Hemisfair leaders announced recently they plan to build a sports court near the Tower of the Americas.
The design plans advanced Wednesday when the Historic and Design Review Commission gave its OK for the new open-air pavilion and sports court in what’s often referred to as Tower Park.
The structure will replace a pond built in 1988 — its stagnant waters often the source of unpleasant odors in the area — and fulfill a request that surfaced in public input meetings hosted by the Hemisfair Park Area Redevelopment Corporation.
The McCombs Foundation and Spurs Give contributed the total cost of $1.8 million for the project.
Architecture firm Gomez Vazquez International developed the designs for the Red and Charline McCombs Community Court, which will have a 35-by-21-yard concrete slab surface and an oblong-shaped roof structure about 29 feet tall and supported by metal columns.
Renderings show the court surrounded by grass or turf. Hemisfair officials stated in their request to the Office of Historic Preservation that they will plant two additional trees at the site and coordinate with the city arborist to preserve existing trees.
“We are grateful to the McCombs family and Spurs Give,” said Andres Andujar, Hemisfair CEO. “Through the creation of the Tower Park vision and use plan, we heard from the community that a shaded basketball court would be used and loved, and we can deliver thanks to the funders’ dedication to enhancing recreational opportunities for our residents.”
More changes of a sports type could be coming to the east quadrant of Hemisfair in the coming years.
UTSA has begun talks with the City of San Antonio about a sale or lease of the Institute of Texan Cultures (ITC) property which could be used to expand the Henry B. González Convention Center, renovate the Alamodome or reconnect Hemisfair to the East Side of San Antonio.
The land has also been eyed for a downtown sports district. Also on Wednesday, UTSA announced plans to demolish the ITC building and relocate the museum’s artifacts, furthering speculation that the property could be used for a sports arena or stadium.
In November, the Spurs unveiled the team’s earth-toned City Edition court and uniforms featuring Hemisfair and the Tower of the Americas, which was built for the 1968 World’s Fair.
Marsha Shields, CEO and managing partner of McCombs Enterprises, said her parents’ legacy will continue in the Hemisfair District with the brand-new community court.
“From their leadership roles with HemisFair ’68 to helping bring the Spurs to San Antonio, my parents were always focused on lifting their community,” she said.
