROUND BUT ALSO JUST THAT SUBTLE DEPRESSION OF THE GROUND.
>> SANDOVAL: SO YOU KNOW YOU'RE ENTERING A DIFFERENT SPACE.
>> THAT'S EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT AS ANY OTHER IMPORTANT TO DEPRESS IT.
>> SANDOVAL: WE HAVE THAT, A SPATIAL DELINEATION, THE DROPPING OF THE GROUND.
SO TELL ME AGAIN WHY WE -- BUT WE STILL NEED THE FENCE IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING?
>> STILL NEED THE -- A SINGLE POINT OF ENTRY TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND NOT ONLY WHAT IS THERE, THE DELINEATED SPACE AND WHAT IT IS,IS BUT ALSO ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES AND THE OFFERINGS OF WHAT'S TO COME.
I HAVE JUST ONE MORE COMMENT, I THINK.
I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL FOR US TO HAVE MAYBE SOME MORE EXPLICIT GRAPHICS ON THAT.
YOU MENTIONED HAVING THE GRAPHIC ON THE DEMONSTRATION SPACE, BUT MAYBE ALSO WHERE THOSE -- WHERE THERE ACTUALLY WILL BE SOME TYPE OF BARRIER, JUST SO WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO I THINK I'M GOING TO STOP THERE.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL.
>> BROCKHOUSE: SECOND TO LAST, I'M PRACTICALLY OUT OF QUESTIONS.
I WILL JUST MAKE A FEW POINTS AND THEN LET COUNCILMAN SAL SALDAÑA BRING IT HOME AFTER ME.
I THINK IT'S BEEN REALLY GOOD WORK. I EF ENJOYED IT AND I'VE LISTENED AND THE HISTORICAL PART OF THINGS WAS VERY INTERESTING AND I'VE ACTUALLY LEARNED A LOT OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS IN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS VERSUS, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO AT THE STATE LEVEL AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO NEIGHBORHOOD BY NEIGHBORHOOD.
I MEAN, I HEAR ABOUT IT ALMOST AT EVERY COMMUNITY MEETING I GO TO, IT'S A REALLY INTERESTING TOPIC AND IT HAS BEEN AN EYE OPENER.
I WAS TALKING TO SOMEBODY TODAY ABOUT THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS PROBABLY NOT GOING TO GET MUCH MORE SOLID VOTE THAT'S GOING TO CHANGE THE FUTURE OF THE COMMUNITY.
THIS IS LIKE THE ALAMO IS JUST THE IDENTITY OF THE STATE, SO IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A VOTE THAT'S A LASTING IMPACT ON THE CITY AND OUR IDENTITY IN THE STATE.
SO I'VE BEEN VERY DELIBERATE IN TRYING TO MAKE SURE I LISTEN TO WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTED AND TRYING TO DELIVER THAT DOWN HERE TO CITY HALL, SO I WANT TO THANK THE STAFF AND MY APPOINTEE, LEONARD RODRIGUEZ WHO'S DONE A LOT OF HEAVY LIFTING FOR ME AND BROUGHT ME ALONG AND, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THINGS I CAN SIT AND SPEAK TO WITH SOME EXPERTISE IN, AND THIS FRANKLY IS NOT ONE OF THEM, OTHER THAN THE HISTORICAL SITE AND BEING A SAN ANTONIO RESIDENT AND TEXAN, THE DESIGN ELEMENTS AND ALL THIS FANTASTIC WORK.
THIS PRESENTATION IS AMAZING AND IT'S JUST A LOT TO TAKE IN.
SO I'VE BEEN TRYING TO LEAN ON THE FOLKS -- THERE'S REALLY TWO EXPERTS THE EXPERT SIDE OF HIGHWAY YOU DESIGN IT AND BUILD IT -- HOW YOU DESIGN IT AND BUILD IT AND HOW IT'S GOING TO BE FOR THE FUTURE AND THEN THE EXPERT SIDE OF THE TEXANS.
I WANT TO THANK COUNCILMAN TREVINO.
