Note from Storm: This 2009 article reported the on-schedule funding and implementation of restoration of the Mission Reach section of the San Antonio River (Texas). This is just south of the downtown portion that people around the world know as the San Antonio Riverwalk. At that time the budget for the entire South Side river restoration plan was $272 million. The San Antonio River Improvements Project eventually cost $384.1 million, and was completed in 2013.
REVITALIZATION readers in San Antonio are invited to comment on the success (or lack thereof) of this project. I have fond memories of the very early days of the RiverWalk, having been stationed at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio for about 9 months back in 1973.
The historic San Antonio River has long served as the heart of the city. Each year the world-renowned River Walk draws millions of visitors, and now miles of urban river have been revitalized beyond downtown and the famed Paseo del Rio.
The San Antonio River Improvements Project (SARIP) was a $384.1 million investment by the City of San Antonio, Bexar County, San Antonio River Authority (SARA), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the San Antonio River Foundation in flood control, amenities, ecosystem restoration and recreational improvements along 13 miles of the San Antonio River from Hildebrand Avenue south to Loop 410 South.
[Photo of the completed Mission Reach restoration by Al Rendon, courtesy of SARA.]