When Kate Rogers was hired in 2021 to lead the Alamo Trust, she encountered a “healthy level of skepticism” about whether redevelopment of the Alamo complex would actually come to fruition.
During the previous year, the project encountered controversy over moving the Alamo Cenotaph, multiple deep-pocketed donors to the project had dropped out, and San Antonio residents remained uncertain how the evolving site plans would actually look in the end.
But the project got its biggest boost to date on Sunday, when Gov. Greg Abbott signed the state’s $321.3 billion budget, which includes a $400 million allocation for the historic Alamo redevelopment.
However, the Alamo Trust, the historic site’s nonprofit steward, will still need to raise significant funds for the redevelopment, but the budget allocation shows the state’s commitment to the project.
The total cost of the project is set at $504 million, this project includes street closures, plaza improvements, a new museum, artifact collection and education centers.
That’s significantly more expensive than the $388 million projected in 2021, due to rising construction costs.
The project is on track for a grand opening on March 6, 2027 — one year after the 190th anniversary of the 1836 Battle of the Alamo.
The overall redevelopment has received other local and state funding, including $38 million from the city’s 2017 bond and $25 million from Bexar County over five years for the museum.
The Alamo Trust has raised about $50 million in private donations so far and plans to raise $75 million more: another $50 million for redevelopment costs and $25 million to set up an endowment for continued operating expenses related to on-site preservation and educational opportunities.
Entrance to the plaza and Alamo church will be free, in addition to smaller exhibits and artwork in the museum lobby, she said.
While construction in the plaza continues, the embattled Alamo redevelopment is now in a period of political calm compared with recent years.
The goal of the redevelopment is to preserve the Alamo’s historic structures, which were designated a World Heritage site in 2015, and enhance the experience of visitors by restoring the site’s “dignity and reverence,” according to the master plan.
Approvals for the project’s work and design will be required at various levels, including the city’s Historic and Design Review Commission and the Texas Historical Commission. Despite everything, Houston remains optimistic that the project will celebrate its grand opening on schedule, saying, “It’s a totally different vibe than it was several years ago.”
To learn more about the Alamo Trust visit: https://www.thealamo.org/alamo-trust
