The city of San Antonio has a long, storied and proud shared history with the United States military. At its peak, it was home to no less than seven installations, located within the city limits. Few had a more important place in its history than the now-closed Brooks Air Force Base.
Shuttered during the military sequester of the early 2000s, Brooks began at the dawn of World War I and was the site of some of the most important moments in the country’s military aviation history. Now, a unique partnership has arisen that looks to create a direct link between Brooks’ hallowed past and its promising future.
A new linear park, known as The Greenline, will connect the mixed-use facilities that now comprise Brooks with the San Antonio River and give the city’s often-underrepresented South Side a park that is sure to be a destination spot for years to come.
The Dawn of Military Aviation
The history of Brooks Air Force Base very closely parallels the history of military aviation in the United States. When the nation entered World War I in the spring of 1917, and after recognizing the need for flying instructors, the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce set aside 873 acres in the southeast area of town for a new aviation field.
Originally called Gosport Field (taken from the system of flight instructions used at the time), the site was chosen because of its climate and available water supply. With the arrival of the military, it became known as Kelly Field No. 5.
On November 13, 1917, while preparing for his final training flight at Kelly Field in San Antonio, Cadet Sidney Johnson Brooks, Jr., was killed when the nose of his Curtiss JN-4 dipped downward as he was landing. It was speculated that Brooks passed out due to inoculations he had received earlier in the day. Having been one of the first to volunteer for the American Flying Corps, he was awarded his wings and commission posthumously. Because of his sacrifice, the Army decided to name Brooks Field (later Brooks Air Force Base and Brooks City-Base) in his honor.
Brooks would become a separate post in February 1918, and the first planes began to fly in March 1918. In its first year of operation, 16 hangars were constructed, including Hangar 9, which is now a national historic landmark and one of the keystones of the new Greenline. After the war, the pilot instructor school was closed and a Balloon and Airship School was opened for pilots and ground crew members.
“There is so much history here,” says Brooks City-Base Chief Executive Officer, Leo Gomez. “Being able to capture and connect to that history is really important. Brooks is important not just to the city overall, but to this community in particular. I’m excited that the new project will bring revitalization to Hangar 9. It’s being developed into a place to hold events such as galas and quinceañeras and things like that. Providing the public with access to that building is an important piece to this project.”
In between the first and second World Wars, the military’s aviation medicine school was moved to Brooks and a who’s who of flight history literally came through the facilities for training: Generals Claire L. Chennault, Thomas D. White, Nathan F. Twining and Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh. From World War II through Vietnam, pilots continued to train at Brooks. It was the backup site for NASA’s Project Mercury and, in 1963, was dedicated as the home of the School for Aerospace Medicine by President John F. Kennedy during his ill-fated trip through Texas, exactly one day before his assassination.
Brooks City-Base and The Greenline
In 2002, Brooks Air Force Base was renamed Brooks City-Base. That same year, the Brooks Development Authority assumed control of the base and, nine years later, Air Force operations ceased. Following the cessation of Air Force operations, the grounds at Brooks were converted into a mixed-use, residential and commercial property that brought new life to the city’s southeast side. Earlier this year, the final piece of the puzzle that would complete the revitalization of the former air base was beginning to be put into place.
“When we did the original land use plan for City-Base a little over three years ago, we had clearly carved out space for a public park,” Gomez explains. “We wanted to make sure that in the middle of the residential space, the light industrial space and the hospital and education space, we had green space to connect it all together. What we came up with was The Greenline.”
The Greenline, when completed, will be a $10.6 million, 43-acre linear park that will not only provide recreational and fitness opportunities for the area’s residents, but will also become a destination location. The first phase of the project, for which ground was broken in August of this year, is expected to be completed in the fall of 2017. Brooks City-Base will be solely in charge of the park when it opens.
According to Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, “The Greenline leverages Bexar County’s more than $200 million investment in the Mission Reach of the San Antonio River by further connecting the South Side community to the river, recreation and hike-and-bike trails. This incredible investment by Brooks City-Base, the city of San Antonio and Bexar County furthers the ‘Golden Age’ of development for the southern sector of the city — an area that had been neglected for far too long.”
Funded with $3 million in city bonds and $7.6 million from a Brooks Infrastructure Bond, The Greenline promises to be a state-of-the-art green space that will feature a mile of illuminated hiking and biking trails and 1.5 miles of jogging trails. Fitness stations, play structures, outdoor pavilions, terracing lakes and 10 acres each of grasslands and native vegetation will combine to make this a truly unique San Antonio park.
“The best feature of the park is that it will connect all the residences and businesses at City-Base with the Mission Reach of the River Walk,” Gomez says. “Everything from free Wi-Fi and public art, to the trails, pavilions and lakes will all give this community something that it has never had, and it will all tie together with the history of the base and with the history of San Antonio [through the river].”
Where History, Family and the Culture of Health Meet
Mission Reach, which extends from the tourist hub of downtown to the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, was completed slightly less than five years ago and connects the historic San Antonio River virtually its entire length by the famed River Walk. Under the auspices of the San Antonio River Authority (SARA), The Greenline will now connect this portion of the city to its icons of culture and entertainment. The project also has very real-world, economic implications for the city and the area as it will help Brooks City-Base attract employers and fuel job creation on the South Side. More and more businesses are flocking to the area, including the first full-service hotel south of downtown San Antonio.
“The River Authority is excited by the addition of The Greenline trails and amenities and its plans to ultimately connect to the very popular Mission Reach Trails that SARA manages,” says Steve Graham, SARA assistant general manager. “We see this sort of trail connection as a way to improve and extend recreation and quality-of-life options right into neighborhoods and communities along the San Antonio River.”
“Major employers aren’t just looking for tax breaks, they are looking for quality of life,” Gomez said at the groundbreaking ceremony. “What will help them recruit a great workforce? Time and again, we hear that companies want to be able to offer amenities such as parks, eateries, entertainment venues and attractive housing near the workplace. This is the kind of community we are building at Brooks. We could not be more thrilled about the opportunities [The Greenline] will offer.”
Something Special
What is a park? Is it simply the open area where people gather in nature for fun and frolic? Is it a reminder of a time or an event from the distant past? Is it indeed a commercial generator? Can it be all of that? Ultimately, the vision for The Greenline does ask for it to be all of that and more.
“For our community here at Brooks and on the South Side, The Greenline is a dream come true,” said Manuel Villa, chairman of the Brooks Board of Directors, who was also at the groundbreaking. “It will be the new weekend hotspot, an essential part of the community, as we build the live, work, learn and play atmosphere. We can’t wait for this beautiful park.”
The Greenline promises to be more than a place for people to come and ride their bikes, barbecue with friends and family, or just enjoy the pleasant weather of the city. It will also be more than a way to remember the glorious past where this part of the world was the funnel for the country’s burgeoning Air Force or to bring new businesses to the area. The possibilities for The Greenline are limited only by imagination.
“I think ultimately, it will be another destination park for our community, building on the miles and miles of linear parks we have in San Antonio,” Gomez says. “It will also add to the quality of life that the people in this part of the city have. Parks like this are something special.”
Eric Moreno is a freelance writer based in San Antonio, Texas.