Flood control meets culture at San Pedro Creek's revamped corridor

The latest: The grand finale celebration for the San Pedro Culture Creek Park is set for Thursday, 5–9pm. That includes time to explore the trails, grab dinner from local food trucks, hear music and catch a screening of "Encanto."

Flashback: The creek has been central to San Antonio for thousands of years. It was home to the Payaya, an Indigenous people who lived along its banks long before the Spanish settlers arrived.

• This week marks 309 years since Spanish explorers reached San Pedro Springs — a moment that set in motion the founding of San Antonio.

State of play: The revitalized creek stretches from an area near Madison Square Park to Interstate 35 and Lone Star Boulevard.

• The park is a joint effort between Bexar County, the city and the San Antonio River Authority (SARA). Construction began in 2016.

What they did: The project was divided into four phases, though the timeline shifted due to unexpected construction challenges, Amy Zola, SARA project manager, tells Axios.

• Construction included deepening and widening the channel, installing walkways and benches, adding public art and integrating bioswales — or landscaped depressions — to filter stormwater.
• Phase 3 is the final section to open, running from South Alamo Street to the Interstate 35 overpass.

The vibe: Phase 3 includes new installations by six artists, including "Falling Water" by Mark Reigelman, a cupped-hand sculpture that doubles as a water filtration system, capturing highway runoff before it enters the creek.

By the numbers: The project covers more than 2 miles of creek, totaling 11 acres of landscaping and more than 2 miles of walking trails.

• There were no trails along the creek before, Zola tells Axios.
• The completed project is expected to have an economic impact of $1.3 billion.

What they're saying: "We're bringing nature, culture and history of San Antonio together," SARA spokesperson Nicole Marshall tells Axios.