This story, first published Jan. 10, has been updated with the state panel’s decision.
A Texas Historical Commission panel ruled Saturday that the Institute of Texan Cultures is eligible to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Conservation Society of San Antonio filed the application in 2022 to include the Institute of Texas Cultures (ITC) on the National Register. UTSA, the Institute’s owner, opposed the request.
A listing in the National Register offers national recognition of a property’s historical or architectural significance and signifies that it is worthy of preservation.
The State Board of Review had been expected to deny the request, leaving the structure’s future uncertain while a proposal to relocate the museum’s exhibits to a site near the Alamo moves forward. The law states a property cannot be listed on the National Register if the owner objects.
The state historic preservation officer considers the opinion of the board before submitting nominations to the National Park Service.
A UTSA statement Saturday afternoon said the board’s decision is not anticipated to affect UTSA’s due diligence period, which is intended to “refine the options available for a future site of the ITC museum while considering options to maximize the value of the Hemisfair Campus.”
“As determined through our evaluative process, the most cost-effective option for the ITC is to build a new building for the museum,” said Joe Izbrand, associate vice president for UTSA strategic communications and external affairs. “UTSA remains committed to finding the best option for the future of the ITC, and once that decision is made, we will determine next steps for the Hemisfair Campus.”
Built as the Texas Pavilion to showcase the state’s cultures for the 1968 World’s Fair, the three-story rectangular building designed by Caudill, Rowlett & Scott is an example of the Brutalist architectural style that became popular after World War II.
The pavilion is situated on the east end of the Hemisfair Historic District, which is also home to 24 other structures designated State Antiquities Landmarks in 1983, according to a Hemisfair spokeswoman.
More than 10 years ago, the state determined that the ITC, which has housed a collection of cultural and historic artifacts ever since it was turned over to the state in 1969, was eligible for the National Register, according to Vincent Michael, executive director of the Conservation Society. But that ruling did not spring from a full-fledged nomination that tells the story of the ITC and thus only provided protection for the structure in the event federal funds were sought for its redevelopment.
The group pursued a national historic designation in the hopes that a future owner or developer would breathe new life into the building. You can read the 85-page registration form submitted to the Texas Historical Commission here.
Other downtown structures on the National Register include the Alamo, the Bexar County Courthouse, the De la Garza House and the Majestic Theater.
A listing on the National Register would make a redevelopment of the building eligible for historic tax credits. But there are no restrictions on what a non-federal owner can do with the property, including demolition.
“Our focus … is that the building itself could be used for something else … could even be used by the Spurs,” Michael said.
Hemisfair and the ITC have been floated as a potential site for a new sports venue given its proximity to the city-owned Henry B. González Convention Center and other downtown amenities.
The ITC building could attract a higher sales price if it were listed on the National Register, Michael suggested, and could be acquired by someone who would take advantage of the tax credits to redevelop it.
UTSA officials have told Michael they won’t support the nomination and he doesn’t agree with that decision, he said. “It feels like [UTSA is] limiting their options and avoiding their fiduciary responsibility.”
A 2022 assessment of the property by the engineering firm Raba Kistner, detailed in this report, found the building appears to be in good condition.
A coalition of Conservation Society leaders and others attended the review board meeting this weekend in Galveston to advocate for the listing.
Nine people spoke in favor of the nomination and the commission received 47 letters of support, according to Michael. The only opposing comments came from UTSA.
“We are pleased to see the State Review Board saw the merits of the application,” said Kathy Krnavek, president of the Conservation Society board of directors. “We are so grateful for the expressions of support from the community and our coalition who came to Galveston to speak.”
Representatives from UTSA opposed the nomination because the university’s plans aren’t firm yet, said Veronica Salazar, chief enterprise development officer and executive vice president of business affairs at UTSA.
“This is in line with how we want to have the most flexibility in being able to develop the land where the Texas Pavilion is, and we feel that the designation may actually hinder some of that and we want to continue to have as many options available to us,” Salazar said.
As a state entity, UTSA could not take advantage of historic tax credits to redevelop the ITC building unless the university partnered with a private developer, she said.
“Because we’re still exploring many options … we don’t want to have just one option — we want to have many options in developing that land,” Salazar said.
Meanwhile, the university is exploring the option to move the museum to 320 Bonham, currently a parking lot next to the Crockett Hotel, and has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the City of San Antonio and the hotel owner to build on the property and relocate the ITC closer to the Alamo.
The results of a six-month feasibility study for that effort are expected to be completed in May.
As for the Texas Pavilion, Salazar could not say if there are any plans to eventually demolish the building.
“That would be getting ahead of making a decision and really seeing what’s best for the museum,” she said. “So we have one option that we’re going through right now and trying to develop that fully and then we’ll have to come back to that.”
Also among the 16 items for the state review board to review on Saturday are nominations of two other local properties the San Antonio Report has reported on in recent weeks — Casa de Dios and the Scobey Fireproof Storage Company.
