What's the scoop on tearing down all those old buildings across the street from the Alamo and enlarging the hallowed ground? It would really be cool to see what archeologists would find under all that concrete.
The Master Plan for the plaza is supposed to be announced this summer, as it is right now, the State controls the Alamo and those buildings, the city still runs the plaza between the two on the original Alamo footprint. Red McCombs and others were recruited some months ago to raise funds.
Absent that master plan, not much besides rumors and hearsay is available to us outside the loop.
1) There was talk of turning the 1920's-era post office, still Federal property, that sits over where the north wall was into a museum, it appears this idea has been tabled and will not happen .
2) The buildings you refer that cover the west wall all date from the 1880's, and have some intrinsic value of their own. Plus Ripley's and the other businesses there have long-term leases that would have to be bought out. The business owners have said buying them out would not be cheap.
For a while the city was making noises about condemning these buildings due to failing foundations but that was months ago, not much heard since.
The latest talk is that the available space in these buildings would be used to house an interim Alamo museum.
3) The good news is that probably at least 80% of the original Alamo footprint is not covered by buildings. Right now state control (Land Office) ends at the curb in front of the Alamo, the state also owning those buildings you refer to across the street.
The talk is that the state would gain control of the whole plaza, including the street out front. The plaza and the church would then become a single entity. The present raised garden beds and the associated trees and grass on the plaza would be removed to restore the original flat, open footprint. The entrance way and parts of the south wall, including the rooms where Bowie died, would be reconstructed. The 1930's Alamo Cenotaph on the plaza would be relocated.
The folks who might know on-site are obviously not at liberty to openly discuss these things until official pronunciations are made.
The annual battle reenactment, if it continues at all, would probably be relocated to an adjacent park a few blocks away. I will say that, though it is enormous fun for those of us in it and a huge draw for spectators, it is at best a sort of crude pantomime of the original and arguably should not take place on the ground where 400 people died violently and another 400 were mortally wounded in the space of ninety minutes on the morning of March 6th, 1836.
What I do hope continues is the solemn Dawn Volley, fired in the semidarkness in front of the church on March 6th, about the time the mission was overrun. Fired by both Soldado and Texian reenactors using period-correct weapons and attended by a quiet and respectful crowd of the sort that is willing to get up way-early to attend.
Getting to participate in that volley was what got me started in reenacting in the first place.
Birdwatcher
