SAN ANTONIO – The demolition of the former Institute of Texan Cultures building downtown was underway Tuesday despite a recent legal challenge from the San Antonio Conservation Society.
Videos taken by KSAT showed crews dismantling a section of the former museum less than a week after the conservation society filed its lawsuit claiming the city advanced demolition plans without the necessary federal review.
>> San Antonio Conservation Society files lawsuit to halt ITC demolition
The 13.59-acre site at the southeast corner of Hemisfair is the planned home for a Spurs NBA arena that could cost up to $1.5 billion. Though the land next to Interstate 37 is owned by the University of Texas system, the City of San Antonio has an exclusive option to purchase or lease it.
UTSA already had permission from the Texas Historical Commission to demolish the building, which dates back to the 1968 World’s Fair.
In a lawsuit filed Wednesday in state district court against UTSA and the city, the society argued the city improperly used UTSA as a proxy to get the demolition permit and that plans have proceeded without a required federal review process.
A hearing had been set for April 15 in the 408th District Court regarding the request for a temporary injunction on the site’s developments.
Lewis Vetter, president of the conservation society, told KSAT Tuesday that the city went through with its plans without public input.
“The whole point was to get that opportunity to pause what we’re doing, to not have this (demolition) happen, to be able to look at how that building might have been reused. It could be reused as part of Project Marvel,” Vetter said. “I think much of that project is fine. I think this would have been a marvelous piece of it.”
Vetter suggested it could have served as a practice area for the Spurs or been adapted for culinary or hospitality facilities.
Vetter said there’s “so much history tied to” the building, and it is the only downtown landmark designed by a Mexican-American architect.
“The conservation society is not just concerned about buildings, but it’s the culture, the place, the people, landmarks, parks themselves,” he said. “These are all what describe San Antonio.”
KSAT reached out to the City of San Antonio on Tuesday. Brian Chasnoff, assistant director of communications for the city, referred KSAT to a prior statement that was released in response to the conservation society’s lawsuit.
“The Conservation Society did not give us the courtesy of providing us with a copy of the suit, but we continue to work with UTSA on the acquisition of the property and fully support UTSA’s efforts to find an appropriate location for the Institute of Texas Cultures given the cultural and historical significance of the collection,” Chasnoff said in the statement.
Background
“Project Marvel” is a plan for projects that will contribute towards a new downtown Spurs area and entertainment district.
The city has estimated costs for about half the projects in its vision for “Project Marvel,” including the arena.
The combined price tag currently exceeds $2.75 billion, though the final cost will likely be higher, since several of the listed projects don’t even have cost projections: a “revised” plan for the Alamodome, a new land bridge across Interstate 37, the acquisition of a former federal courthouse, and the related infrastructure needed to support the district.
The city and Spurs began quietly discussing a downtown move in early 2023, though the city did not unveil its “Project Marvel” plans until November 2024.
On Friday, the city, Bexar County and the Spurs signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to further “Project Marvel” discussions.
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