An artist’s rendition of the new Witte Museum parking garage. Courtesy illustration

At long last, Witte Museum officials have secured funding for planned parking expansion enabling expansion to a lot that’s remained the same size since 1926.

“This means we can fulfill our dreams for the future of the Witte Museum,” said Jim Dalgish, the museum’s vice president of communications. “We’ve been limited to the 75 spaces we’ve had since 1926.”

In recent action, the San Antonio City Council passed an ordinance authorized funding for the parking structure for which construction will begin this April. The agreement calls $3.75 million for construction of a three-level, 39,000-square-foot parking structure facility with capacity for 325 vehicles. Last June, the city approved another $400,000 to be spent on studies, surveys and design of the parking lot slated for a November completion.

Dalgish noted the free parking at the site will be not just for visitors to the Witte, but the Brackenridge Park in general and its various elements in particular, such as the newly restored Japanese Sunken Garden. But for the Witte, the new amenity will enable officials to lure more visitors, many of whom have expressed frustration over lack of parking there.

“We have a hard time taking advantage of our peak time,” Dalgish said, noting the museum is quickly approaching a milestone 500,000 annual visitors mark. “We’re at 300,000 now. People drive around looking for a parking spot, and many times they’ll just leave.”

Although in the minority, some nearby residents had objected to the planned lot – both for its likely dimensions and for the need to remove trees to make room for construction. But Dalgish said city and museum officials have taken steps to calm peoples nerves on those issues.

“This is going to be an exemplary parking facility for urban park planning because; first of all, it is being designed by Lake Flato Architects – a firm that does all the green, environmentally friendly buildings. This garage is no exception,” he said, adding it will be covered with vines and feature a water collection system.

Dalgish added the museum could have built a structure that encompassing up to 4 acres, in line with surface lot limits that voters passed in 1999. But the new garage will occupy just 1.3 acres of land, given its multiple levels.

“The city spent some time to do this,” he said. “They wanted to do it right, be exemplary and satisfy all objections.”

As for tree removal, museum officials have hired another company that’s tops in its field – Austin-based firm Tree Wise Men – which is considered to be “…the best in the world” at arbor relocation, Dalgish said.

“They will move four heritage trees, some live oaks and the city parks department will move 22 other smaller trees,” Dalgish said. “We’ll be saving as many trees as we can.”

In the midst of securing the much-needed city funds, officials are in the throes of a $57 million capital campaign to expand the museum itself. Among those plans is an enlarged lobby, construction of the 10,000-square-foot South Texas Heritage gallery featuring cowboy and vaquero artifacts.

Witte officials also recently purchased the Parkside building across Tuleta Road, just south of the museum, to house its various collections – including the Hertzberg Circus collection – for public view.

Dalgish noted the immense popularity of a current exhibit entitled “Our Body: The Universe Within” which is drawing about 1,000 daily visitors, has helped illustrate the need for enlarged parking.

“Everything was on track before the body exhibit,” he said. “But when the mayor or other city officials come in and have to elbow their way into the building, they always say ‘you guys really need a parking lot.’”