(SAN ANTONIO) – Brooks officially unveils San Antonio’s newest urban greenspace, The Greenline, today. A $10.6 million, 43-acre linear park, The Greenline will connect the Southside mixed-use community to the San Antonio River, providing connectivity to 15 miles of walking, jogging and biking trails stretching from the historic missions through downtown and The Pearl and up to Brackenridge Park. Brooks celebrated the grand opening by hosting the inaugural Greenline Experience – an outdoor festival featuring live music and family-friendly activities.
“This park is a dream come true,” said Brooks President & CEO Leo Gomez. “We could not be more thrilled about the opportunities The Greenline will offer here on the South Side. In addition to serving as a gathering spot for our community, it will help us attract employers and fuel job creation by providing amenities that enhance quality of life.”
The Greenline features 1.5 miles of illuminated hike, bike and jogging trails, a fitness station, a play structure, a food truck court, one large and three small pavilions, two restroom buildings, areas for outdoor games, Wi-Fi access, six plazas and a great lawn. The Greenline also features 10 acres of manicured grasslands, 10 acres of native vegetation, 265 new trees and 1,100 tons of boulders. Southerleigh Brewing Co. also announced plans to open its second San Antonio restaurant in an 8,043 square-foot space along The Greenline by fall 2018.
“The Greenline gives us another great space on campus to create fun fitness programming for the community,” said MixFit SA owner Giselle Calvillo. “Spending time in green space positively affects mental and psychological health, as well as overall wellbeing. We’re excited to see the countless benefits the Greenline will bring to the South Side.”
Located in the heart of The Greenline is a public art installation, “Running with the Moon.” Created by Brad Oldham Sculpture, “Running with the Moon celebrates the visionaries and dreamers who helped make Brooks what it is today. The 35-foot tall sculpture is made of steel bronze and depicts a boy running with a moon-shaped kite of butterflies. The 16-foot-tall crescent-shaped kite is positioned above Brooks Creek and features an internal lighting system that illuminates the spaces between the 508 individual stainless steel butterflies that make up the kite. The butterflies represent the many wide and difficult decisions made by those who have lived, worked and cared about Brooks over the past 100 years. The nearly 6-foot-tall bronze boy is depicted running along the Greenline pond pulling the kite, representing future generations empowered by the strong decisions made by fellow residents in earlier times.
“This beautiful work of art is a great addition to our campus,” said Gomez. “The design speaks to both the history and the future of Brooks and is the perfect focal point for The Greenline. As we continue our growth, this public art piece will stand as a landmark for Brooks, the South Side and San Antonio.”
Dallas-based Brad Oldham Sculpture is a husband and wife team, Brad Oldham and Christy Coltrin, known for their place-making installations around Texas and throughout the country and abroad. The two artists invest time in understanding each community where their sculptures will be installed to bring a unique and engaging story that could not be told elsewhere. The butterfly concept carries the Brooks story so well, that the artists created a collection of eight cast stainless steel butterflies that range from 3 feet to 6 feet in length that are placed throughout The Greenline. These accessible artworks, with whimsical faces, round bodies and extravagant wings are called “Brooks Butterflies.”
As part of the official grand opening ceremony, a waterproof time capsule containing artists’ notes, renderings and sketches – as well as items from Brooks including keys from The Kennedy apartments and the Embassy Suites Hotel & Spa, a student ID and hand-written letter from Sioned Kirkpatrick, a first-year medical student at the University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine, and Brooks’ 2017 and 2018 Fiesta medals – were buried at the base of the “Running with the Moon” sculpture. The capsule will be opened in 100 years.
The Greenline was funded with $3 million in city bonds and $7.6 million from a Brooks Infrastructure Revenue Bond. Beaty Palmer Architects designed the park with Pape Dawson serving as engineers and Guido Construction as the general contractor.
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Media Contact:
Connie Gonzalez, Director of Public Relations
Connie@livebrooks.com
210-678-3317