I'VE WATCHED HIM IN DIFFICULT SETTINGS BE VERY SUCCESSFUL AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I POINTED THAT OUT, THAT YOU ESPECIALLY ON THE FINAL VOTE WITH THE ALAMO COMMITTEE STUFF, I THOUGHT THAT WAS WELL CONDUCTED.
I WANTED TO SEE FOR MYSELF HOW IT WORKED, AND IT WAS GOOD TO SEE EVERYBODY WORKING TOGETHER.
AND IT'S JUST TAKEN TIME TO GET THERE AND IT'S A TOUGH CONVERSATION AND I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF AT LEAST WE'RE HAVING IT AND WE'RE GETTING THERE.
SO MY POINTS, HAVING COME A LONG WAY ON IT, IS I'M OVERALL GENERALLY IN SUPPORT OF THE ALAMO MASTER PLAN.
I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT A COUPLE OF KEY POINTS STICK OUT TO ME.
[03:05:01]
REALLY WITH THE STREET CLOSURES.I'M GOOD WITH THAT. I'M INTERESTED IN MAKING SURE ON THE PRESERVATION PIECES WITH HISTORIC BUILDINGS I'M GOING TO THROW A SHOUTOUT ON SHANNON, SHE'S TAUGHT ME A LOT, I'VE COME A LONG WAY, SHE'S TAUGHT ME THE STRUCTURES THIS PLAZA IS ALSO THESE HISTORICAL THINGS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN THE BUILDINGS THAT I'VE LEARNED OVER TIME AND HOW BUILDINGS BECOME PART OF THE COMMUNITY FABRIC.
IT'S SOMETHING I'M AGAIN JUST SCRATCHING THE SERVICE -- SURFACE ON AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT.
I THINK THERE HAS BEEN GOOD COMPROMISE ON A LOT OF THESE ITEMS RG AND THE LEASE DOESN'T CONCERN ME.
I, FOR ONE, I THINK IT'S FANTASTIC WE'RE PARTNERING WITH THE STATE.
WE SHOULD, WORKING WITH THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE IS GOING TO BE A GOOD THING.
OFTENTIMES WE TEND TO RUN AWAY FROM THE STATE.
I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THOSE ITEMS WHERE IT'S GOOD TO PARTNER AND WORK WITH THEM AND TRUST THAT THEY HAVE THE SAME GOALS THAT WE DO.
I'M NOT IN THE BUSINESS EITHER OF LOSING $400 MILLION, IN THIS PARTICULAR OPPORTUNITY.
I MEAN, WE PUT 38 MILLION ON THE TABLE AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO TURN AROUND AND THERE'S A LOT OF LEVERAGED OPPORTUNITY HERE, WE ALSO NEED AT SOME POINT TO GET TO A VOTE AND MAKE IT HAPPEN.
WHEN WE PUT DOWN THE VOTE, WE'LL OWN IT WHEN THE TIME COMES, ELECTION SEASON AND ALL THAT.
THAT'S FINE, AT THE END OF THE DAY WE'RE HERE TO PUT A VOTE DOWN ON IT AND MAKE IT HAPPEN.
I THINK WE'VE DONE FOUR YEARS FOR THE NEW FOLKS AND MAYBE A YEAR AND A HALF IN A BUNCH OF MEETINGS, BUT I THINK WE'VE DONE -- WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME, AND EVEN THROUGH TO NEXT WEEK TO RESEARCH AND MAKE SURE WE'RE COMFORTABLE WITH CERTAIN THINGS.
I'M GOOD WITH THE LEASE, I'M GOOD WITH TRUSTING THE STATE OF TEXAS AND AUSTIN, I'M SOLID WITH THE STREET CLOSURES.
I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE, THOUGH, THAT I PUT MY TWO CENTS IN ON THE FOCAL POINT.
SOMEBODY MENTIONED, AND MAYBE IT WAS DOUG, I DON'T KNOW, THAT THE BATTLE IS A FOCAL POINT.
