The Bexar County-owned South San Civic Center — a staple for the Quintana Road neighborhood — is getting an upgrade.
The civic center, which doubles as a bilingual senior center, provides daily social connection and resources to the South San Antonio neighborhood on weekday mornings. On weekends, the center hosts events like quinceañeras and wedding celebrations, since the county rents it out for events.
But the seven-space parking lot is too small, with only two accessible parking spaces; the bathrooms need to be upgraded to be wheelchair accessible, and the entrance has no ramps — a big issue for the seniors who use the center every morning.
Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai, Precinct 1 Commissioner Rebeca Clay-Flores and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro on Tuesday announced that $750,000 in congressional funding would address renovations. Seniors will see changes by 2025.
Isabel Reyes has visited the South San Antonio Civic Center for more than eight years. She recalled spending time at the center with her late husband, and continued to visit after his death for the community it provided.
Eventually she met another resident of the area, Ofelia Lozano, who has visited the center daily for 12 years now, arriving each morning for a daily breakfast. Both were there to hear Tuesday’s announcement and news that their center would be getting improvements.
The center opens at 7 a.m. on weekdays, but Reyes and Lozano get there around 9 a.m. The routine at the center is: breakfast, cafecito (coffee), platica (conversation) and bingo, besides monthly programming and special events, like St. Patrick’s Day and Valentine’s Day.
“We’re here until 11 a.m. and it feels like it isn’t enough time,” Reyes said. “This is good for us to keep coming and spend good times here. We’re chatting, we’re hanging out.”
At the center, seniors can participate in music programs, informative sessions and a city-sponsored senior nutrition program on weekdays.
Many of the seniors, who are mostly señoras, live nearby and depend on the center for social interaction and involvement. Some are retired VIA bus drivers, South San Antonio educators and maintenance workers.
The planned parking lot upgrade may expand across the street, Bexar County spokesperson Isaac Neri said. The entrance will have ramps for wheelchair access, and bathrooms will be designed with accessibility for all top-of-mind, said Bexar County parks director Ken McGlamery.
When the time for renovations comes, the county won’t close the center “until it has to,” McGlamery said, and the county is in talks with the city to redirect programming during construction if needed.
As the press conference announcing funds for renovations ended, the city’s human services department started serving lunch to at least 15 seniors, who sat at circle tables in the ballroom.
“Look at the impact it has. … They need a sense of community,” he said. “Where are they going to go? What are they going to do? Improving that community is for longevity.”
Correction: This story’s headline has been updated to correct the cost of the renovations.
