Ensuring the Alamo’s future

The Alamo, Texas’ most sacred and most visited shrine, has long been a proud symbol of the state’s past.

Now the state and San Antonio are moving forward with a plan to ensure the site’s future, making certain that it is properly preserved for generations to come.

In a cooperative agreement jointly announced by Land Commissioner George P. Bush and San Antonio Mayor Ivy Taylor, the two entities say they plan to proceed with developing a master plan for the Alamo Complex and Alamo Plaza Historic District.

Since the General Land Office took control of the storied mission, the site of an 1836 battle in which the Mexican army killed 180 Texas defenders, a concerted effort has been made to make it a destination for even more visitors and, according to Bush, to restore “the Shrine of Texas Liberty to a site worthy of its noble roots.”

San Antonio has committed up to $1 million for the master plan process, using money from an already approved bond issue.

The land office will cover additional costs, expected to exceed $1 million.

The historic site has suffered a great amount of deterioration over the years. The new collaborative effort includes addressing and correcting those problems.

This story was originally published April 14, 2015 at 4:59 PM with the headline "Ensuring the Alamo’s future."