One year after San Antonio voters approved $13 million in funding for a land bridge that will connect the two halves of Hardberger Park, the conservancy has fulfilled a pledge to raise the rest of the cash needed to complete the project, Newsradio 1200 WOAI reports.
"If there is any doubt that the bridge is being built, I hope that it is now extinguished," former Mayor Phil Hardberger said.
The park opened in 2010, and its 300 acres immediately became a hit on the city's north side. It includes an urban ecology center, outdoor classrooms several parks and trails for hiking, biking and dog walks.
During the 2017 bond process, the conservancy promised voters that they would raise $10 million to complete the project. That was completed thanks to a $1.5 gift from the Tobin Endowment.
"Not only will this bridge improve the experience of visiting the park and the health of the wildlife in the area, it will be a work of art that Robert Tobin would have loved," Bruce Bugg, Chairman of the endowment, said.
Designs unveiled this week show how people crossing the bridge will have the experience of climbing a hill, and they won’t notice the traffic on Wurzbach Parkway below.
Mayor Hardberger says it's rare that any project gets funded before it starts, especially one that deals with public funding.
"This project, which is a big important project for San Antonio, is paid for before it ever started. That doesn’t happen"
Bidding for the project go out on Monday. It's expected to be completed by Christmas of 2019.
RENDERING; HARDBERGER PARK CONSERVANCY