Despite recent leadership shifts and controversy surrounding Alamo Trust Inc., Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham said the state’s plans for the ongoing redevelopment remain unchanged.
During a Veterans Day event held at the Alamo, Buckingham told reporters, “This museum has always had the plan to discuss the battle in the context of time, from the early Native Americans, all the way through how it affects pop culture today.” She reinforced that “Those plans have not changed.”
According to the San Antonio Report, Buckingham said the project, including a new visitor center, museum, and preservation of the historic Cenotaph, keep going. She praised newly appointed Alamo Trust President and CEO Hope Andrade for “doing a great job,” adding, “We’re going to do great things and really make a visit to the Alamo worthy of the significance of the events.”
The remarks come weeks after the departure of Alamo Trust CEO Kate Rogers, who resigned following criticism from state leaders over her past academic writings recognizing Indigenous People’s Day. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick had called for her resignation, demanding to maintain focus on the 1836 Battle of the Alamo.
Local officials, including San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones and Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai, have urged state leaders to embrace a fuller telling of the Alamo’s history.
On Tuesday, Jones emphasized the importance of preserving accurate historical narratives, saying, “Any veteran and any studier of history knows the tight, tight connections between politics and history.”
Andrade noted that the Cenotaph’s restoration was a key milestone in the half-billion-dollar redevelopment, saying the monument “will soon be complemented by thoughtful landscaping and lighting to allow it to be admired both day and night.”
Buckingham reiterated that the redevelopment’s vision is “settled and done.”
