SEPTEMBER 29, 2022 — The University of Texas at San Antonio has begun onsite assessments of the Texas Pavilion to help guide consideration of three scenarios proposed for the future of the Institute of Texan Cultures. The scenarios were presented to university leadership earlier this summer by the Steering Committee leading the ITC Centennial 2068: Community Stakeholder Visioning process.
UTSA is engaging several professional firms to conduct the assessments of the Texas Pavilion building. These assessments include a Phase I environmental site assessment, a property condition assessment, an archaeological review and a property valuation.
WT Partnership, a construction and management services company, is overseeing a comprehensive walkthrough with Raba Kistner, an engineering consulting firm that assesses environmental, mechanical and structural systems; Architexas, a consulting firm specializing in architectural services for historic preservation; and Valbridge Property Advisors, a property valuation and advisory firm.
Findings from the assessment will be presented to UTSA in the coming weeks.
“UTSA is proud to serve as the steward of the Institute of Texas Cultures and recognizes its importance to the San Antonio community,” said Veronica Salazar, chief financial officer and senior vice president for Business Affairs and executive lead for the evaluative phase of ITC Centennial 2068. “We will continue to engage in a thorough, careful and transparent process as we evaluate options for the future of ITC.”
The assessment reports will be used as part of a broader review of the institute’s needs, based on accreditation standards and current and future space requirements. The reports will be made available on the ITC Centennial website.
Looking to the future of the ITC, UTSA also has a national search underway for an associate vice provost for public engagement and research/chief curator for the Institute of Texan Cultures. The search committee includes UTSA faculty and staff as well as local community leaders and is chaired by UTSA College of Liberal and Fine Arts Dean, Glenn A. Martinez. The committee is working with executive search firm Koya Partners Diversified Search Group to identify candidates.
The UTSA Institute of Texas Cultures continues to be open to the public and is creating new exhibits to engage the community with the vibrant and diverse cultures of Texas. Beginning October 10, the ITC will partner with the UTSA Honors College and UTSA Libraries for a month-long observance of Dia de los Muertos, a holiday honoring the dead.
The collaborative celebration will include hands-on and virtual demonstrations on making nichos or shadow boxes dedicated to loved ones and will end with an exhibit at the ITC.
