River Reach, Spring 2021 Page: 10
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Celebrating History at
San Pedro Creek Culture ParkCARRIE BROWN, PUBLIC ART CURATOR
San Pedro Creek Culture Park is an innovative way to provide
flood control while revitalizing a once-sacred site with
inspired artwork, splendid walkways, places of respite, and
cultural reflections. The original vision for the segment of the
park between Houston St. and Commerce St. was to create
large gathering spaces for the public, encourage interaction
with the creek, and program a variety of cultural celebrations
- the entertainment plaza at Houston St. and Camaron St.
played a key role in this vision.
As construction of the entertainment plaza began in early
2020, the original foundation structure of the St. James
African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church was discovered,
along with remnants of the Alamo Ice Factory and Beer
Brewery and the Klemcke/Menger Soap Factory.
Following the site's discovery, construction in this area was
halted to allow for further research and documentation. The
AME Church and the Klemcke/Menger Soap Factory were
identified as being eligible for listing in the National Register
of Historic Places and as a State Antiquities Landmark.
Archaeological investigation yielded that the foundations ofthe Alamo Ice Factory and Beer Brewery were too degraded
to qualify for preservation. As such, most of the re-design
concepts focused on preservation of some or all of the
remaining AME Church and Soap Factory foundations.
Community members recently had the opportunity to
weigh in on the re-design concepts through a 45-day
public comment period issued by the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (USACE). The San Antonio River Authority (River
Authority) promoted this feedback opportunity through a
website resource page, direct mail, email blasts, social media
promotion, fence banners, media contacts, and two virtual
public meetings.
Now that the public comment period has closed, the River
Authority awaits direction from the USACE who has
final approval of the design of this flood control project.
Regardless of the chosen design option, celebrating the
history of the AME Church and the Klemcke/Menger Soap
Factory will be a key element of future programming at the
park. For more information about San Pedro Creek Culture
Park, please visitWatershed Wise Rebate
Recipient HighlightMICHELLE E. GARZA, STORMWATER ANALYST
The San Antonio River Authority's (River Authority)
Watershed Wise Rebate Program rebates construction of
on-site stormwater best management practices (BMPs) to
either new construction or a retrofit of existing property. In
this article we are highlighting a recent recipient of a rebate,
architect firm, LPA, Inc. LPA is also a member of the SA 2030
District, which is a private-sector-led initiative intended to
transform San Antonio's urban core by supporting building
owners and occupants in their efforts to reduce waste and
increase building performance. The River Authority supports
and is also a member of the SA 2030 District.
LPA transformed the property at 1811 South Alamo
Street into a showpiece of sustainable innovation
earning Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
(LEED) Platinum by repurposing an existing building and
components, adding solar panels to offset energy needed
from the grid, and sustainably capturing rainfall to water
its landscape. This retrofit mitigates over 44,000 gallons
of stormwater runoff by capturing and treating it on-site
during an average rain event. This was accomplished using
a combination of cisterns to capture rooftop runoff and
bioretention areas to capture and treat parking lot runoff.- -
T
LPA was awarded a Watershed Wise Rebate to offset the
cost of the green infrastructure BMP features that capture
and treat over 335,500 gallons of stormwater runoff
annually.
For more information about green infrastructure and
sustainability, please visit sariverauthority.org/sustainability.
To learn more about the River Authority's Watershed Wise
Rebate program, visit sariverauthority.org/rebate.
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San Antonio River Authority. River Reach, Spring 2021, periodical, Spring 2021; San Antonio, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1679373/m1/10/: accessed August 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.