The River Walk History
The Historic Events from
1950 to 2005 |
|
 Since
the early 1950s and on to the 90s, Tourists and locals
alike have strolled along this amazing River and enjoy
all that it has to offer, the history, wonder, beauty
and pride that have made San Antonio what it is today.
A marvel of nature and inguinity, it has inspired
and enriched the lives of its nieghbors as well as its
visitors for centuries.
|
| |
| 1951-1953 |
| San Antonio River is straightened
from McCullough to A Street. A tainter gate is installed
in the bypass channel. |
| 1954 |
| Congress authorizes the San Antonio
Channel Improvement Project to provide flood protection
for 31 miles of river and 4 tributaries in San Antonio.
|
| 1956 |
| Bob Frazer, Director of Parks and
Recreation since September, 1955, establishes a small
botanic garden on the River Walk with philodendron, banana
plants and palms. Custodian Gentry Taylor and 3 staffers
maintain the park. |
| 1957 |
| Park rangers, organized in 1955,
are placed on river. |
| 1959 |
| David Straus forms the Tourist Attraction
Committee under the auspices of the San Antonio Chamber
of Commerce to look at economic development of the river
walk, which is now a city park but dangerous at night.
Lang Jeu opens in river level of the Clifford Building.
|
| 1960 |
| Open since 1899, the Original Mexican
Restaurant at 231 Losoya is closed. New San Juan Dam completed
in new flood channel. |
| 1961 |
| Marco Engineering Company of California,
major designers of Disneyland, complete a report, funded
by the City and the Chamber, on the commercial potential
of the river. The plan suggests that all buildings which
bck up to the river be developed in an early Texas or
Mexican colonial style, and that as many as possible be
rehabilitated to provide basement space that would open
at the River Walk level to accommodate retail and entertainment
facilities. Criticism arises over the carnival-like aspects
of the plan, but other elements, like forming a merchants'
association and holding frequest festivals are used as
a basis for further plan development. |
| 1962 |
| Straus along with Harold Robbins
and Jimmy Gause from the Chamber staff visit Carmel, CA,
and New Orleans' Vieux Carre Commission to look at their
ordinances guiding development. Straus frames an ordinance
based on these two documents which establishes a River Walk
District and a seven member Rlverwalk Advisory Commission.
Council adopts the ordinance on March 28. The Department
of Parks and Recreation completes a major landscape program
along two miles of river walkway, including over 17,000
assorted tress, shrubs, vines and ground cover. El Tropicano,
the first riverfront hotel, opens. La Sirena at 107 West
Commerce opens with a patio at river level. The Three
Wives Antique Shop, at a location now part of the Hilton
Hotel opens in November. |
| 1963 |
| April 15. The San Antonio Chapter
of the American Institute of Architects unveils a plan
for the Paseo del Rio. The plan takes the form of drawings,
text and a scale model. It includes a land use plan, the
basis for a planning district recommendation, and a capital
improvements program for public and private development.
The Chamber of Commerce creates a staff position to assist
the Tourist Attractions staff manager of the Paseo del
Rio project. The Landing opens in the basement of the
Nix Hospital in April. |
| 1964 |
| San Antonio voters approve $500,00
bond issue for Paseo del Rio improvments City Council
adopts an ordinance regulating signage on river walk.
March 17. The Paseo del Rio Association is formed, with
a staff person funded by the Chamber of Commerce staff
position and the money used to pay a PR person to write
the weekly Rio Ramblings for the Express-News. |
| 1965 |
| The San Juan Dam is extended so water
can get into the San Juan Ditch. |
| 1966 |
| La Paloma del Rio opens at 215 South
Broadway (Losoya). The Billboard Theater opens at street
level of 231 S. Broadway over Venice Restaurant which
opened the year before. The first Conservation Society-sponsored
Las Posadas is held on the streets of San Antonio using
the Courthouse, the Navarro House and the Spanish Governor's
Palace. |
| 1968 |
| March. Hilton Palacio Del Rio opens.
Hotel La Posada opens in the old St. Mary's Law School
on College St. April-October, HemisFair '68. Construction
is completed on the river extension and the convention
center complex. August 12. Kangaroo Court opens. The Little
Rhein opens in a San Antonio Conservation property. December.
First Fiesta de las Lumlnarlas held. The bypass channel
is modified. |
| 1969 |
| The first Paseo del Rio Assn. Great
Country River Festival. The Stockman Restuarant at 409
E. Commerce opened. Espada Dam is reconstructed. |
| 1970 |
| Voters approve a bond issue for River Walk
beautification and flood gate revamping. La Posada reopens
as La Mansion del Rio. An addition to the hotel is completed
in December 1979. |
| 1971 |
| The Corps of Engineers complete river
improvements from Alamo to Johnson Street. The Fort Worth
District and the San Antonio River Authority are given
a Corps Award of Merit for general, landscape development
design. The San Juan-Espada Ditch relocation project is
completed. The Fiesta de las Luminarias and Las Posadas
are combined for a River Walk presentation. |
| 1973 |
|
The River Corridor Feasibility Study is completed,
in a joint effort of six local government entities.
