Mailing Address PO Box 839966 San Antonio, Texas 78283 Development Division 210.207.1041 Operations Division 210.207.3677 Parking Division 210.207.8266
At nearly 130 years old, San Antonio’s City Hall is an icon of public service and municipal government seated in the heart of downtown. Though City Hall has grown and adapted over time, the building has not been renovated in decades. A recent facility assessment confirmed that the mechanical, electrical, plumbing and elevator systems require extensive repair or replacement. The City is now undertaking the much-needed modernization of City Hall through a $38 million City Council-approved renovation project. The restoration will be respectful of the building’s history and will result in better efficiencies, public meeting spaces and connection with the community. The exciting expansion of the front entrance to increase accessibility to City Hall further exemplifies the City’s commitment to sensitive and inclusive design.
The renovation of City Hall begins Aug. 1, 2018 and is expected to be completed in early 2020. The offices of the Mayor, City Council and City Manager will move back into the building upon completion. The Office of the City Attorney and City Clerk will move into the renovated Frost Tower Building in the fall of 2020.
In 1888, the San Antonio City Council commissioned architect Otto Kramer to design a city hall. The original design, a grand statement of Renaissance Revival architecture, included corner turrets and a prominent dome topped with an octagonal clock tower. Local stonemason Frank Teich embellished the structure with distinctive limestone elements, some of which survive today. The completion of City Hall in 1889 helped establish San Antonio as a prominent city in the United States.
By 1927, a growing city and booming economy led to the addition of a fourth floor, expanding the building to its current size of 52,000 sq. ft. This new design by local firm Adams & Adams removed all of the turrets and tower and drastically changed the entrances on the east and west façades to conform more closely the Spanish Colonial Revival style that was widely popular in San Antonio during the roaring ‘20s. The firm also designed other notable San Antonio landmarks, including Thomas Jefferson High School.
City Hall may be under construction, but it’s business as usual at the City of San Antonio. Don’t know where to go? The following changes are in effect beginning Aug. 1, 2018:
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P.O. 839966 San Antonio, TX 78283
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