SAN ANTONIO – San Pedro Creek Park has officially opened to the public two years after the San Antonio River Authority teamed up with the city and county to revitalize it.
A tunnel at the start of the park now opens up to a landscaped plaza. Two years ago, it was a concrete inlet under Interstate 35 that seemed forgotten and overgrown. The park is now unrecognizable from what it once was.
The Plaza de Fundacion is the same area where San Antonio’s original founders settled along San Pedro Creek 300 years ago.
The project will run about 2 miles; however, a half-mile is currently completed.
The first part of the project is estimated to cost the county and city $158 million. Suzanne Scott, general manager of the San Antonio River Authority, said the big investment will pay for itself.
“We imagine that now lining the creek will be new businesses, new job opportunities for people downtown. We already see the Frost Tower going up, so it's really going to transition this western edge of our downtown,” Scott said.
The renovations also incorporate four murals by local artists and parts of the original stone walls that lined the creek 300 years ago.
The festivities for the opening of the park will conclude at 9 p.m. Saturday.
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An illumination ceremony showcased the San Pedro Creek Park's beauty under the stars. KSAT’s Japhanie Gray was there for the ceremony. Watch her story in the video below or by clicking here.