The "River Corridor Plan' provides a longterm framework
for development decisions along the river.
|
| 1974 |
| Flood gate 5 is relocated further
down the bypass channel and flood gate 4, constructed
to allow for circular boat traffic on the river bend and
bypass. |
| 1975 |
| The Southwest Craft Center opens
on the site of the old Ursuline Convent in buildings that
have been bought and restored by the Conservation Society.
|
| 1976 |
| The San Antonio River Authority moves
its offices to a new site on the rivrr opposite the Steves
Homestead. |
| 1977 |
| September. San Juan Dam falls. |
| 1978 |
| November 11. Robert H.H. Hugman is
honored at a ceremony inaugurating the Hugman bells at
the Arneson River Theater. |
| 1979 |
| A new Marriott Hotel opens on the
river extension, next to the Marina Garage. The Casino
Building, the Riverside Hotel and the Losoya Building
are refurbished as new rental apartments using special
federal monies for rehabbing the second to top floors.
|
| 1981 |
| In May, the Espada Aqueduct/Pledtas
Creek Bypass project is completed. The Hyatt Regency Hotel
and the Paseo del Alamo are opened, linking the River
Walk and Alamo Plaza. The first Holiday River-Parade is
held. |
| 1983 |
| Club Giraud opens at the Southwest
Craft Center. The Johnson Street pedestrian bridge is
opened. San Antonio Missions National Historical Park
established in February. |
| 1984 |
| River channel improvements are completed
from Alamo to Arsenal Streets. 1985 Channel Improvements
are begun from Arsenal to Durango. |
| 1987 |
| Holiday Inn River Walk is completed.
The Nueva Street Dam, Bridge and Marina are completed.
San Antonio tunnel project begun. Tunnel will carry storm
waters from Josephine Street south of US 281, 150 ft.
underground and return them to the river channel at Lone
Star Blvd. Project to be completed in 1995 |
| 1988 |
| Channel Improvements are completed
from Commerce to Houston Street incorporating Hugman's
details. The Hugman wall across from La Mansion and below
the Aztec is completed. Rivercenter opens on an extension
of the river extension. The Mall opens in February, Dillard's
in May and Marriott Rivercenter in October. The Original
Mexican Restaurant opens at 528 River Walk. |
| 1990 |
| The first Carnaval del Rlo is held.
|
| 1992 |
| San Antonio River Authority begins
repairs and drainage work on Asylum Creek and San Juan
Ditch. Water to flow again in the ditch when completed
in 1994. |
| 1993 |
|
Eckert's Drugstore opens in Noah Spears/Flo Kampmann Atherton Crichton Building |
| 1994 |
|
Work completed for San Juan Ditch project. Pumps now able to put water in ditch. |
| 1995 |
|
Southbank project between Presa, Crockett, Navarro, and river opens. Newly constructed buildings designed to fit in with existing architecture of San Antonio. Tenants are Country Line, Fat Tuesday, Hard Rock Café, Peasano's, Starbuck's, and Howl at the Moon. |
| 1996 |
|
Presidio Plaza between Crockett, Navarro, Commerce and river opens with Planet Hollywood, the Edge, The Presidio and Dos Chihuahuas. |
| 1997 |
January - Homewood Suites opens in old San Antonio Drug Company building.
April - Havana River Walk Inn on Navarro opens.
August - Adams Mark opens in 1950's National Bank of Commerce Building on river.
December - San Antonio Tunnel project dedicated. |
| 1998 |
September 10 - International Center opens, a conversation of old Main Library on S. St. Mary's.
October 16-17 - a 20'' rain flooded many areas in San Antonio, particularly on the Salado and Leon Creeks. The tunnel worked beautifully in saving downtown San Antonio.
November - Bexar County and the city of San Antonio formally inaugurate the San Antonio River Oversight Committee to oversee the further development of the river from US 218 to Mission Espada. The Hawthorne Suites open on N. St. Mary's. |
| 1999 |
|
May - Drury Inn opens in old Petroleum Commerce building on N. St. Mary's;
Mexican Manhattan on Soledad opens riverfront patio overlooking flood channel river walk. |
| 2000 |
|
Westin Hotel opens on site surrounded by S. St Mary's, Market, Navarro and river. |
| 2001 |
September - Civic Center Plaza at the corner of Main Plaza and commerce dedicated.
November - Landry's opens in the location of Bayou's in the riverside building.
December - River Walk from Presidio Plaza to N. St. Mary's on Crockett Street side dedicated. |
| 2002 |
|
River improvements take place from Convent to Lexington and from Houston to Convent dedicated. |
| 2003 |
|
Hotel Valencia opens at Houston, St. Mary's & River in January. |
| 2004 |
|
The Water Mark Hotel and Spa opens across from the La Mansion Del Rio. |
| 2005 |
|
First PDRA Mardi Gras Night Parade. |
