San Antonio bar Moses Rose’s Hideout may be seized for Alamo museum
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Tourists gather in front of the Alamo on Monday. Photo: by Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images
Moses Rose's Hideout could soon shut down after a yearslong dispute with government officials over how much the downtown bar — which sits in the path of a new Alamo visitor center and museum — is worth.
Driving the news: City Council voted 9-2 Thursday to authorize the use of eminent domain to acquire the bar at 516 E. Houston St. on behalf of the Texas General Land Office for the visitor center and museum, after owner Vince Cantu rejected the state's offers to buy the property.
Why it matters: The case underscores the power of local government to determine the future of a key site in San Antonio’s history.
Catch up fast: Since 2020, the General Land Office has made at least three offers to buy the property from Cantu at a price that covered the appraised value and lost business revenue, Kate Rogers, executive director of the Alamo Trust, told the council. The most recent offer was $3.5 million, she said.
- It's not a fair price, Cantu told reporters. He thinks around $7 million or $8 million would be reasonable.
- He doesn't want to stand in the way of the museum, but said the bar is his livelihood. It’s popular during Pub Run bar crawls.
- "We're walking away from generational wealth," Cantu told reporters. "We’re walking away from a River Walk property, an Alamo property."
The other side: Local leaders said the future of Alamo Plaza is too important, and the city can't risk losing tourism dollars and the chance to better preserve history.
- "It is something that is near and dear to our heart and throughout not just Texas, the nation, but the entire international community," said Marialyn Barnard, former county commissioner and chair of the museum planning committee.
Context: The visitor experience to the Alamo has long been considered underwhelming.
- Across from the 300-year-old Spanish mission sat a wax museum and a haunted house.
- For years, officials have been working to transform the plaza into a destination worthy of its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Details: Construction on the visitor center and museum is slated to begin this summer, City Attorney Andy Segovia said, in hopes of opening by 2026.
- Plans for the visitor center include a 4D theater, special event space, rooftop restaurant and retail space.
- The museum is meant to tell the history of the Alamo starting as a Spanish colonial outpost through the battle during the Texas Revolution.
What they're saying: "Wielding the power of eminent domain is a solemn responsibility," Dan Eldredge, an attorney for Cantu, said. "Considering doing so on the hallowed ground of the Alamo is as sacred a decision as this body will ever be called upon to make."
- "This is not something any of us take lightly," Mayor Ron Nirenberg said. "It is sad that we're here, especially after more than a decade of planning this project. I don’t want to gamble (on) the future."
What's next: Just because the city is allowed to take the bar now, that doesn’t mean it will do so immediately — officials still hope to reach a deal through negotiation first, Segovia said. He thinks Thursday's vote will accelerate those talks.