Here’s what we know about new Eastside park under Hays Street Bridge

San Antonio City Council approved $2.5 million for construction in April to begin the construction of the Berkley V. & Vincent M. Dawson Park. It was slated to open in December, however, an underground storage tank found on the site derailed plans, according to the San Antonio Report.

The park is slated to include two skate parks, a park pavilion, and an open space that allows park-goers to see Hays Street Bridge, according to the city. 

While it’s opening soon, the property almost didn’t turn into a park. In 2020, the Historic and Design Review Commission approved the plan and designs for the 1.7-acre park at 803 North Cherry Street with a 9-1 vote, according to a report from MySA. The approval was after a years-long legal fight between the Hays Street Bridge Restoration Group and the City of San Antonio. 

The City of San Antonio sold the property in 2012 to a private developer who proposed building a multi-story apartment complex. Berkley and Vincent Dawson, brothers and former owners of the Anheuser-Busch franchise BudCo Ltd., donated the land to the city in 2007. They requested that if it became a park, it carry their last name. 

In 2019, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that local activists could sue the city for selling the land to the developer. The city and the developer eventually ended the battle after agreeing to a land swap that ultimately moved the apartments less than one mile south, paving the way for the Berkley V. and Vincent M. Dawson Park, per the brothers’ request.

After the funding was approved in April, District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez sent his appreciation to all who played a role in advocating for the park. He said the vote was a pivotal step in the journey to “realize the vision of community leaders, organizers, and historians to create a free, public park near the Hays Street Bridge.”

“We look forward to the beautiful space this will become and the public space it provides to both eastside families and San Antonians from across the city,” McKee-Rodriguez said.