Renovation of a municipal facility in San Antonio, Texas. Completed plans call for the renovation of a municipal facility.

https://www.star-telegram.com/news/state/texas/article314753154.html Nearly 20 years after a major overhaul of Main Plaza, the city of San Antonio and the Main Plaza Conservancy are gearing up for a $15 million makeover of the historic downtown plaza. Leaders said they plan to use the funds - $10 million in certificates of obligation from the city, and the rest from donations raised by the nonprofit conservancy - to make the site a more inviting place in the urban core. Improvements will include making the site more accessible for people with disabilities and adding a restaurant, a stage for events and more seating, trees and plants. "Our heart of the city should look a little more lively and beating," said Molly Hall-Villarreal, executive director of the conservancy. The conservancy has been hosting events at the plaza since 2008, including "The Saga," a video light show projected on the facade of San Fernando Cathedral in the evenings. Fiesta events, markets, protests, concerts and wedding photo shoots also take place at the site. The proposed upgrades reflect what visitors are looking for, Hall-Villarreal said. The city would level and grade a portion of the plaza to create a slope toward the cathedral to make it easier for people with wheelchairs, walkers and strollers to navigate safely. Much of the site is exposed to the sun, and the city and conservancy want to add a covered pavilion and a turf area. "It's pretty difficult to get around - the ground is really uneven," Hall-Villarreal said. "We like to call ourselves the people's plaza. We want to make sure it's accessible to all people." Hall-Villarreal and Michael Shannon, director of the city's capital delivery department, said part of the impetus is the other upgrades the city and private developers are making downtown, from building hotels and apartments to creating a sports and entertainment district anchored by a Spurs arena. "With everything that's happening, downtown is going to look completely different in two years, and it would be a shame if this historical place is left behind," Hall-Villarreal said. The city does not want to shut down the entire plaza during construction, which will likely take about two years, Shannon said. The prospect of even more clogged sidewalks and torn-up streets downtown will likely draw the ire of business owners, who have complained that the city's lengthy projects pummeling their foot traffic and sales. "We're very aware of it," Shannon said. "There's a lot of stakeholders, not only adjacent to the plaza but in the downtown core. We are coordinating with them. We're talking with them about what they're going to need, not only during construction, but what they'd like to see, too." The city and conservancy are hosting an open house Monday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Central Library downtown to show renderings of the planned improvements. They will later ask the city's Historic and Design Review Commission to sign off of on the designs and solicit bids from contractors. Construction could start in summer 2027. Main Plaza, or Plaza de las Islas, dates to 1731, when settlers from the Canary Islands arrived to establish the Villa de San Fernando. Plans for the area included a church and council house, and it became a hub of religious, government and ceremonial activities. Today, the plaza is encircled by the cathedral, the Municipal Plaza Building where City Council meetings are held, the Bexar County Courthouse, new hotels and small, empty commercial buildings. It last underwent a major revamp in 2008, a $18 million undertaking championed by then-Mayor Phil Hardberger. The redevelopment called for removing planters, repairing fountains, improving pathways, tying together San Fernando Cathedral and other buildings facing the plaza, linking the plaza to the River Walk and adding free Internet services, food kiosks, art and landscaping. The project was plagued by construction problems, criticism of the closure of surrounding streets, complaints about the aesthetic features of the plaza and cost overruns - it was originally budgeted for $10 million. The city, its public utilities and Bexar County footed most of the cost, with the remainder coming from private donors. Other changes have been made since then, including removing the fountains in 2023. Natalie Smith, chair of the conservancy's board, said the goal of the latest renovation is to make the plaza more accessible and to make it appealing to future generations. "Once you mobilize everybody and you shut it down and you go through the hassle of all of that, you want to get it right," said Smith, vice president of strategy at downtown development firm Weston Urban. "You don't want to have to come back five years later and say, 'Oh, we didn't think about X, Y, Z.'" _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The project consists of replacing elevators #1 and #4 with new larger elevator #1A at the Bexar County Courthouse. Elevator #1A will receive new machinery and controls. The elevator machine room will be upgraded with new electrical panels, lighting fixtures, mechanical units, and ductwork. New CCTV security cameras will be installed for all elevators, and a new security access system will also be provided for each elevator. Replace Elevator #1 and #4 with new larger elevator #1A, upgrade machine, all controls and interior finishes to remaining elevators #2 and #3. The property is located at 100 Dolorosa St., San Antonio, TX 78205. Bidders should use Lump Sum Pricing. County payment methods are check or ACH. All questions submitted via the supplier portal no later than January 09, 2026 by 10:00 a.m. (CST). Bid bond and performance bond are required.