OR IT'S A, I THINK YOU SAID, AN IMPORTANT PIECE -- NO, IT'S THE IMPORTANT PIECE.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I GET ON THE RECORD THAT THE BATTLE IS THE FOCAL POINT, PERIOD.
AND THAT'S WHERE MY OPINION WE SHOULD BE HIGHLIGHTING THAT.
AND AS A FAMILY -- AS MY FAMILY GOES BACK TO THE VERY FOUNDINGS THROUGH THE ARROCHA FAMILY IN SAN ANTONIO, I'M INVESTED IN THIS AS WELL.
THE BATTLE IS THE FOCAL POINT.
I DON'T WANT TO LOSE SITE OF THAT.
WHEN YOU LOOK ALL ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS WHAT IT MEANS, I THINK WE NEED TO BRING IN THE ENTIRE STORY BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE THERE ABOUT THE BATTLE PIECE OF IT.
I DON'T WANT THAT JUST TO REMAIN THE FOCAL POINT.
AND THEN I'VE GOT TO TELL YOU I'M STILL HIGHLY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH WHAT HAS OCCURRED HERE, DEAD SET AGAINST IT GOING OFF OF COMMERCE AND MARKET.
IT WAS JUST WRONG AND I CAME OUT QUICKLY AGAINST THAT, AND EVEN NOW I HAVE CONCERNS, I DID -- I DID DO THE RESEARCH WITH SOME PARTNERS AND SOME OTHER CONTACTS AND ALL THE WAY BACK TO WHEN THE ACTUAL CENOTAPH WAS DECIDED TO GO ON THE SPOT WHERE IT WAS, IT WAS LITERALLY A LAST-DAY DECISION AT THE CITY COUNCIL BACK -- I MEAN, I SAW THE HISTORICAL RECORDS.
THE COUNCIL VOTED TO MOVE IT FROM THE BANDSTAND AREA TO THE LOCATION IT'S AT NOW.
THAT WAS IN THE LAST 72 -- CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, COUNCILMAN TREVINO, THAT WAS IN THE LAST 72 HOURS -- IN FACT, THE LAST 24 HOURS THAT THEY MADE A DECISION TO PUT IT WHERE IT'S AT.
SO IN THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT I WANT THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW THAT THE LOCATION IN ITS ORIGINAL MINDSET HAD NO MEANING.
IT WAS SUPPOSED TO GO AT THE BANDSTAND, FOUR OR 500 FEET AWAY SH AND THEY DECIDED TO MOVE IT WHERE IT'S AT.
BUT THAT BEING SAID, THE COMMUNITY THEN HAS GROWN AROUND THAT AND RALLIED AROUND THAT LOCATION ON THE CENOTAPH AND IT HAS RISEN TO THE POINT, MAN, MAYBE CALLING IT A GRAVESTONE AND ALL THIS OTHER STUFF, THAT'S MORE PERSONAL FEELING ABOUT IT AND THE HISTORICAL FACT IS IT DOESN'T HAVE THAT VALUE ON THAT SPOT, BUT IT HAS NOW THE VALUE IN THE HEART OF THE TEXAN, RIGHT? SO I THINK WE JUST HAVE TO CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S THE RIGHT ANSWER.
LIKE I THINK THAT -- I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, MAN, I SEE WE COMPROMISED ON THE BATTLE OF FLOWERS AND WE GAVE IN ON THE PARADE ROUTES, BUT WE DIDN'T DO IT FOR THE CENOTAPH BECAUSE THERE ARE DIFFERENT SET OF SUPPORTER, YOU KNOW.
I MEAN, WE KIND OF PUT SOME PEOPLE ON THE SIDE THAT THEY'RE -- YOU KNOW, THEY MAKE UP STORIES ABOUT CONTRAILS BECAUSE THEY DISAGREE WITH US.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S RIGHT, RIGHT? JUST BECAUSE SOMEBODY DISAGREES WITH US, I DON'T THINK THEY'RE LOONS, I JUST ANY THEY HAVE A VIRCHT VIEWPOINT.
