SAN ANTONIO – The grand opening of the San Pedro Creek Culture Park is just 30 days away.
The park’s purpose is to give residents a taste of the city's heritage and culture while ultimately serving as a flood-control project.
"This is a project of a lifetime. This is going to help improve safety and it's also going to reduce the floodplain about 30 acres throughout the downtown area," said Kerry Averyt, the San Antonio River Authority's senior engineer.
The park has been under construction for about a year and a half and includes four phases. The project will add more than 60,000 linear feet of new walls and will replace eight street bridges while adding four miles of walking trails and 11 acres of landscaping.
WEB EXTRA: San Pedro Creek Culture Park Facts Sheet
"We also have six benches on either side of the plaza. Those benches each have their own tile pattern and represent the 12 generations that make up the city's 300-year history," Averyt said.
Once completed, the entire project will span 2.2 miles through the heart of downtown. It's expected to have a $1.5 billion economic impact.
To learn more about the project, visit its interactive website here.