The new designation could delay demolition plans for San Antonio’s Institute of Texan Culture (ITC).
The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) had planned to demolish the building in the summer of 2025 to make way for construction of Spurs Stadium downtown and a possible redevelopment project called Project Marvel. There will also be a reimagined Alamodome, improvements to the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, and a new hotel.
However, the Texas Historical Commission designated the ITC as a state antique landmark during a public hearing Friday.
Louis Vetter of the San Antonio Conservation Society assisted in the process. “We attended the public hearing and there is an informal coalition of many different organizations that provided support to get this designation,” he explained.
This designation comes with more protection. “They have a much higher obligation to preserve the associated structures, find alternative uses and preserve them,” Vetter added.
But protection is not absolute, and UTSA officials said they plan to move the museum, demolish the building and sell the land.
The building is one of the few remaining Hemisfair-era buildings, dating back approximately 57 years after the World’s Fair closed on October 6, 1968.
The ITC building is one of the last remaining buildings from HemisFair ’68 in the city. Vetter said those who claim it was built as a temporary structure are misinformed.
“Senate Bill 156 states: ‘Hemisfair, the State of Texas exhibit building, shall not be used for permanent exhibitions or for such additional and alternative uses as the Legislature may direct. ”’ Therefore, the intention in constructing this building was to make it a permanent structure that would serve the citizens. ”
The UT System took over the building and 96 acres of land surrounding it when the Expo closed in early October 1968. Over the past few years, we researched ways to monetize the massive structure before deciding to demolish it.
In April 2024, UTSA Vice Chancellor Monica Perales announced that the collections stored in the ITC building will be temporarily moved to the Frost Tower, and that location is scheduled to open to the public in May 2025. I explained. One of two downtown spots they chose where the new Texas Cultural Institute will then be built.
“We are moving ITC to a new location as we begin to envision a new permanent home for ITC so that we can continue to serve the public and audiences who love Texas history and culture well into the future. We’re going to start planning,’” she said.
These two sites are on opposite ends of downtown. “Currently, there are two possible sites where ITC could be headquartered. One is the Crockett site near the Alamo,” she said.
The location is across Bonham Street from the Alamo grounds and next to the Crockett Hotel.
“The other location is near the southwest campus, which has great arts resources and has many benefits, including connections to UTSA’s School of the Arts and the downtown public library,” Perales explained.
Its second location is directly across from the former WOAI TV location on Navarro Street.
