SAN ANTONIO, TX– Brooks today broke ground on The Greenline, a $10.6 million, 43-acre linear park that will connect the Southside mixed-use community to the San Antonio River, providing connectivity to 15 miles of walking, jogging and biking trails all the way through downtown and The Pearl up to Brackenridge Park.
The Greenline will not only provide recreational and fitness opportunities for the growing number of people living at Brooks, but will attract tourists and residents from across the city to walk their dogs, play outdoor games, barbeque at the pavilions, dine at the food court, read or browse the internet in the plazas and grassy areas, bring children to enjoy the play structure and chase butterflies in the native vegetation.
Designed by Beaty Palmer Architects, the park will feature:
- One mile of illuminated hike and bike trails and 1.5 miles of jogging trails
- Sidewalks ranging from 6-feet to 12-feet wide.
- Fitness stations
- Play structure
- Food truck court and 23 picnic tables
- One large and three small pavilions
- Two restroom buildings
- Ping pong and foosball tables, outdoor chess and gaga pit
- Wi-Fi
- Public art
- Five terracing lakes
- Six plazas and a great lawn
In addition, the park contains 10 acres of manicured grasslands, 10 acres of native vegetation, 265 new trees and 1,100 tons of boulders. The first phase is set for completion next fall.
At a ceremony featuring Congressman Lloyd Doggett, County Judge Nelson Wolff, District 3 Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran and representatives from Brooks and the San Antonio River Authority, officials ushered in construction with a ceremonial tree planting. Following the ceremony, guests “adopted” and took home 40 trees courtesy of the City of San Antonio Parks & Recreation.
“Aside from providing flood control, a major reason for Bexar County’s funding of the Mission Reach was to reconnect neighborhoods and residents to the San Antonio River,” Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said. “The Greenline further leverages our investment by connecting the growing Brooks community to the river and giving visitors even more options for exploration when they visit South San Antonio.”
“This park is a step forward for quality of life in San Antonio,” said District 3 Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran. “Brooks and The Greenline will provide the southern anchor for a linear park system that stretches for 15 miles along the San Antonio River, providing not only fun and fitness opportunities, but access to the five historic missions that we are proud to call a World Heritage site. When this park is complete, you will be able to walk from Brackenridge Park all the way down to The Greenline, making short detours along the way to visit each mission. What a fantastic way for tourists and locals to explore our beautiful city.”
Brooks CEO Leo Gomez said the park would not only serve as a community gathering spot, but would help Brooks attract employers and fuel job creation on the South Side.
“Major employers aren’t just looking for tax breaks, they are looking for quality of life,” Gomez said. “What will help them recruit a great workforce? Time and again, we hear that companies want to be able to offer amenities such as parks, eateries, entertainment venues and attractive housing near the workplace. This is the kind of community we are building at Brooks. We could not be more thrilled about the opportunities this beautiful park will offer.”
The Kennedy and The Landings apartment complexes and future single-family housing will be developed on the banks of The Greenline.
Manuel Villa, Chairman of the Brooks Board of Directors, said the park will not only serve as an amenity for residents, but a destination for concerts, festivals and non-profit activities.
“For our community here at Brooks and on the South Side, The Greenline is a dream come true,” Villa said. “It will be the new weekend hotspot, an essential part of the community as we build the live, work learn and play atmosphere. We can’t wait for this beautiful park.”
Brooks is already home to 30 businesses and organizations and several hundred residents. Developments in progress or planning include a 9-acre retail center, The Kennedy at Brooks luxury apartment complex, the Aviator apartments, a full-service Embassy Suites hotel, refurbished event spaces in historic Hangar 9 and the Brooks Chapel, and the University of the Incarnate Word’s School of Osteopathic Medicine on the campus of the former School for Aerospace Medicine.
With The Greenline’s connection to the San Antonio River, UIW will now be connected on the South and North ends of town, from the new medical school at Brooks to Brackenridge Park, right across the street from UIW’s main campus at Hildebrand and Broadway.
The park is funded with $3 million in city bonds and $7.6 million from a Brooks Infrastructure Bond. Beaty Palmer Architects designed the park, Pape Dawson will serve as engineers and Guido Construction will serve as general contractor.
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Media Contact: Connie Gonzalez
210-678-3317
