The public helps create the vision for Tower Park by visually mapping out possibilities.
A resident maps out possibilities in the Tower Park area of Hemisfair during a public input meeting for the park's master plan in March. Credit: Bonnie Arbittier / San Antonio Report

Hemisfair wants to hear from San Antonio residents as it plans the next stage of revitalizing its downtown parks.

After the work on Yanaguana Garden and upcoming Civic Park, plans to transform the downtown district will now shift to Tower Park, located on the eastern side of Hemisfair next to the Tower of the Americas.

For the “vision and use plan for Tower Park,” Hemisfair is seeking the participation and input of local residents. Those interested in offering input on the future plans for this urban park are invited to take part in a survey that can be accessed online.

The third park installment is meant to add to the play area of Yanaguana Garden as well as the active park elements that will be part of the construction of Civic Park, which will break ground later this year and is scheduled to be completed in 2022. Tower Park is expected to be finished in 2024.

This map shows the various activity zones in Yanaguana and Civic parks in Hemisfair while outlining the next phase: Tower Park.
This map shows the various activity zones in Yanaguana and Civic parks in Hemisfair while outlining the next phase: Tower Park. Credit: Courtesy / Hemisfair

The survey includes questions about respondents’ frequency of visits to Hemisfair, reasons for spending time there, and which park features and activities members of the public would like to see incorporated into the park’s design. Participation in the survey is open until May 15.

To plan Tower Park, Hemisfair is partnering with the Project for Public Spaces, a nonprofit planning and design organization, as well as the Urban Land Institute, which will host an advisory service panel that will be presented publicly on May 3.

Valérie Eiseler is an intern at The Rivard Report. She's looking to get to know San Antonio before heading back to her hometown of Darmstadt, Germany.

2 replies on “Hemisfair Seeks Public Input on Plans for New Tower Park”

  1. The city is really good at checking the box like this. In the end, a well compensated consulting / design firm will unveil their vision for the site. Little if any public asks will be included.

  2. lol notice how they are Hemisfair, and not Hemisfair Park any more? That’s because Hemisfair is no longer a park, it is a mixed use development with less than 50% dedicated to green space (Fact check: see their master plan available online). Did they seek public input before putting a parking garage in the middle of Hemisfair? I can’t imagine they did.

    Also, Troy makes a good point in that this is probably all about checking boxes than actually including any public input.

    Another thing about Hemisfair, it’s funny how a $165 development contract was awarded to a partnership between Zachry Hospitality & the NRP Group, when David Zachry, CEO & Chairman of Zachry Hospitality was on the original Board of Directors of HPARC.
    Read that again: the City awarded a development contract to a Company who’s CEO was on the original board of directors of HPARC
    Lol sounds like a totally fair bid process

    (HPARC – Hemisfair Area Redevelopment Corporation, the organization created by the City to oversee Hemisfair’s development).

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