AND I'M JUST CONCERNED THAT WE SACRIFICED -- WE COMPROMISED ON THAT PIECE FOR THE FOLKS ON THE FIESTA COMMISSION BECAUSE THEY DO CARRY A LOT OF ZERO WEIGHT, AND THEN ON THE OTHER SIDE, WE -- I THINK WE DID COME TO IT.
SO I THINK WE DID COMPROMISE SOME WITH THEM TO KEEP IT ON THE FOOTPRINT, BUT I'M JUST NOT QUITE THERE YET.
THAT'S THE ONLY ITEM I THINK I'M REALLY GOING TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT GOING FORWARD I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GOING TO VOTE THAT SEPARATE.
[03:10:01]
COUNCILMAN IF YOU CAN KIND OF GIVE US YOUR OPINION ON WHAT THE HDRC IS GOING TO DO TONIGHT, I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S GOING TO LAY ITS OWN VOTE DOWN OR IF IT'S GOING TO BE WRAPPED DOWN TO ANOTHER PIECE.>> TREVINO: I THINK THE OVERALL VOTE ENCOMPASSES THE RELOCATION BECAUSE IT'S PART OF THE MASTER PLAN THAT WE'RE COMING TOGETHER ON.
THE LEASE ITSELF DOES SPEAK TO THE RELOCATION OF THE CENOTAPH.
AND SO I DO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT WHAT WE'RE SIMPLY SAYING THAT -- AND USE THE EXAMPLE OF THE BATTLE OF THE FLOWERS, THE BATTLE OF FLOWERS DID WANT TO CUT THROUGH THE EXISTING SITE.
WHAT WE WORKED ON WAS CREATING A SYSTEM OUTSIDE OF THAT FOOTPRINT THAT CAN CREATE A CEREMONIAL ACTIVITY ZONE.
WE BELIEVE THE CEREMONIAL ACTIVITY ZONE, IN FACT, CAN ALSO WORK IN CONCERT WITH HOW WE FINALIZE THE LOCATION OF THE CENOTAPH.
AND HDRC IS VERY KEEN TO THAT.
THEY WILL BE A PART OF THAT OVERALL PROCESS, AND HOW I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT THIS IS PART OF HOW THE CENOTAPH WILL ACTUALLY BE PART OF AN OVERALL DESIGN AND SCHEME, SO IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT'S THROWN IN A CORNER OR EVEN DECIDED OVER THE LAST 24 HOURS BUT THROUGH A THOUGHTFUL PROCESS OF DESIGNING.
>> BROCKHOUSE: I APPRECIATE THAT.
I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF TONIGHT THEY WOULD MAKE A DECISION TO SEPARATE IT OUT OR VOTE IT SEPARATE.
>> BROCKHOUSE: I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE SOMETHING'S NOT GOING TO COME UP DIFFERENT NEXT WEEK, OR THE POSSIBLY ABOUT THAT.
I JUST HAVE A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT THE CENOTAPH.
AND I HEAR FREQUENTLY FROM MY RESIDENTS THAT THEY DON'T WANT IT MOVE, AND IT'S PROBABLY THE PREDOMINANT CONVERSATION I GET.
I'M STILL STRUGGLING TO GET THERE ON IT THAT IT'S OKAY TO MOVE IT, BUT WE CAN CONTINUE.
THAT WILL COME NEXT WEEK WHEN THE OVERALL, IN THE WHOLE PLAN, THOUGH, LOOK, I LIKE IT.
I LIKE THE IDEA OF TURNING THIS INTO SOMETHING -- AND I'VE BEEN HERE MY WHOLE LIFE AND I'VE GONE DOWN THERE MANY TIMES AND IT JUST NEEDS TO BE MORE.
IT NEEDS TO TELL THE BETTER STORY AND I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE QUEUING AND THE TIME LIKE THAT.
I WAS AT VERSAILLES OVER THE SUMMER AND THEY HAVE ONE ENTRANCE AND THERE'S 10 PEOPLE TRYING TO GET IN THERE. IT'S A TOTAL NIGHTMARE.
