Businesses along the River Walk that were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic have recently formed the new River Walk Business Group.While the River Walk is one of the state’s top tourist attractions, a group of business owners along the popular river bend portion downtown say it needs a facelift and new attractions, especially as the city’s tourism industry rebounds from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Those conversations and meetings led to the formation of the River Walk Business Group, which is putting together a 10-year master plan with a focus on raising funds and implementing beautification initiatives, including better lighting, improved landscaping and safety and security enhancements. The River Walk Association got its start in 1964, formed as the Paseo del Rio Association and staffed with one individual funded by the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce. Renamed the San Antonio River Walk Association in 2017, the organization managed dozens of events each year on the extended linear park.
Marco Barros, formerly longtime San Antonio Tourism Council president who serves as the River Walk group’s trustee, said Visit San Antonio is more about marketing, branding and events, while the business group is focused on development and long-term planning. “And then there was an ever-diminishing group of small, local businesses,” he said. “We really didn’t know each other as best we could, and we didn’t work together as best we could, and we had loose-knit relationships with the Riverwalk Association,” he said.
As Corless and others began organizing the River Walk Business Group, he said they realized they needed a unifying vision and voice for moving forward. “We needed to identify what was missing and what we needed, and that’s the stage we’re in now.”