SAN ANTONIO – The Conservation Society of San Antonio is rushing to try and get a judge’s order to block further demolition work at the former Institute of Texan Cultures building after a contractor removed portions of an exterior wall this week.
The Brutalist-style building at the southeast corner of Hemisfair is also known as the Texas Pavilion and was built ahead of the 1968 World’s Fair. However, it is now in the way of the city’s plans for a multi-billion-dollar sports and entertainment district, Project Marvel.
City plans show a new Spurs arena and mixed-use development in the area where the ITC building sits now.
The Conservation Society filed a lawsuit in state district court last week to stop the building’s planned demolition, with an initial hearing scheduled for April 15. But, on Tuesday, KSAT captured video of the building with the wall open, and the society rushed to get in front of a judge sooner.
The University of Texas at San Antonio, which owns the building, says a contractor had to remove wall panels to enable equipment access to the upper floor as part of asbestos remediation work, which is expected to last through mid-May.
Conservation Society members initially told reporters Wednesday afternoon they hadn’t been able to get a hearing. But they said UTSA’s attorney had assured their attorney the work was only for abatement purposes, which seemed to satisfy them.
The missing concrete panels could be replaced, the society members said, and “all is not lost at this moment.”
However, in a phone call Wednesday evening, President Lewis Vetter told KSAT they were later able to get in front of a judge after all. But at that point, he said, UTSA’s attorney would not state in court that the abatement actions wouldn’t be destructive to the integrity of the building.
“What they did offer was they would simply follow the instructions that are within the current abatement orders and instructions. So that’s not satisfactory for what we had left that earlier meeting with,” Vetter said.
Vetter said they plan to be back in court at 9 a.m. Thursday.
>> Institute of Texan Cultures demolition underway despite San Antonio Conservation Society lawsuit
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.
>> San Antonio Conservation Society files lawsuit to halt ITC demolition
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 has permission from the Texas Historical Commission to demolish the building, which is the Conservation Society says is the only downtown landmark designed by a Mexican-American architect.
In the lawsuit, the society argued the city improperly used UTSA as a proxy to get the demolition permit and that plans proceeded without a required federal review process.
The society also argues that demolishing the building violates the 1967 deed that transferred the property from the City of San Antonio to the State of Texas.
The society wants a judge to order a halt to any demolition until requirements related to the Texas Natural Resources Code and the National Historic Preservation Act have been completed.
“It’s not our demolition permit, not our building, not our property. The City of San Antonio is not involved with the ongoing work on that site,” the San Antonio City Attorney’s Office wrote city in a statement to KSAT.
The Conservation Society’s lawsuit against UTSA and the City of San Antonio claims the city advanced demolition plans without the necessary federal review.
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.
In the meantime, ITC has already been temporarily relocated to the Frost Tower.
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