BUT ONCE YOU IN, IT'S A WIDE OPEN SHOW.
AND IT'S AMAZING YOU RUN AROUND AND YOU'RE A PART OF IT.
SO THE ACCESS THING, TO COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL'S PART, IT'S A PRETTY SOLID POINT, PEOPLE I THINK WILL INTUITIVELY FIND THE HOME. ONCE WE VOTE THIS, IT'S OUT OF OUR HANDS, IT'S OUT OF OUR HANDS SO I'D BE CONCERNED ABOUT SOME OF THE ACCESS STUFF, THIS IS A FREE-FLOWING SPACE THAT ALLOWS FOR GROWTH AND STILL FOR IT TO BE A PIECE OF SAN ANTONIO.
I MEAN, I'M OKAY GIVING IT UP TO THE STATE, I TOTALLY AM.
I THINK GOOD PARTNERSHIP, GOOD LEASE, EVERYTHING MAKES SENSE, BUT JUST MAKING SURE THAT THAT SPACE HAS A FREE-FLOWING OPPORTUNITY, PEOPLE CAN MOVE.
AND IF I SEE THAT, WHICH I THINK WE'RE THERE, AS LONG AS WE HONOR THAT GOING FORWARD, BECAUSE ONCE WE VOTE IT, IT'S GONE AND IT'S OUT ZERO OUR HANDS AND I WORRY THAT WE LOSE SOME CONTROL OVER THAT AT THAT POINT, AT LEAST US IN REPRESENTING THE RESIDENTS, I THINK IT'S FANTASTIC WORK.
I THTY DESIGN TEAM'S DONE A GREAT JOB.
AND THEY'VE PRESENTED A PLAN THAT MAKES SENSE.
NOT ON BOARD WITH ALL OF IT AND I'D ASK THAT WE CONTINUE TO WORK HARD ON THIS CENOTAPH PIECE AND WE FOCUS ON THESE BUILDINGS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE HONORING THE HISTORY THAT'S OCCURRED AS PART OF THIS PLAZA AND WE ALWAYS MAINTAIN WHAT THIS SHRINE IS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS AND WHAT IT STANDS FOR ACROSS THE STATE.
AND WE KEEP THAT FOCAL POINT FOCUSED ON HOW THAT PRODUCED THIS STATE, RIGHT? HOW IT PRODUCED THE COUNTRY, AND THEN IT PRODUCED THE STATE.
AND I THINK IF WE DO THAT, WE'LL HONOR THAT.
AND WE BRING IN OTHER HISTORIES AND STORIES THAT NEED TO BE TOLD AND NEED TO BE A PART OF IT.
AND I'M THANKFUL FOR THE WORK AND I LOOK FORWARD TO AN OPPORTUNITY TO FINALLY VOTE THIS ON AND LET'S GET MOVING TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN BROCKHOUSE.
>> VIAGRAN: QUICK QUESTION ON THE LEASE, NUMBER 10, INFORMATION SHARING, ANDY, IT SAYS THAT UPON REASON OF WRITTEN NOTICE, CITY GLO WILL PERMIT ACCESS PREMISES TO INFORMATION SHARED ABOUT THE DEMOGRAPHICS.
THE CITY IS GOING TO BE A PARTY TO SHARING THAT INFORMATION, WHATEVER THE GATHERED INFORMATION IS; THAT HASN'T BEEN FINALIZED YET, IS THAT CORRECT.
>> SEGOVIA: NO, WE EXPECT THAT WOULD EVOLVE COUNCILWOMAN, AS WE GET -- OBVIOUSLY AS WE GET INITIAL DATA THAT GENERATES MORE QUESTIONS AND MORE IN TERMS OF, WELL, WE KNOW THIS, WHAT ABOUT THIS QUESTION?
>> SEGOVIA: SO THAT'S WHY IT'S MEANT TO EVOLVE.
>> VIAGRAN: I'M JUST THINKING IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO COORDINATE WITH OTHER ENTITIES LIKE VISIT SAN ANTONIO AND OTHERS TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN.
