A Moment to Celebrate: San Pedro Creek’s Progress and Community Impact
May 15 marked a significant milestone for both our organization and the broader San Antonio community. The San Pedro Creek Culture Park (SPC) Grand Finale Celebration was a tremendous success, capping off years of planning, construction, and collaboration to reimagine the historic downtown waterway.
The day began with a press conference at 11:00 a.m. adjacent to Ruby City along Camp Street. Local media, stakeholders, and county and city officials gathered to celebrate the official ribbon-cutting for the final phase of San Pedro Creek Culture Park. It was a proud moment of reflection and gratitude for all who contributed to this transformational project. Lunch was generously provided by our friends at HDR, the SPC design firm.
Later that evening, the community joined us for a public celebration along the creek. From an engaging artist panel and Urban-15 performance to a lively vendor market, food trucks, and a family-friendly movie screening, the event welcomed hundreds of residents and visitors to experience the renewed vibrancy of the Culture Park. It was a shining example of what’s possible through vision, persistence, and teamwork.
Behind the scenes, another major milestone helped make this celebration possible. In late January, our San Pedro Creek construction team, in partnership with Sundt Davila and HDR, successfully replaced a century-old, still-active railroad trestle on the near Westside. The team had just 75 hours to demolish the aging wooden structure and install a new precast concrete bridge before train service resumed.
This high-stakes operation took place in freezing temperatures and required two massive cranes—one with a 75-ton capacity and another with a 250-ton capacity—to lift and place new pylons, beams, and track. The work was completed safely, on time, and with precision, underscoring the expertise and dedication of everyone involved.
The railroad replacement was essential not only for public safety but also for the seamless completion of the Culture Park. It’s one of many efforts—often unseen—that has brought this vision to life.
Thank you to every team member, partner, and supporter who contributed to this project. Your commitment continues to shape a stronger, more connected San Antonio. We encourage everyone to come down and explore the newly completed phase—as well as the entire San Pedro Creek Culture Park. It’s a powerful reflection of what we can achieve together and a space we can all take pride in.
Derek
About Derek Boese, JD, PMP General Manager
Derek Boese is the General Manager of the San Antonio River Authority, with prior experience as Chief Administrative Officer for the Flood Protection Authority—East in New Orleans, where he oversaw flood risk management for over 575,000 residents and \$80 billion in infrastructure. He has held leadership roles in both public agencies and private engineering firms, focusing on flood protection and coastal restoration, and served as Chief of Staff for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Hurricane Protection Office. A former active-duty Army officer, he commanded an engineer battalion during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Mr. Boese holds degrees in civil engineering, engineering management, and law, is a licensed attorney, and teaches critical infrastructure at Tulane University.
