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Preserving a cherished landmark: Brackenridge Park Master Plan

Brackenridge Park is an official State Antiquities Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Unofficially – Brackenridge is the “Central Park” of San Antonio, a green urban oasis in the cultural heart of the city center, with a hundred-year-plus legacy

Founded in 1899 with an original bequest of 199 acres, Brackenridge Park is home to time-honored local traditions like Easter cookouts on the lawns and taking a ride on the Brackenridge Eagle – the much-loved narrow-gauge railway travels around the park and whistle-stops at the Zoo. The San Antonio Zoo’s shaded walks and award-winning habitats draw more than a million visitors each year. Situated on 343 acres, the park has a historic 18-hole golf course and driving range, and miles of groomed trails. Playing fields and children’s playgrounds are available for sports and recreation, and Parks & Recreation offers fitness programming year-round.

Also sited within the park’s 343 acres, The Witte Museum, established in 1926, is a prime tourism draw for school groups and families. The original museum building, designed by well-regarded father/son architecture firm Ayres & Ayres, is just one of dozens of historic structures on the Park grounds that merit recognition and preservation. Approximately two miles of our most famous feature, the San Antonio River, runs through the park.

The growing popularity of the park, due to the success of nearby downtown destinations and general population increase, logically comes with growing concern for the health and ideal utility of this vital public park. This recent inflection point called for a new master plan.

The City of San Antonio commissioned our team to create the Brackenridge Park Master Plan as a comprehensive roadmap to future development and rehabilitation of Brackenridge Park for new generations. The planning team was charged with the development of a master plan for the park that includes:

  • Land use planning to maintain the balance of fee versus free activity space in the park.
  • Creation of design guidelines for rehabilitation of existing park elements, and design of new park features.
  • Identification, prioritization, and estimated costs for future capital improvement projects for the Park.
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Client | City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department
Completion | 2017
Size | 343 acres

Witte Tree House at San Antonio River.
Bridge, Dionicio Rodriguez faux-bois design.
Brackenridge Park Master Plan Site Diagram

Consultants

Prime Lead | Rialto Studios
Ford Powell & Carson, Work5hop
Pape-Dawson Engineers, Adams Environmental, Teta Tech, Af/Cm, Inc.,
CNG Engineering, Raba Kistner, Ann Benson McGlone, Marek-Hill Design

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