A plan to improve the “heart of the city” is moving forward with approval from the city’s Historic and Design Review Commission (HDRC).
The panel recently granted conceptual approval to designs brought by the nonprofit caretaker of Main Plaza that would level the plaza and bring more seating and shade via a new pavilion.
Main Plaza Conservancy, which oversees what is considered the historical and cultural heart of the city, has been working toward the project since at least 2024 when the group embarked on a campaign to raise funds for improvements.
“I’m excited and looking forward to continuing to do this important work and help celebrate Main Plaza for the next 300 years,” Natalie Smith, board chairwoman of the conservancy, said after the HDRC hearing.
Construction on the $15 million project will start in summer 2027 and is expected to take up to two years to complete.
The plaza’s history dates to 1730 when King Philip V of Spain sent a contingent of Canary Islanders to establish Villa de San Fernando and a municipal-style government. The settlers developed a city plan with streets that radiated out from Plaza de Las Islas Canarias, making it a focal point for the community.
Much history has passed through the plaza since, and in 2008, a $12 million effort championed by then-mayor Phil Hardberger included a major overhaul of the plaza and a realignment of streets.
The plaza is framed by the Bexar County Courthouse, built in 1896, and San Fernando Cathedral, built in 1755. To the west and north is Municipal Plaza, a hotel, apartments and office buildings.
At the corner of West Market Street, a few retail buildings owned by restaurateur Lisa Wong are vacant.
In 2014, the conservancy acquired The Saga, a music and light show projected onto the facade of San Fernando Cathedral and tells the history of San Antonio.
The free and popular attraction brings visitors to the plaza, and is one of many events the conservancy hosts throughout the year that help support the programming and maintenance of the plaza.
A majority of the costs to maintain the plaza are related to event production, Smith said. “Activating the plaza and having the infrastructure to support public free events is critical to the long-term operations and activation of the plaza.”
But Main Plaza wasn’t designed for optimal viewing of The Saga nor the kinds of events the group would like to bring into the area, say conservancy leaders.
With its steps and levels, the plaza also isn’t easily accessible for people with disabilities and lacks shade and seating. Historical markers have become worn.
Plans developed by the architecture firm Ford Powell Carson would return the plaza surface to its original grade, which slopes slightly from the cathedral toward the River Walk.
A new 22-foot-high pavilion is planned to provide at least 5,500 square feet of additional canopy for shade plus a performance stage, cafe and kitchen.
The small cafe and kitchen, Smith said, is expected to generate for the conservancy the kind of revenue needed for sustaining the organization long-term. The plaza’s existing infrastructure is inadequate to support the two existing food and beverage kiosks, she said.
The pavilion’s roof will be supported by 16 columns made of wood, in symbolic reference to the 16 Canary Island families who established the original settlement in 1731.
Some of the low walls in the remade plaza would also provide more seating and an outdoor classroom will make the area more comfortable for students who visit on field trips.
The group has mapped all of the plaza’s heritage trees, which will remain. New trees will be planted and artificial turf will be used in some landscaping due to the extensive foot traffic in the plaza.
In the center of the plaza will be a timeline formed with inlaid granite that tells the story of Main Plaza.
The conservancy has raised $2 million so far toward the cost of the project through an ongoing campaign to raise a total of $5 million, Smith said.
The remaining cost will be paid by the City of San Antonio, which owns the plaza, through $10 million in certificates of obligation, as approved by the council in 2023 and 2024.
This month, the Conservancy is hosting several upcoming events in the plaza, including its Second Saturday Market on April 11, the annual Rey Feo Crowning on April 17 and Fiesta San Fernando on April 21.
