Love is building for the controversial Cenotaph, the 1936 memorial to the defenders of the Alamo, which is set to be moved under the $300 million Alamo Plaza renovation project, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
State Rep. Lyle Larson, in a letter to Mayor Nirenberg, says removing the Cenotaph would be like 'moving the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier' in Arlington National Cemetery.
"The 60 foot empty tomb is currently perfectly situated on the Alamo grounds to honor those who bravely defended the Alamo," Larson wrote. "The goals of the Alamo redevelopment project without relocating the Cenotaph."
Larson says its presence at its current location 'helps tell the story of sacrifice and bravery of those who gave their lives for freedom.'
The major renovation of Alamo Plaza, which is expected to start in 2018 and be completed by the Alamo's 300th anniversary in its current location, includes moving the Cenotaph to a location along the San Antonio River near where the bodies of the defenders are believed to have been cremated following the battle. The idea is that the Cenotaph would be a 'gateway' to the Alamo from the Convention Center area.
The Cenotaph, which was dedicated by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas on the 100th anniversary of the battle, is a heroic depiction of the defenders by sculptor Pompeo Capini, which included the names of all of the defenders who were killed in the battle.
'Cenotaph' is Latin for 'empty tomb,' indicating that the remains of the defenders are elsewhere.
But many critics have complained that the towering Art Deco Cenotaph is inappropriate for the Alamo Plaza site and it destroys what planners call the 'viewshed,' the ability of visitors to experience the full experience of the Alamo Plaza.