In 2016, then District 4 City Councilman Ray Saldana saw a five-year dream of his come to fruition.
The then 29-year-old San Antonio native unveiled his latest pet project to the Southwest side, Pearsall Park. Formally a landfill for several decades, the 526-acre park encompasses several recreational facets from walkways, playgrounds, a skate park, and splashpads.
Funding for the park came from the 2012 Bond that had been passed. Writer Bekah McNeel, in her 2016 article for the San Antonio Report, “Pearsall Park and the Ascent of the Southside”, writes, “when his district was awarded $8.5 million for park improvements in the 2012 bond, Saldana had a tough case to make to his district. Most park moneys are split between district parks, and the end results are not always noticeable. Saldana wanted to go for impact… dedicating $7.5 million, essentially the entire district park bond allocation, to one park was a hard sell in a city where everyone had grown accustomed to their pet projects funded to the detriment of world-class civic development.”
Five years later, Pearsall Park still stands and remains a great cornerstone for District 4 and the Southwest side. Saldana himself even said, “we’ve always been an area of town that has been dumped on…literally”, referencing the many junk yards and other features that supported the landfills position in the district. Pearsall Park has transformed those thoughts today.
The question at hand is could something like this be done for the eastside of San Antonio in District 2?
With the recent sale and shutdown of Splashtown San Antonio property acquired by the Cavender Auto Group, recreational spaces in the area are non-existent. The nearest equivalencies are Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Sea World, both residing in the city’s Northwest side.
What is left on the city’s east side?
Saldana’s vision does confirm that with the proper allocation and utilization of city funds, a project of any stature can be executed and stand the test of time for its community, especially if it is recognized that its community is in dire need. The other question is where on the city’s eastside and in District 2 could something like this reside? While it may not be a home to environmental hazards such as landfills, gentrification and environmental racism can still be seen as an environmental hazard.
Furthermore, city bonds every year feature millions of dollars that are allocated to the betterment of the City of San Antonio of all directions. Now each respective councilperson has the right to do what they wish with whatever ideas they have. Now a pet project like Pearsall Park for the city’s eastside would not be without its own challenges.
But with the potential of preserving a space for the community to thrive in District 2 and for the pride of the community to be re-instilled, isn’t it worth the fight?
