Blanquita Sullivan grew up in the River Road neighborhood she still calls home – next to Brackenridge Park, just north of the city center and next to Broadway. Living next to the park allowed him to chat with bird watchers and observe Easter parties, car shows and Sunday fishing.
But she fears it is in danger.
San Antonio officials are planning to renovate the city-owned historic Sunken Garden Theater in Brackenridge Park and could use 2022 bond dollars to help pay for the project. Renderings show a larger, more amphitheater-like venue that would host national musical acts and other events that would seat around 7,000 people.
City Council will vote Thursday on a final list of projects to be included in the $1.2 billion bond election scheduled for May.
Sullivan and his River Road neighbors have publicly voiced their concerns about plans for the Sunken Garden Theatre. They worry about access to their home during a big show, noise, and what they call a lack of transparency about the project.
“It needs to be really protected for the city,” Sullivan said. “Access so people can enjoy the park – that’s really important to everyone in San Antonio.”
Still, neighbors want to see improvements to the Sunken Garden Theater to protect its historic integrity.
They said it fell into disrepair over the years. But they don’t believe the blueprints they’ve seen fit the character of the theater, and they wonder if it would benefit everyone in the town.
“It should be rehabilitated. It should be fixed,” said River Road resident Carlos Rodriguez-Vidal. “It needs to be brought into the 21st century. That doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be brought up to theme park level.
Brackenridge Park and City of San Antonio officials proposed a major renovation of the Sunken Garden Theater, but neighboring residents and others expressed concern about the increased traffic the proposed renovation would cause.
William Luther / Personal PhotographerThe Brackenridge Park Conservancy, the nonprofit organization that manages and raises funds for the park under an agreement with the city, suggested a facelift after a masterplan seizure process years ago. The city also agreed in 2019 that the conservation had exclusive rights to redevelop the Sunken Garden Theatre.
But the proposed renovation is just a concept, said board member Suzanne Scott. Maintainers don’t commit to what exactly they look like renders.
The conservation commissioned a feasibility study and renderings to give the community an idea of what an improved Sunken Garden Theater might look like, Scott said. It’s supposed to be a starting point.
“We’re listening. We certainly see and appreciate the feedback we’ve received,” Scott said. “And we want to go through the process to get to the point where everyone is excited about the potential of Sunken Garden Theater.”
City officials originally proposed to spend $20 million on the Sunken Garden Theater, but later revised it to $10 million after concerns from city council. A citizens’ committee reduced that amount to $5 million after hearing from River Road neighbors and others.
Council members representing parts of Brackenridge Park also said the Sunken Garden Theater plan would change from what neighbors have seen.
“The project will change,” said District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, who represents part of the park but not the River Road neighborhood. “That will not be what is on offer at the moment. I feel confident saying this.
The overwhelmed neighbors
Lucy Wilson, president of the River Road Neighborhood Association, said the Brackenridge Park Conservancy first contacted the group in August about the Sunken Garden Theatre. She said they quickly had questions and tried to get more information, but struggled to do so.
The River Road ward has publicly raised concerns about a planned renovation of the Sunken Garden Theater in Brackenridge Park, shown here on Tuesday February 8, 2022. But they say they want a plan that better respects the theatre’s history.
William Luther / Personal PhotographerNeighbors have since requested studies of congestion, traffic, environmental impacts and effects on zoo animals. The park conservation later added a page to its website in response.
“We were a bit overwhelmed just seeing it,” Wilson said.
There is no doubt for Wilson and others that the theater needs attention. But they are particularly concerned that thousands of cars and people are congregating in a narrow urban area near the city center.
There are only two ways in and out of the River Road neighborhood, Rodriguez-Vidal said. If these areas are blocked, it could become difficult to come and go from them.
Raleigh Wood, another neighbor, said they work with police when there are big events at Easter and during spring break in Brackenridge Park. It helps, but it takes a lot of planning and rerouting cars. He can’t imagine the same effort for more regular gigs at the park.
If there’s a lot of congestion, Wood also worries that emergency response vehicles will have trouble entering the neighborhood. It’s not just their small community, Sullivan said — if traffic backs off on US 281, it could affect Monte Vista and Trinity University.
Scott, with the conservation, said the idea to renovate the Sunken Garden Theater stemmed from a master plan for Brackenridge Park approved by City Council in 2017. This plan came through an engagement process and was well publicized at the time, Scott said. He suggested a renovation that could use the theater year-round and generate more funds for the entire park.
On ExpressNews.com: ‘Gem for generations to come’: Sunken Garden Theater in San Antonio’s Brackenridge Park to be expanded to 7,000 seats with roof
Ensuring that a reimagined Sunken Garden Theater can sustain itself economically is important for conservation, Scott said.
Kirk Feldmann, president of KBF & Associates, worked on the feasibility study to answer the question of viability and what is possible at the site.
“The goal is to create a state-of-the-art outdoor performance venue designed with a business model that would pay for its own long-term operations and maintenance,” Feldmann said.
To do this, Feldmann considered where Sunken Garden could fit in with other locations across Texas and the country. He found a lack of theaters with a capacity of 7,000 people – some places can accommodate up to 72,000 people, and smaller places can accommodate around 2,000 people.
Filling this gap would suit the tourism industry well, Feldmann said.
“We want to embrace the history of Sunken Garden Theatre. But we also have to understand that for it to be a viable venue, it also has to meet industry standards,” Scott said. “We have to balance the two.”
The Brackenridge Park Conservancy suggested a facelift after a masterplan input process years ago. But the proposed renovation is just a concept, says board member Suzanne Scott. Maintainers don’t commit to what exactly they look like renders.
William Luther / Personal PhotographerMoving forward with city funding would give conservation a chance to produce better parking studies and examine other impacts, Scott said. A renovation could also alleviate sound problems for nearby neighbors by adding certain sound-deadening materials to the design and building other noise barriers.
Conservancy seeking municipal funds outside of the bond
District 1 Councilman Mario Bravo, who represents the River Road neighborhood and part of Brackenridge Park, held a town hall meeting at the Sunken Garden Theater late last month to gather more input.
Wilson, with the neighborhood association, said the event went well and neighbors felt heard.
Bravo still has questions about the project, and if park officials can’t achieve some harmony with the community, he’s not sure the renovation will get city funding.
The park’s conservation is also seeking $15 million from the Midtown Tax Increase Reinvestment Area, but the city delayed a funding agreement for those dollars after officials realized the community’s level of concern.
Another town hall is likely. City Council also voted to add at least one River Road resident to the Midtown TIRZ board of directors after Bravo and McKee-Rodriguez called for greater community representation.
Bravo recalled the Sunken Garden Theater as a special place where he saw his first concert with his parents.
“I want to make sure we take care of it, and we take care of all the neighbors who live off of it,” Bravo said.
