Maverick Park is a small, somewhat barren and uninviting pocket park located at the corner of Broadway and Jones south of the Pearl Brewery and east of the San Antonio Museum of Art. Save for occasional festivals, Fiesta parades and other events, Maverick Park usually sits empty most of the year, save for the occasional cluster of homeless visitors.
A wave of new multi-family housing projects that is bringing hundreds of new residents into the River North area is creating greater demand for active park space and more places where people and their pets can recreate in the urban core.
That’s the reasoning behind Maverick Dog Park, a collaborative effort that has been formed to raise funds and establish a dog park at 1000 Broadway St. City, business, and community leaders will be calling on locals to contribute to Maverick Dog Park’s online fundraising campaign during a launch party at GS1221 on May 12, 5:30-10 p.m.
Click here to donate online. GS1221’s proceeds from that evening will go to the cause. Alamo Beer Company has agreed to match funds given at the party.
“A crowdfunding campaign has never been done before like this in San Antonio,” stated Joe Alderete III in a press release. Alderete is the Maverick Dog Park project manager and District 1 representative for the Parks and Recreation Board.
“The transformation of Maverick Park will be an exciting addition to River North and the downtown area as there are (more than) 1,800 residential units and more to come by 2020,” Alderete stated. “However, Maverick Dog Park is for all San Antonians and their pets to enjoy. A perk is the central location within walking distance to numerous pet-friendly downtown attractions.”
Destinations like The Luxury, the Pearl and its Farmers Market, the Museum Reach, the Hays Street Bridge, and VFW Post 76 combined with single family homes and dog-friendly apartment complexes such as 1221 Broadway, The Mosaic, the Can Plant, 1800 Broadway, and more – should make for a prime environment to turn part of Maverick Park into a sustainable dog park in order to draw more human activity to the park.
“Maverick Dog Park is set to be a net-zero impact facility with sustainability features, including a water filtration system location in the center of downtown San Antonio. Plans for future phases include an outdoor adult fitness area, children’s playground and public art area,” states the release.
Guest speakers for Tuesday’s event includes Xavier Urrutia, director of San Antonio Parks and Recreation; Noah Almanza, president and CEO of the San Antonio Parks Foundation; Ashley Riley, assets manager for AREA Real Estate; Larry Clark, vice president of Bender Wells Clark Design; Councilmember Alan Warrick II (D2); Councilmember Roberto Treviño (D1), and Alderete.
Correction: An earlier version of this article referred to the crowdfunding campaign as a P3 (public-private partnership). While it is in essence combining public and private support, it is not a formal a P3 project with the City of San Antonio.
*Featured/top image: Maverick Park. Photo by Scott Ball.
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