FOR MORE INFORMATION: Dee Dee Poteete Director of Communications deedeepoteete@visitsanantonio.com 210/207-6708

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct 16, 2009

---

What's New in Sunny San Antonio

This is a small sampling of upcoming projects in San Antonio as of fall 2009. Please go to the Media Room at visitsanantonio.com for a complete update on these projects and more, Deep. In the Heart.

 

What’s New for 2010?

New in Spring 2010 – 260-Year-Old Spanish Governor’s Palace to Debut Modernized Improvements
Over $775,000 will be invested into San Antonio’s Spanish Governor’s Palace, one of the oldest buildings in San Antonio. This National Historic Landmark will undergo improvements to its roof as well as electrical system upgrades. A reopening is planned in 2010 to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the palace’s 1930 restoration.

January 2010 - JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa Opened with Two TPC Golf Courses
The JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa will offer two TPC golf courses designed by Sergio Garcia, Pete Dye and Greg Norman; a 26,000-square-foot spa; 1,002 luxurious rooms and suites; and over 140,000 square feet of unparalleled meeting space. Beginning in 2010, the Valero Texas Open will be held at the new JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa.

May 10-16, 2010 - Valero Texas Open Moves to the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa
Beginning in 2010, the tournament will be held at the new JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa where the picturesque landscape has been sculpted into challenging courses by golfing legends. Previously held in October, the Valero Texas Open is the PGA TOUR’s top tournament in charity fundraising.

May 12-15 - New World Wine & Food Festival moves from the fall to the spring to coincide with the Valero Texas Open
The festival showcases San Antonio’s finest restaurants and chefs as well as celebrity guests as it celebrates San Antonio as a premier wine and food destination and an important culinary and cultural gateway to Mexico and Latin America.

October 2010 – Villa Finale Opens Becoming the first National Trust Historic Site in Texas
Villa Finale was the home of Walter Mathis, a leading preservationist in San Antonio, Texas. Walter Mathis is widely recognized as the catalyst for the revitalization of the King William neighborhood, now a National Register Historic District.

October 2010 – San Antonio International Airport Welcomes New Terminal

Late 2010 – Traders Village to Open New San Antonio Marketplace
On almost 300 acres, thousands of vendors along with festivals, live concerts and a wide variety of foods will welcome San Antonio visitors every weekend. Traders Village Marketplace will be the ideal destination for those in search of bargains and treasures, as well as for budding entrepreneurs.

March 2011 - Briscoe Western Art Museum Scheduled to Open
The upcoming Briscoe Western Art Museum, scheduled to open in March 2011, will add a new dimension to San Antonio’s art scene along with upscale meeting space. This one-of-a-kind museum will be devoted to celebrating the art, people and history of the great American West with an emphasis on the Western art of San Antonio and the South Texas region. Included will be an arts and education center as well as an artist in residence program. A renovation of the former San Antonio Library and Hertzberg Circus Museum, to cost approximately $18 million will provide more than 40,000 square feet of gallery and exhibition areas.

 

 

2009 Welcomed many New Additions to San Antonio

May 30, 2009 - First Phase of River Walk Expansion Opens
The famous San Antonio River Walk added an additional 1.3 miles this May, bringing the park up to a stunning four miles and connecting the original River Walk to San Antonio’s museums, the historic Pearl Brewery and cultural attractions to the north. The River Walk will eventually extend to 15 miles when the $384.5 million San Antonio River Improvements Project is completed in 2014. The future extension will join the current River Walk to four of the city’s Spanish colonial missions to the south and Brackenridge Park to the North.

New in 2009 - 125-Year-Old Brewery Redeveloped into Urban River Village
Once the birthplace of Pearl Beer, this long-time staple of the San Antonio economy is being redeveloped into an art-filled urban village next to the River Walk. Preservations and additions are being made with great detail to the site’s historic character and incorporate the latest-available, eco-friendly technology including the largest solar panel system in all of Texas. Once complete, Pearl Brewery will be the city’s it-spot to live, learn, shop, work and play. A few highlights include the Culinary Institute of America’s newest campus which focuses on the cuisines of Latin America, the Aveda Institute and the historic Pearl Stable entertainment venue as well as a new river theater adjacent to the River Walk.
• Culinary Institute of America offers Latino Cooking Classes! The Culinary Institute of America, the world’s premier culinary college, is offering two-day, Latino-inspired cooking classes at their newest campus in historic San Antonio. No need to be a professional chef to enroll in these courses, just a bonafide food enthusiast. Classes can also be arranged for small groups meeting in San Antonio.
• August 2009 - Chef Andrew Weissman Opens Il Sogno
James Beard-nominated chef Andrew Weissman, unveiled a new Italian eatery, Il Sogno (The Dream), at the historic Pearl Brewery. Il Sogno offers authentic Italian fare in a five-star, casual setting.

New in 2009 - Historic Brackenridge Golf Course Debuts $4.6 Million Renovation
Just north of downtown, along the San Antonio River, Brackenridge Golf Course recently debuted $4.6 million in renovations, restoring it to its original glory and reclaiming its status as the heart of San Antonio golf. This A.W. Tillinghast design was opened in 1916 as Texas’ first public golf course and will be home to the Texas Golf Hall of Fame in 2010.

May 2009 – Westin La Cantera Resort Debuts $12 Million in Renovations
All 508 guest rooms were completely refreshed with tooled leather headboards, flat-paneled HDTVs and more. Special attention was also paid to meeting areas which received new carpet, wall coverings, drapes, artwork and light fixtures. The much-famed fine dining experience of Francesca’s at Sunset redirected its cuisine to focus on South Texas creations.

Summer 2009 – San Antonio Rose LIVE Debuts at Restored Aztec Theatre
San Antonio Rose LIVE is designed to be family friendly, celebrating the masters of country music from the 1950s through the 1970s in a Grand Ole Opry-style show at the River Walk’s beautifully restored Aztec Theater. One of San Antonio’s architectural treasures, the Aztec was built in 1926 and is a popular stop on the River Walk. Right outside the Aztec doors, riverboats depart to and from popular San Antonio locations.