City Council Vote to Use Outstanding Downtown Business Domain for Alamo Plaza

SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio City Council voted Thursday to use an eminent domain to overcome a long-running hurdle in a multimillion-dollar plan to build a new Alamo museum and visitor center.

Moses Rose Hideout remains the only business that has yet to accept a business offer, as the Alamo Trust’s board of directors look to continue. Owner Vince Cantu is at an impasse with the Alamo Trust and the Texas Land Office, having turned down several offers since 2020.

“[I’m] Disappointed with today’s decision, I think the fight for property rights, the fight for the legacy of the Alamo’s defenders, has ended today,” Cantu told KENS 5.

Today, several members of the community, including descendants of the Defenders of the Alamo, support the city’s right to use eminent domain. Alamo Trust reports that Cantu was the only business owner who failed to close the deal.

“Three separate proposals were made in an attempt to have a productive conversation, but this proved impossible,” Kate Rogers, chief executive of the Alamo Trust, said during the meeting.

The city council voted to use the eminent domain for the Alamo Trust, which would allow the confiscation of Kantu’s business, making the standoff even more heated.

According to City Attorney Andy Segovia, the vote is being held specifically to kick off the conviction process, which usually involves an expedited negotiation process that can take months.

“We can’t just take property that’s convenient for us,” Segovia said. “We need to show that there is a compelling public purpose for this. We don’t think we’ll have a problem showing it.”

In a letter to San Antonio leaders, the project’s board of directors said they had reached a “critical impasse” that put “the future of the Alamo Plan at stake.”

The Alamo Trust says it will receive significant investment from the state of Texas, which expects the museum to open by March 2026.

“Every day counts,” Rogers said.

According to a chart obtained by KENS 5, Cantu has set an asking price of $17 million in 2020. future five-year and 10-year evaluation.

They allege that the property was valued at $2.1 million and Kant was offered $3.5 million in December 2022. He also turned down this offer.

During Thursday’s meeting, Cantu said he would consider an offer worth about $8 million for the property.

“We are moving away from the wealth of generations. It’s worth more than today’s value,” Cantu told reporters after the vote.

“Mr. Kant was offered a more than fair price for his property, yet he continues to demand more than six times the value of his property,” the letter says. “The Alamo Plan calls for the restoration and preservation of the incredible 300+ year history of the only remaining structures, the Alamo Church and Long Barracks.”

Related story: San Antonio can use eminent domain to take on downtown business for the Alamo museum and visitor center.

The board claims that if they don’t secure the space that Moses Rose’s hideout occupies, it could result in a loss of $1.7 million in revenue.

Segovia said the city has initiated legal proceedings several times in the past.

Construction on the Alamo Museum is due to begin this summer, but it’s unclear if the parties will come to a decision. The city says that now that it has used eminent domain, they want to speed up negotiations.

“Moses Rose will die in the Alamo territory, which perhaps he should have done, many people think,” Cantu said.