What a land buy means for the future of the Alamo
Purchase could raise hopes for renovation, new museum.
The Texas General Land Office is buying three major historic buildings across from the front of the Alamo, raising the potential for a plaza renovation or a new museum to house artifacts from the shrine.
The agency is under contract to buy the Woolworth, Palace and Crockett buildings at 518 E. Houston St., 319 Alamo Plaza and 321 Alamo Plaza, said Brittany Eck, spokeswoman for the Land Office, which oversees the state-owned Alamo complex.
Eck said the acquisition would not change the current terms of the existing leases. Tenants in those buildings include Ripley’s Haunted Adventure, Guinness World Records, Tomb Rider 3D, Del Sol, an apparel store and Grand Trolley Tours.
For years, history buffs and visitors have complained that the plaza is anything but a reverent battle site, with traffic, raspa vendors, street preachers and amusement attractions occupying the late-1800s and early-1900s structures on the plaza’s west side.
The Land Office “will not be speculating on the future use of these buildings at this time,” Eck said.
“The agreement has entered the due diligence period, during which the GLO will inspect the conditions of the buildings,” she said. “If the transaction proceeds, we expect to close on the properties by the end of the year.”
The seller is Service Life and Casualty Insurance Co. of Austin.
All three buildings, among several others on the plaza, stand within the original footprint of the Alamo.
Bill Chemerka, founder of the Alamo Society and a longtime advocate of improvements in the area around the plaza, said the purchase “could be a significant first step in the makeover of Alamo Plaza into a place of historical, educational and cultural importance.
“Hopefully, progress will
be made before the Alamo marks its bicentennial in 2036,” Chemerka said, referring to the earlymorning battle for Texas independence March 6, 1836, that has been chronicled in books and movies.
The Alamo and the four other former Spanish Colonial missions in San Antonio this year became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, underscoring their international significance.
The Land Office has committed to working jointly with the city of San Antonio, which owns Alamo Plaza, to develop a master plan for the Alamo and the plaza, with completion expected in less than a year. The Legislature this year appropriated $31.5 million as a starting point for the historic mission and battle site, including $25 million for the master plan process and projects resulting from the plan.
The city, meanwhile, intends to borrow $17 million under its capital improvements plan to spend on work in and around the plaza. Those allocations are subject to change and will require City Council approval.
One component certain to be included in the plan is a museum. The Land Office is under an agreement with avid Alamo fan Phil Collins to have a “permanent museum and visitor center” leased, purchased or near completion by October 2021 to house more than 200 artifacts donated by the former rock singer.
Eck said the Land Office and the Alamo Endowment Board, a nonprofit overseeing daily operations at the historic complex, “are looking forward to working with their partners in the city of San Antonio on the master planning process to create a comprehensive plan for the future of the Alamo.”