Cisneros waffles on deal to sell Market Square
In a story in Saturday’s San Antonio Express-News details were released about a proposal to sell Market Square to the Cortez family. The proposal, along with others, was presented by Councilwoman Mary Alice Cisneros. The property is a historic landmark in San Antonio, a city that treasures its history and culture. The proposal was presented before the city council and was rejected in what was reported as a heated executive session on Thursday. Apparently Cisneros has been fostering this deal for weeks prior to the presentation without alerting anyone else on council before the Thursday meeting.
On Sunday the Express-News reported that Cisneros distanced herself from the deal and said she now irrevocably opposes it, apparently sensing the political ramifications of the appearance of selling the city’s heritage. The timing and appearance on the steps of City Hall with her husband, former HUD secretary Henry Cisneros, shows she understands she is in an election and could face voter backlash from the incident. It also demonstrates the lack of civic pride by Cisneros to even consider such a deal.
District 1, the district Cisneros represents, is home to a majority of the historic sites and buildings of San Antonio as it encompasses the downtown area, King William and Monte Vista. I am extremely suprised that Cisneros would attempt to negotiate such a deal for two of the most notable tourist destinations aside from the Alamo and San Fernando Cathedral in the downtown area. When I first move to San Antonio I realized how important history is to this city that has served as the birthplace of Texas and home to many historic firsts.
In the Saturday story there were reports that the deal also included La Villita. However, City Manager Sheryl stated in Sunday’s story there was no discussion of inclusion and that there was “no plan on the table” to do so. Sculley did not rule out some of the recommendations which included possibly having a third party manage the property. This actually would make more sense to help achieve the spirit of the report without selling the property.
The Cortez family who would have been the buyer of the properties has several restaurant holdings around the Market Square area including La Magarita and Mi Tierra, the site of many a politcal gathering in San Antonio. It is no secret of the political connections of the family with San Antonio politicians. Apparently those connections almost manifested a prize for the family had the deal been completed.
The deal involved $12 million and a complex land swap and would have involved the city, VIA Metropolitan Transit, and the Cortez family. Market Square serves as a Fiesta site for Fiesta Fantasias hosted by the San Antonio Parks Foundation. Unless there were terms in the deal to protect both organizations they would have most likely have had to renegotiate with the Cortez family to continue the events.
One of the reasons cited for the deal was the continued costs of Market Square to the city amounting to around $227,000 last year. In the report detailing the deal one of the ways cited to help close the costs would be to raise the rent of the vendors within El Mercado, many who are small business owners providing souveniors to tourists visiting San Antonio. It would be no surprise that the Cortez family might create a difficult business environment and thus remove competition in the Market Square area.
Chris Forbrich, candidate for District 1, responded to the story. “I believe it is wrong to even consider selling important landmarks like La Villita and Market Square. These icons are at the very foundation of what makes San Antonio unique and have been at the heart of our city since before it was founded,” Forbrich said. “Our culture and history are not for sale and I feel very strongly no decision of this importance should be entertained with out input from businesses, community and civic leaders and most importantly our neighbors.”
Hopefully the San Antonio Conservation Society and many downtown business and residents will also respond to this situation. Apparently Cisneros feels she has the right to negotiate the sale of the historic gems of the city. As one commenter to the Express-News said “Might as well add the Cathedral and the Alamo to it!”
