USAA is creating a designated resting area for service members and veterans visiting the Alamo as part of their $5 million contribution to continued revitalization efforts on the historic downtown area.
The partnership with Alamo Trust is a part of the Alamo Plan, meant to redevelop and preserve parts of the 1836 battlefield area. USAA will sponsor revitalization of the Paseo del Alamo, the pedestrian corridor connecting the River Walk and Alamo Plaza, also commissioning a public mural to highlight San Antonio’s designation as Military City USA.
“This partnership is about more than protecting a historic site. It’s about telling the story of the men and women who have served and ensuring this city remains a vibrant, thriving place for future generations to connect with that legacy,” said Juan C. Andrade, President and CEO of USAA, the financial services company headquartered in San Antonio.
The mural will be commissioned from a local artist and displayed on the Paseo. Alamo Trust has not secured permits for the project yet, and a timeline for completion will be more clear once those are finalized, Alamo Trust President and CEO Hope Andrade said.
The site’s history goes beyond the 13-day siege during Texas’ war of independence from Mexico.
San Antonio’s military identity is closely identified with the Alamo defenders’ famous declaration of “Victory or Death” before perishing in the Battle of the Alamo. But in the years following the Texas Revolution, the U.S. Army occupied the former mission from 1845 through 1877.
The Army only left the site to move into a permanent garrison at nearby Fort Sam Houston, where they’re still based today.
San Antonio is also now home to the U.S. Air Force’s basic training program at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. All enlisted members of the Air Force pass through the city, a fact that incentivized USAA’s involvement in this project.
“We want them to see their future service reflected in this downtown redevelopment, but we also want them to have some reprieve from the sun and from the heat,” USAA Head of Corporate Impact Jenna Saucedo-Herrera said when unveiling the planned service members rest area. “They’ll have a chance to hang out in this military lounge, and we’re excited to provide them that opportunity.”
In 2023, Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law a $400 million allocation for the Alamo redevelopment plan. The Paseo del Alamo, which was reopened after restoration efforts earlier this month, links the historic site to the River Walk. The updated Paseo features new landscaping, walkways and ADA-compliant paths with an elevator to increase accessibility.
“The Alamo is a lasting symbol of bravery, and we are thrilled to work alongside USAA to bring that spirit to life for our visitors,” Hope Andrade said. “Together, we are creating a welcoming space that truly reflects the heart and soul of Military City USA.”
With over 1.6 million visitors annually, the Alamo is the most visited destination in Texas, and the historic San Antonio Missions make up the state’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site.
USAA has been serving the city’s military community for over a century since its founding in San Antonio by Army officers in 1922. The company employs more than 38,000, about half of which are in San Antonio. Saucedo-Herrera said getting involved in the Alamo project helps the company honor its hometown’s history.
“The Alamo and the history that is present here in this redevelopment site, just made a perfect, perfect match for what we were trying to do in honoring our military history and legacy, but also supporting our hometown and economic development here in downtown San Antonio,” she said.
