Tag: alamo plaza

Slip-Sliding Backwards on Alamo Plaza Signage

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Such a sad birthday greeting this morning on my way to workout.  The 1891 Reuter Building is one of the most handsome landmarks on Alamo Plaza.  Yet there he is – a huge Shamu brazenly filling the building’s beautiful arched window.  I was too saddened to even stop and take a photograph.     

This violates the City’s Unified Development Code in so many ways, particularly as I am sure Sea World is not behind those doors.  Will no one put a stop to the runaway commercialization of the Alamo Plaza Historic District?     

Reuter Building
This photograph shows the commercialization of the facade of the Reuter Building prior to the installation of Shamu in the middle window.

 

I hope the San Antonio Conservation Society will decide to spring into action to defend this affront to the Society’s property.  This is the Conservation Society’s facade according to its website:     

The facade was given to the San Antonio Conservation Society Foundation by the building’s owner, Mr. Thomas Wright, in May, 1978, and was the first such gift accepted by the Foundation. It was restored with funds from the Foundation, the owner, and a matching grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior administered by the Texas Historical Commission.     

The Society helped shrink the banner; surely they can shrivel up this Shamu beached on Alamo Plaza.     

Update on August 14:   Pictures do say it better; so I went back to Alamo Plaza on my morning walk.   Tried to restrict photos to the topic at hand, but portable signboards are creeping back out some of the businesses’ doors and the Alfred Giles-designed Crockett Block has the same window issues as the Reuter Building.     

This photograph shows the commercialization of the facade of the Reuter Building prior to the installation of Shamu in the middle window.
Shamu flips his tail at the signage regulations governing the Alamo Plaza Historic District.
Signage completely masks most first-floor windows of the Alfred Giles-designed Crockett Block.
The number of these full-window-size ads has multiplied in the past several months.
Sandwich boards creeping back out the doors in the historic district, despite Sam’s earlier efforts.

Update on August 31:  The Historic Design and Review Commission has some tightening of signage regulations on its agenda tomorrow, which is great.  But only if it is enforced.  Hopefully, the tightening and clarification of who’s in charge means enforcement ahead….  We’ll know when we get to wave goodbye to Shamu, ads for the Buckhorn and all the other clutter.

Odd Connection to Texas Centennial

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I am not among those who wants to eradicate the current businesses operating around Alamo Plaza, just need to respectfully corral the signage in the historic district.  That is not to say I love what is housed in the historic buildings that line Alamo Street, but the buildings themselves need their dignity preserved. 

What is unbelievable to me is Ripley’s Odditorium actually has a historical connection to Texas, one that dates back at least as far as the Texas Centennial in 1936.  Plucked this proof off of ebay:

 In the words of Robert Ripley, “Believe It or Not!”

 And as a courtesy to the seller of the postcard….

 P.S.  Don’t forget to bail Gayle out of jail!

Alamoment: How the Daughters Felt on Receiving Audit Request

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Alamoment: 

The instant when you realize that you are about to be completely and monumentally screwed.

Love this great word coined by a new blog, Portmanteau: The Compoundium, self-described as the:

compilation of several portmanteaus, or “blend[s] of two (or more) words or morphemes and their meanings into one new word.” (Wikipedia)

The Compoundium describes that special Alamoment feeling:

A bright, crisp morning greeted James Whitesides (not to be confused with the Irish poet) as he rose from his post at the mission near San Antonio de Bexar.  Texas had been good to him; the land was cheap and the humidity made his hair very manageable.  The war with Santa Anna hadn’t even wrinkled his disposition.  He took a deep breath and open his sleep-filmed eyes.

And then he looked to the south….

Alamoment:  The feeling experienced by the member of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas who first spied the Texas Attorney General’s fax requesting volumes upon volumes of information to audit the guardians of the Alamo.

While it might seem as though it has been some time since I returned to issues plaguing the Alamo and Alamo Plaza, I secretly have been adding updates at the bottom of older posts.  For example, in older posts about the Alamo and its plaza you can find out that Sam’s the man currently working on sandwich boards on Alamo Plaza; view the Texas Historical Commission’s reactions to the expansion plans the Daughters have for the Alamo grounds; or link to recent news stories and editorials.  I should probably be creating new posts or at least posting these as comments, but then it would seem as though I am talking to myself (which, of course, is what blogging is).

After all, I do not want to seem Alamobsessed (one for The Compoundium?).

July 3 Update:  The big, bad bully Express-News is picking on the Daughters again:

The Daughters also issued a release Friday, accusing the San Antonio Express-News of directing “unrelenting attacks” on the DRT through its articles and editorials.

And while looking for a full copy of the Daughters’ release online, came across the unfortunate news of a setback in fundraising for Alamo preservation in the Dallas Morning News.

Update Added on July 4:  Amazing what Sam Perez has accomplished.  Drove through Alamo Plaza yesterday, fully expecting every single sandwich board (see photos here) to be back in place in the face of every single one of the 50,000 AA conventioneers in town.  After all, Sam would not be out there enforcing the code over the Fourth of July holiday.  But all the sandwich boards were gone, even the ones at the Houston Street establishment next to the Indigo, save one exception:  the monster-sized one outside Pat O’s.  Way to go Sam!  We are still saddled with the unsightly clutter outside Fuddrucker’s and Pat O’s, but this is a remarkable step forward. 

Now, if only the City Manager can charge an equivalent miracle-worker to enforce the multitude of signage violations filling every window pane along the west side of the plaza….

Update on July 7:  As this blogger is but a sophomoric soul, the following represents a comprehensive summary of the “do not do this” lessons one could learn in P.R. 101:

drt response

And the follow-up story in the Dallas Morning News.

Second Update on July 7:  Brian Myler of KSAT-TV has been working on a story on Alamo Plaza signage violations for weeks and reports the City has been issuing citations.  A feature will air during the 10:30 p.m. newscast on Friday, July 9.

Update on July 9:  The Wall Street Journal

Update on July 10: 

Update on July 14:  The “daughter” they wish they never had…. 

Update on July 20: KSTX Radio interviews Express-News’ Scott Huddleston; president of DRT unable to find time in her schedule to join them. 

Update on July 25:  These updates tacked onto this blog entry are getting downright cumbersome.  Might have to risk being labeled sophomoricly Alamobsessed and do a full-fledged post soon.  Scott Huddleston writes online:  “Alamo Workers Reassured about Jobs.” 

Update on July 26:  State wants its just desserts à-la-mo-de; opposes DRT trademark application. 

Update on July 27:  Follow-Up Alamo Trademark Story

Update on August 1:  This thread keeps going, but it seems so convenient to provide access to the related news reports in one post.  Engineering report returned, and editorial on trademark.

Trademark Update on August 24:  Dallas Morning News

Update on September 11:   Another linguistic portmanteau from The Compoundium:

Obscenery – “The hotel on the strip was fine, but the view was just awful.”

So we guess we are Alamobsessed with the obscenery dominating the plaza.