>> SALDAÑA: I'LL BE QUICK, MAYBE FIVE MINUTES IF YOU'LL TIME ME.
HERE'S THE BIG ISSUE IN MY OWN HEAD AS A POLICY MAKER SET TO
[03:15:02]
VOTE ON THIS NEXT WEEK.I'M LIKE COUNCILMAN BROCKHOUSE ANXIOUS TO VOTE ON THIS.
I'M ANXIOUS BECAUSE THE STAKES ARE INCREDIBLY HIGH AND WE KNOW WHAT THIS MOVIE LOOKS LIKE BECAUSE WE'VE GONE THROUGH IT SEVERAL TIMES OVER WHERE WE'VE GOTTEN NOTHING DONE.
I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER -- I'VE HAD EXPERIENCES TALKING TO FOLKS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE ALAMO WHO HAVE TOLD ME ABOUT WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO SEE IT FOR THE FIRST TIME.
NONE OF THEM HAVE EVER TOLD ME THAT AFTER SEEING THE ALAMO, THEY TURNED AROUND AND SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? I'D REALLY LIKE TO GO SEE 3-D TOMB RAIDER EXPERIENCE.
WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE STATUS QUO, BECAUSE AT STAKE HERE IS THIS FALLING APART AND WE REMAIN IN THIS POSITION WHERE NOBODY'S HAPPY, BECAUSE THE ONE PIECE OF CONSENSUS AROUND THE ALAMO AND ITS VISION FOR THE FUTURE IS THAT IT CAN'T STAY THE SAME AS IT IS TODAY.
SO NOBODY HAS A MONOPOLY ON THE BEST IDEA, LIKE NOBODY HAS A NO NOP PI ON THE -- MONOPOLY ON THE FINAL PRODUCT BECAUSE NOBODY HAS A MONOPOLY ON ALL THE RESOURCES THAT WILL BRING THE RESOURCES TO BEAR.
TO THE EXTENT THAT PHIL COLLINS HAS HALF A MILLION DOLLARS LAYING AROUND NOBODY HAS THEIR SAY AND GET THAT PUSHED THROUGH.
THE RESULT IS WE'VE GOT TO COMPROMISE WITH THE GLO, THE STATE, THE LEDGE LAY STORES THE ENDOWMENT AND OF COURSE THE CITY AT THE CENTERPIECE OF THIS, BECAUSE WE CONTROL THE ALAMO PLAZA.
SO LET ME JUST SAY CLEARLY WHAT I SUPPORT.
I SUPPORT THE CLOSURE OF THE ALAMO, I SUPPORT THE RELOCATION OF THE CENOTAPH.
I SUPPORT A LOT OF THE ELEMENTS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, BUT I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M CLEAR BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT THE EXPERT, AND I DON'T EVEN WANT TO PRETEND TO BE, BUT, YOU KNOW, COUNCILMAN, PERRY, YOU PUT OUT THE [INDISCERNIBLE] ARTICLE, I THINK IT'S WORTH NOTEING.
I'VE NEVER HEARD ANYBODY DISAGREE WITH THE NOTION OF REDUCING THE FLOOR TO THE GROUND FOOTPRINT, SO MAYBE IT'S WORTH A DISCUSSION AS TO WHY WE'RE DOING THIS.
I KNOW COUNCILMAN TREVINO WALKED OUT, BUT IF YOU'VE GOT A POINT THAT HAS SOME VALIDITY TO IT, WE SHOULD TALK THROUGH IT.
SO WOULD YOU TALK US THROUGH WHAT YOU THINK IS THE SCIENCE BEHIND WHY WE SHOULDN'T DROP THE FOOTPRINT DOWN TO ITS ORIGINAL LOCATION, COUNCILMAN PERRY?
AGAIN, IT GOES BACK TO THE FOUNDATION ISSUES ON THE STRUCTURES THEMSELVES.
