UTSA updates community on ITC visioning scenarios with release of evaluative report

OCTOBER 27, 2023 — The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) today shared with the community an evaluative report on scenarios for the future of The Institute of Texan Cultures, including assessments from professional subject matter experts and following a robust community engagement process that lasted one year.

The report is the next step in the ongoing ITC Centennial 2068 Evaluative Process, which has been guided by the work of three task forces and has included broad community input. Following the development of a final report by a Steering Committee, the university engaged with eight expert firms with specific knowledge related to museums, cultural institutions, architecture and real estate development to further assess three conceptual scenarios for the location of the ITC outlined in the final report.

Those scenarios are: staying in the Texas Pavilion, relocating somewhere else within Hemisfair, or relocating outside of Hemisfair.

“We are deeply committed to being good stewards of the museum, advancing its educational mission and ensuring its financial sustainability.”

Based on the professional assessments, potentially feasible locations outside of Hemisfair include UTSA’s Southwest Campus (1123 Navarro St. site), UTSA’s Downtown Campus (both 702 Dolorosa and the Monterey site on Frio Street), the John H. Wood Federal Courthouse, and a surface lot near the Alamo (the Crockett site).

All scenarios and options are still being evaluated and no final decisions have been made at this time.

“We are deeply committed to being good stewards of the museum, advancing its educational mission and ensuring its financial sustainability,” said Veronica Salazar, UTSA chief enterprise development officer and senior vice president for Business Affairs, and executive lead for the evaluative phase of ITC Centennial 2068. “As we move forward, all site options are being evaluated to determine whether they might meet the needs of the ITC. The Crockett site, in particular, is considered a very favorable site for the future of the museum, so we have begun a process to fully explore it as an option.”

Because of its proximity to the Alamo, a benefit of the Crockett location is the potential to draw some of the 2.5 million visitors to the Alamo each year to the ITC, which celebrates all cultures of Texas.

The university has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the City of San Antonio and with 1859 Historic Hotels, the owners of the Crockett property, to begin due diligence on the site. The City of San Antonio is involved in the Memorandum of Understanding because it is seeking parking and office space for the Alamo development project.

The due diligence process is expected to last approximately six months.

Additionally, university officials today briefed the Texas Historical Commission on the evaluative report and the potential Crockett option. The property is already historically designated as part of the Alamo District and comes under the purview of the commission.

Once due diligence on the Crockett site is completed, the university will be better able to assess its feasibility and the other options, and move toward a focused development plan.

“We are excited to provide the San Antonio community with the evaluative summary and the accompanying professional assessments as another way of fostering engagement in planning for the next 50 years of the ITC as a world-renowned and accredited museum that preserves and celebrates the diverse stories of Texans,” added Salazar.