Third Brewsday Cooking Up an Early Mardi Gras Pop-up Beer Garden to Take on Monthly Themes
On the third Tuesday of December, Hemisfair started a new San Antonio tradition inviting the public to enjoy complimentary live music and beer tastings in conjunction with the City’s Downtown Tuesday initiative. With support from Glazer’s Distributors, Third Brewsday organizers plan to
Read MoreHemisgear online store now open!
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS (NOVEMBER 12, 2012)—Hemisfair Park Area Redevelopment Corporation (HPARC) is setting a new trend. Now the public can show support for Hemisfair’s transformation by sporting their very own Hemisgear. Starting November 12, HPARC will launch their virtual store via Café Press at www.cafepress.com/hemisgear.
In the past year, San Antonians backed Hemisfair’s revitalization as a cornerstone of Mayor Castro and Council’s SA2020 Vision by approving the Hemisfair Master Plan and voting for the 2012 Bond. “We hope our new merchandizing effort will mobilize supporters and signify the personal connection between the people of San Antonio and the future of Hemisfair,” said Andres Andujar, CEO of Hemisfair. A portion of sales go to Hemisfair non-profit, and the apparel will be a way for fans to spread excitement of what’s to come.
Over twenty items are available for purchase featuring nine variations of the Hemisfair logo, from baby onesies to iPhone cases. The site launches in time for Cyber Monday’s online shopping frenzy.
Did you see the interesting and informative interview on “Conversations” on KLRN Public Television of Andres Andujar, CEO of Hemisfair Park Area Redevelopment Corporation by David Martin Davies? Great details included and some amazing video footage! Get the latest on Hemisfair and the Master Plan!
Hemisfair Park Area Redevelopment Corporation CEO Andres Andujar was recently interviewed on WOAI TV about the Hemisfair Master Plan. Take a look!
Read MoreAugust 6, 2012 · It was the dawn of a new era in San Antonio. Tourists from all over the world poured into the Alamo City after First Lady Lady Bird Johnson officially opened the world’s fair in April 1968.
“It is my great pleasure to declare that HemisFair 1968 is officially open. May millions find in this lovely spot knowledge, inspiration and enjoyment. Thank you.”
San Antonio Conservation Society President Nancy Avellar says her group mourned the destruction of the neighborhood that made way for the fair, but can’t deny the impact of HemisFair.
“HemisFair really was a watershed moment,” said Avellar. ”It created international interest in our city. The tourism and convention industry became very important and continue to be to this day.”
Excitement and optimism prevail in audio recordings from UTSA Library’s special collections.
“Much of HemisFair ’68 will be permanent – the civic center complex, the pavilions, the gardens, and, most important, its cultural and economic impact will remain. This will be the legacy of HemisFair ’68.”
“This is not bringing HemisFair back,” said Andres Andujar, who heads up San Antonio’s HemisFair Park Area Redevelopment Corporation. ”HemisFair was a definitely a one-time event.”
Actually, it’s just the opposite – and even ironic. HemisFair, coupled with urban renewal in the 60′s, demolished a downtown neighborhood to make way for the fair. The plan recently approved by city council would return a neighborhood of residences and businesses, along with a massive increase in park land.
“The convention center has plans to demolish the west wing of the convention center, which then will be transformed into open space and civic park,” said Andujar.
That would turn all the land at Alamo and Market, west of the river and across from the Hilton Palacio del Rio into a park. Andujar calls it “the front porch of San Antonio”.
“So you’ll still be able to come and celebrate New Year’s and other large events, but at the same time, we want to program the park be very community based, something that families can enjoy,” he said.
Workers are finishing restoration of the Eager House next to the Magik Theatre on South Alamo. Restoring this Civil War-era house and the mix of historic outbuildings around it is the first step in the renovation.
HEAR THE INTERVIEW AND READ THE FULL STORY HERE
Hemisfair is working with placemaking experts from Project for Public Spaces (PPS) and playmaking experts from MIG to create a vision for a well-loved local destination for all ages, with a children's play experience, that creates an authentic place for San Antonio residents and makes downtown more attractive and livable. This public destination will be located at the southwest corner of
Read MoreAn economic analysis of a sample of neighborhoods in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area using walkability measures finds that more walkable places perform better economically. For neighborhoods within metropolitan Washington, as the number of environmental features that facilitate walkability and attract pedestrians increase, so do office, residential, and retail rents, retail revenues, and for-sale residential values.
Walkable places benefit from being near other walkable places. On average, walkable neighborhoods in metropolitan Washington that cluster and form walkable districts exhibit higher rents and home values than stand-alone walkable places.
Residents of more walkable places have lower transportation costs and higher transit access, but also higher housing costs. Residents of more walkable neighborhoods in metropolitan Washington generally spend around 12 percent of their income on transportation and 30 percent on housing. In comparison, residents of places with fewer environmental features that encourage walkability spend around 15 percent on transportation and 18 percent on housing.
Mayor Julian Castro joined Hemisfair Park Area Redevelopment Corporation (HPARC) CEO Andres Andujar and Board President Madison Smith at Hemisfair for a press conference and to tour the historic restoration of the “Eagar Complex.” Hemisfair transformation begins!
Read MoreInterview with Andres Andujar, Hemisfair CEO
Milton Glueck of KLUP/KSLR Radio
February 17, 2012
Milton: Welcome to In The loop…
On this program we’ll get you caught up with the news, the people, the organizations, in San Antonio that make it a better place to live. Hemisfair is a big part of that and it occurred to me that last year about this time we touched base with this man that we are going to talk to again because they were doing some planning sessions for Hemisfair Park. It is a big part of San Antonio and a big important part of San Antonio. We are going to find out what’s going on, what happened in the past year and we’ll find out what’s coming up in the future. Andres Andujar, who is the CEO of Hemisfair Park Area Redevelopment Corporation or HPARC is our guest.
Last time this year you were just getting ready. You had focus groups that were meeting and discussing what folks wanted to see in Hemisfair. If you don’t mid can you kind of reset that a little bit and tell us what was going on about a year ago.
Andres: Of course, a year ago we were developing the framework plan, which is the synthesis of the big idea for the redevelopment of Hemisfair. And since then, back in May of 2011, we had gone through an approval process with agencies and the city council which approved the Hemisfair framework plan which became the foundation for the master plan. It was recently approved by City Council and Planning Commission, and supported or endorsed by groups such as the Conservation Society, the Historic Design and Review Commission and neighborhoods such as Lavaca and King William. So since a year ago we have completed over 200 presentations to over 5,000 people around the city, north and south and center. In every direction we are finding great encouragement and approval for the plans for Hemisfair’s redevelopment.
The “Hemisfoto” Photography Contest kicks-off March 5, 2012 and runs through April 28, 2012. You’re invited to show off your image of the iconic ‘Tower’ from any angle and from any part of the city. Head down to Hemisfair and take a new photo, or dig one out from your old photo album. Then send us your best photo of the tower and a brief story about the image. Remember the deadline for online entries is April 28, 2012.
Hemisfair belongs to everyone; regardless of how you view the tower, what zip code or side of San Antonio you reside in, it pulls you into the park – our beacon, like the ” North Star.”
Following a 2 month virtual photo exhibit winners will be chosen during
” Luminaria” on Sat. May 5. Three winners of $500 will be selected.
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