AND WITH THE FOUNDATION ISSUES, IT'S ABOUT THE DAMPNESS OVER TIMER RODING AND CAUSING -- TIME ERODING AND CAUSING THE FOUNDATIONS TO CRUMBLE, THE WALLS TO CRUMBLE, THAT KIND OF THING.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE ORIGINAL PICTURES THAT I SHOWED UP THERE, IT WITH US MUCH WORSE.
AND PART OF THAT WAS BECAUSE THAT GROUND AREA WAS MUDDY, THERE WAS NO PAVEMENT, IT WAS WET ALL THE TIME -- OR MOST OF THE TIME.
AND THAT CAUSED A LOT OF THAT DAMP TO BE SOAKED INTO THE FOUNDATIONS AND INTO THE WALLS AND THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THAT BLACK LINE ACROSS THERE.
AND OVER TIME, AS THE GROUND HAS BEEN BUILT UP AND WHERE IT IS TODAY, IF YOU LOOK AT THE ELEVATIONS, THERE'S A NATURAL DRAINAGE NOW AWAY FROM THOSE STRUCTURES SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE THAT WATER SITUATION AND THE DETERIORATION OF THE FOUNDATION AND THE WALLS.
IN FACT, THEY'VE DRIED OUT A LOT SINCE THOSE PICTURES BACK IN THE LATE 1800S.
SO MY COMMENT IS, WHY GO TO THAT EXPENSE, AND IT'S NOT JUST 16-INCHES IN MANY -- AS IT GETS CLOSER TO THE CHAPEL, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT 30-INCHES, AND WHY GO IN AND TAKE OUT AND DISTURB THAT WHOLE AREA, WHICH IS GOING TO BE -- YOON, WE HAVEN'T EVEN -- YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T EVEN TALKED ABOUT CLOSING THIS WHOLE AREA OFF DURING CONSTRUCTION, WHAT THE FINANCIAL CONSEQUENCES ARE, OF VISITORS AND PEOPLE COMING HERE TO SAN ANTONIO, NOT BEING ABLE TO DO THAT, BUT, AGAIN, WHY DO THAT IF IT HAS IMPROVED OVER TIME.
AND WHY GO IN THERE AND DISTURB ALL OF THAT VEGETATION, ALL THE TREES, EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE GROWN OVER, YOU KNOW, THE 200 YEARS.
SO THAT'S THE BIG THING TO ME IS WE REALLY DON'T HAVE TO DO -- TO THAT EXTENT.
>> SALDAÑA: I READ THAT IN YOUR ARTICLE AND I APPRECIATE YOU PUTTING THOSE FACTS OUT THERE.
I WANTED TO SAY THOSE ARE GOOD POINTS.
DID WE NOT THINK ABOUT THAT OVER TWO YEARS.
>> SCULLEY: I'D LIKE TO ASK DOUG MCDONALD TO COMMENT BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS EXPERTS THAT HAVE DONE THIS ANALYSIS ABOUT THE BUILDING, AND AS WE KNOW OVER TIME, THE AREA HAS BEEN FILLED IN, AND SO IF THE ORIGINAL WAS AT LEAST 18-INCHES TO 20-INCHES LOWER THAN WHAT IT IS TODAY.
DOUG, DO YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT?
>> MCDONALD: SO WE HAVE STONE CONSERVATORS WHO ARE SPECIALISTS IN STONES.
THERE'S BASICALLY TWO OF THEM THAT ARE THE LEADING EXPERTS IN
[03:20:02]
THE COUNTRY.WE'VE HAD BOTH OF THEM LOOK AT THIS PROJECT.
AND THEY REALLY -- THE STONE IS NOT STABLE, AND IT'S LESS STABLE AND IT'S DETERIORATING MORE TODAY THAN IT HAS IN THE PAST.
SO THERE'S ALL KINDS OF THINGS -- THERE'S SOME THINGS WE KNOW AND THERE'S THINGS YOU CAN'T DETERMINE.
WE'RE STARTING THE PROCESS IN NOVEMBER ACTUALLY PUTTING PROBES THAT WILL GO INTO THE GROUND BECAUSE WE ARE PRETTY SURE ABOUT WHAT THE GROUND LEVELS ARE.
