A group of friends play basketball on the new court in the urban play park The Pass, which is located under Interstate 35 between Dolorosa and Commerce Streets near Market Square.Bold colors and playscapes have turned a dark and gritty highway underpass downtown into space the community hopes will draw people together.
The project was supported by a $100,000 grant from Claritin’s Clarity Parks Project and design services were provided by the Project for Public Spaces. The 80|20 Foundation gave a matching $100,000 grant. It was an idea that spread across the country as a way to reduce traffic congestion. But it often divided or destroyed neighborhoods, and almost always created underused space in the tightly developed urban core.
It went unused except during Fiesta, when vendors sold elotes, raspas and floral crowns, said a city spokeswoman. Councilwoman Teri Castillo said the new park shows that San Antonio can transform unconventional spaces into recreational areas that bring people together.