City of San Antonio
Parks & Recreation Department

Gilbert Garza Park
A History
1450 Mira Vista

Gilbert Garza Park, a 21.5 acre park at 1450 Mira Vista, was originally called Mira Vista for the street. Created in 1972, the park was soon re-named for Mayor Pro Tem Gilbert Garza, who died later that year.

Garza, son of immigrants from Monterrey, Mexico, was only the third Hispanic to be elected to Mayor Pro Tem in San Antonio history. He was a native of San Antonio and attended Fox Tech High School. After serving in the U.S. Navy he studied drafting and was later certified as an architect. He eventually formed a firm with Dan Cerna and Larry Raba called C-G-R, which was noted for its work with H.B. Zachry Co. With Zachry, Garza worked to perfect the first modular building system in the United States. That system was used to construct the Hilton Palacio del Rio Hotel and Metropolitan General Hospital.

Not a politician at heart, Garza was drafted in 1971 by the Good Government League to run on a ticket headed by Mayor John Gatti and won his City Council seat in a runoff with Dr. D. Ford Nielsen. In 1972 he was elected Mayor Pro Tem and was serving in the absence of Mayor Gatti on Nov. 12, 1972 when he suffered a heart attack. He died two days later. At the time of Garza's death, there was discussion that he might lead the 1973 City Council slate and become the City's first modern-day Hispanic Mayor.

Garza was interested in long range planning issues and was instrumental in conceiving the River Corridor Study. He envisioned setting aside green space for citizens’ use along the San Antonio River. Following his death, this new park on the west side was named in his honor.