WE'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY MEASURE ALL THAT BEFORE WE ACTUALLY SPECIFICALLY DECIDE WHAT THAT FINAL REMEDY IS.
THERE'S A YEAR AND A HALF OF OBSERVATION AND ANALYSIS THAT'S GOING TO TAKE PLACE.
WE'RE GOING TO DETECT WHAT THE MOISTURE IS ALL THE WAY DOWN PROBABLY 4 FEET INTO THE GROUND AND ALL THE WAY UP INTO THE WALLS.
SO, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT -- SO WHAT I KNOW FOR CERTAIN IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE DATA IN A YEAR AND A HALF.
WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE CHURCH, AND I KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE BESTT EXPERTS WHO WORK ON THESE KIND OF STRUCTURES IN THE ENTIRE NATION THAT ARE ACTUALLY THE PEOPLE MAKING THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE'RE MAKING.
>> SALDAÑA: WELL, THAT'SRA POINT BECAUSE EVERY TEXAN IN THE STATE WOULD BE UPSET AT US IF WE DID NOT SLOW, STALL OR [INDISCERNIBLE] THE DETERIORATION OF THE CHURCH.
I MEAN, THAT IS THE ICON OF YOU NAME IT, WHETHER IT'S THE CENTERPIECE OF THE HISTORY, CENTERPIECE OF THE BATTLE, AND MY OWN REFLECTION ON THIS IS TWO YEARS AGO, THE DIRECTION OF SOME OTHER EXPERTS THAT WERE LOOKING AT THIS, A PLACEMENT OF, YOU KNOW, BLACK CARDBOARD AT THE BOTTOM TO SORT OF CAPTURE THE FALLING OF SOME OF THE CHURCH AROUND IT.
IT WAS LITERALLY DISINTEGRATING AND DETERIORATING AND IT WAS VISIBLE ON THE BLACK AREA.
>> WE PICKED IT ALL UP, WE FILLED JARS WITH. WE'RE MEASURING OFF SECTIONS OFF THE WALLS.
PAM WHO IS OUR CONSERVATOR, SHE'S WORKED ON THAT CHURCH FOR 20 YEARS, A SAN ANTONIO RESIDENT.
SHE LOOKS AT THIS BUILDING EVERY DAY, CLOSE.
SHE TELLS YOU IT NEEDS FIXED, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE DOING IT.
AND LAST THING, MAYOR, I DO HOPE THAT WHEN WE GO THROUGH THE ANALYSIS ON HOW IT IS THAT WE WOULD MOVE THE CENOTAPH, THE 50F CONFIDENCE THE CITY HAS SOME EXPERIENCE MOVING WHAT WE DID IN 1985, SEVERAL BLOCKS, FAIRMONT HOTEL, 3 MILLION-POUND BUILDING SEVERAL BLOCKS, WHICH WAS A 79-YEAR-OLD STRUCTURE, THIS CENOTAPH WOULD BE AN 82-YEAR-OLD STRUCTURE.
WE'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT EXPERIENCE MOVING THESE THINGS, I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF CONFIDENCE THAT THE STRUCTURE WOULD BE INTACT WE CAN UNDERSTAND THE RESPECT AND HONOR THAT SOME FOLKS HAVE SEEN AND REALLY BREATHED INTO THE CENOTAPH THAT A LOT OF FOLKS WEREN'T REALLY THAT AWARE OF BEFORE WE GOT INTO THIS WHOLE VISIONING PROCESS.
I'M ANXIOUS, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT THIS TO FALL APART AS IT HAS IN THE PAST.
>> MAYOR NIRENBERG: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN SALDAÑA AND TO OUR SPEAKERS AND TO PRESENTERS, AND TO MY COLLEAGUES THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR A VERY GOOD DISCUSSION.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING THIS DONE NEXT WEEK.
AT THIS TIME WE'RE GOING TO DELAY OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION UNTIL TOMORROW, SO WE'LL BE RECESSED UNTIL OUR PUBLIC HEARING, OUR CITIZENS TO BE
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.