The Conservation Society of San Antonio wants a temporary restraining order as it looks to prevent the 57-year-old Texas Pavilion from being torn down altogether.
SAN ANTONIO — A day after construction crews appeared to be demolishing parts of the the Texas Pavilion – which until last year housed UTSA’s Institute of Texan Cultures (ITC) collection – attorneys with the university said Wednesday that work to remove wall panels at the downtown building will stop for now.
According to the Conservation Society of San Antonio, that assurance was given by UTSA attorneys who said nothing more will happen until a hearing on a pending lawsuit filed by the society that seeks to stop demolition of the 57-year-old building altogether. Video posted to social media by the society shows an entire wall removed from the ITC building, where the City of San Antonio and Spurs hope to one day build a new arena.
“I was concerned as to when they were going to stop removing panels,” said Lewis Vetter, the Conservation Society’s president. “There was no assurance or insight into that. That’s why I felt it was important that we take this action and get the attention not just of the judge and the lawyer, but also the community.”
UTSA officials said the work wasn’t demolition but rather steps being undertaken for asbestos abatement, something the Conservation Society says UTSA has to do before being granted the ability to demolish the building constructed for the 1968 World’s Fair.
The society, however, is seeking a temporary restraining order.
“The assurances that have come from UTSA, and you have to take them for that face value, is they’re not going to be doing any more panel removals,” Vetter said.
The society’s lawsuit, filed on April 1, argues the correct procedures weren’t followed when UTSA’s demolition was approved by the state in December. They claim a mandatory federal review didn’t happen and that requirements laid out in the Texas Antiquities Code and National Historic Preservation Act weren’t given their due diligence.
It also says the structure has historical and cultural significance due to its architect, William Peña, being a Mexican American. After the 1968 World’s Fair, the state “entrusted UTSA to maintain and house the state’s museum of diverse Texan cultures,” according to Preservation Texas.
“I think San Antonians will agree that our city is a better place to be because of those historic sites,” Vetter said in a press release issued last week. “When necessary, the society has sued in the past to halt demolitions, and we are prepared to do that again to save the Texas Pavilion.”
The Conservation Society of San Antonio says the 180,000-square-foot building sitting at 801 East Cesar E. Chavez Blvd. holds an “incredible significance” that deserves to be preserved. Over the last 16 or so months, the organization has tried rallying support to keep the UTSA-managed building standing ever since the initial headlines that the San Antonio Spurs were potentially eyeing the land to build their next arena.
“We wanted to make sure that the removal of the panels was not a prelude to getting ahead of their schedule and also demolishing the building and the architectural elements prior to when they are authorized to do that,” said Betty Bueche, who sits on the Conservation Society’s board, on Wednesday.
The ITC collection, meanwhile, is expected to be temporarily relocated to Frost Tower this year as UTSA continues work to find its next permanent home. The Texas Pavilion iteration of the ITC closed in May 2024.
A next hearing on the lawsuit is scheduled for next week. Demolition work is planned for this summer.