San Antonio River Walk at West Market Street between the WestinHotel and The Alamodome Casa Rio, a landmark River Walk restaurant, became the first restaurant in the area in 1946, opening next door to Hugman's office. His plan would be put to the test in 1946, when another major flood threatened Downtown San Antonio, but the Olmos Dam and bypass channel minimized the area damage. Hugman's persistence paid off he was named project architect. However, over the next decade support for commercial development of the river bend grew, and crucial funding came in 1939 under the WPA which resulted in the initial construction of a network of some 17,000 feet (5,200 m) of walkways, about twenty bridges, and extensive plantings including some of the bald cypress (others are several hundred years old) whose branches stretch up to ten stories and are visible from street level. People were warned of the threat of being "drowned like a rat" should the river flood. At one point, it was declared off-limits to military personnel. Hugman's plan was initially not well-received – the area was noted for being dangerous. The River Walk across from the Rainforest Cafe in San Antonio Hugman went as far as to maintain his architect's office along the bend. The bend would then be surrounded by commercial development, which he titled "The Shops of Aragon and Romula". Hugman endorsed the bypass channel idea (which would be completed later that year) but, instead of paving over the bend, Hugman suggested 1) a flood gate at the northern (upstream) end of the bend 2) a small dam at the southern (downstream) end of the bend and 3) a Tainter gate in the channel to regulate flow. Although many have been involved in development of the site, the leadership of former mayor Jack White was instrumental in passage of a bond issue that raised funds to empower the 1938 “San Antonio River Beautification Project”, which began the evolution of the site into the present 2.5-mile-long River Walk. No major plans came into play until 1929, when San Antonio native and architect Robert Hugman submitted his plans for what would become the River Walk. Work began on the Olmos Dam and bypass channel in 1926 however, the San Antonio Conservation Society successfully protested the paved sewer option. Among the plans was to build an upstream dam (Olmos Dam) and bypass a prominent bend of the river in the Downtown area (between present day Houston Street and Villita Parkway), then to pave over the bend, and create a storm sewer. Plans were then developed for flood control of the river. In September 1921, a disastrous flood along the San Antonio River took 50 lives. During the annual springtime Fiesta San Antonio, the River Parade features flowery floats that float down the river. The River Walk winds and loops under bridges as two parallel sidewalks lined with restaurants and shops, connecting the major tourist draws from the Alamo to Rivercenter Mall, to the Arneson River Theatre, to Marriage Island, to La Villita, to HemisFair Park, to the Tower Life Building, to the San Antonio Museum of Art, and the Pearl Brewery. Today, the River Walk is an enormously successful special-case pedestrian street, one level down from the automobile street. Lined by bars, shops and restaurants, the River Walk is an important part of the city's urban fabric and a tourist attraction in its own right. The River Walk winds and loops under bridges as two parallel sidewalks lined with restaurants and shops, connecting the major tourist draws from the Shops at Rivercenter, to the Arneson River Theatre, to Marriage Island, to La Villita, to HemisFair Park, to the Tower Life Building, to the San Antonio Museum of Art, to the Pearl and the city's five Spanish colonial missions.The San Antonio River Walk (also known as Paseo del Río) is a network of walkways along the banks of the San Antonio River, one story beneath the streets of Downtown San Antonio, Texas, USA. Lined by bars, shops, restaurants, nature, public artwork, and the five historic missions, the River Walk is an important part of the city's urban fabric and a tourist attraction in its own right. San Antonio Visitor Center, 216 East Crockett St, Next to The Alamo, 78205. Just steps from the River Walk is Main Plaza - “the heart of the city.” It gently winds through the city center, providing millions of visitors each year with easy access to the city’s cultural hot spots, historic sites and other attractions. The San Antonio River Walk is a lush oasis of cypress-lined paved paths, arched stone bridges and beautiful landscapes.
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