The area around the Alamo is in the middle of a major remodel.
For years, visitors have complained that the nearby area feels too much like a carnival. Just across the street from the so-called shrine of Texas liberty is an arcade, a wax museum, and a Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
There are plans for those businesses to be replaced by a new visitor’s center and museum. However, another project threatens to keep the sideshow atmosphere going: a proposal to build a Ferris wheel, dubbed “Grandisimo,” just blocks from the Alamo with a mini golf course, a carousel, and concessions attached.
And Alamo boosters are none too excited about the prospect, either.
Madison Iszler, business reporter for the San Antonio Express-News, spoke to Texas Standard about the wheel’s future. Listen to the interview above or read the transcript below.
This transcript has been edited lightly for clarity:
Texas Standard: Tell us more about this big wheel. What’s it going to look like?
Madison Iszler: This past spring, a company called Icon Experiences proposed building a 200 foot observation wheel. It would be about two blocks east of the Alamo, and it would have 42 enclosed, air conditioned gondolas – views up to 20 miles. The rides would last about 20 minutes and it would be surrounded by other entertainment options – mini golf, food and drink options, a carousel.
And so their proposal drew some criticism from the Alamo Trust Inc., which is the nonprofit that’s in charge of preserving the Alamo. The director wrote a letter to city council to say that she was worried the wheel would obstruct views of the Alamo.
There’s a viewshed ordinance around the Alamo that’s supposed to keep high rise structures from affecting views of it. And that’s what Kate Rogers, the executive director of Alamo Trust Inc., said she’s concerned about with this project.
So people who are trying to amplify the historic nature of the site, I gather they just don’t want to see a Ferris wheel in the backdrop of every snapshot of the site. Well, what are the planners saying about this? I mean, are they willing to back down or what? What could happen here?
It’s unclear at this point. They had submitted a rezoning request for the property where they wanted to build this wheel, but they withdrew it back in July.
They said they’re still working on the project, may have more to share soon, but they haven’t elaborated beyond that. So it’s unclear if it could be built somewhere else, if it could be downsized, or what exactly is going to happen.
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You know, there’s a flip side of this, and that is that Ferris wheels have sometimes become iconic parts of city landscapes. I think of London and its Eye, right?
And I’m just curious, are there people who say this Ferris wheel should still end up in San Antonio? Since it would be a sort of rotating observation deck, and could be a kind of iconic thing like the old Hemisfair tower, perhaps.
Yeah. Some of the feedback that I got from readers after our article was published was definitely interest in the the wheel. They thought the views would be really neat, given how far you could potentially see downtown and that it would just be another option for families wanting things to do.
So at least some of the feedback I got was certainly positive and interested.
Very interesting. Okay, but members of the trust clearly thought this was an important issue – important enough to try to get city council to intervene. Why do you think that is?
Yes. Kate Rogers, the executive director, said she did think the wheel was a noteworthy development that would add to the city’s tourism offerings, but again, that it would pose potential conflicts with the viewshed of the Alamo and just protecting that area. And it would also be within sight of the future Alamo Visitor Center and Museum, which is supposed to open in 2027.
