San Antonio's Father Manuel Roman Community Center, a South Side staple for forty years, is now a serious safety concern due to extensive structural damage. A recent city-commissioned structural assessment concluded that soil expansion is the culprit behind the building's dire condition, with repairs or reconstruction both estimated to cost upwards of $3 million, as reported by the San Antonio Report.
Reena Gonzalez, executive assistant and liaison in the Parks and Recreation Department, expressed shared frustration with local residents, stating "As frustrated as this community is, we don't have any answers as well and we feel just as frustrated," according to a Headtopics article. The report uncovered issues like uneven floor elevation and "severely twisted" struts that now threaten the integrity of the structure and challenge the future of the center.
Previously, in 2009, remedial actions were taken to try to partially correct the sloping floors by pouring concrete over the foundation slab, which, at the time, showed a 5-inch differential in the floor elevations. However, the recent assessment highlighted that not only have these issues persisted but they have since significantly worsened, leading to a situation where crucial decisions need to be made promptly.
Meanwhile, the local community remains skeptical and distressed over the center's bleak prognosis. "If we had communication, we wouldn’t have the problems we have. I don’t trust anybody anymore," Olga Martinez, Villa Coronado Neighborhood Association president, told the San Antonio Report. Echoing this sentiment, Candi Diaz, president of A Hidden Heart, reminisced about Father Roman's legacy and the center's value to the community, reaffirming a commitment to serving and improving their local environment.
While the fate of the Father Roman Community Center hangs in balance, city officials are scrambling to identify resources for the fix or rebuild. According to the San Antonio Report, Homer Garcia of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department stated that San Antonio is committed to maintaining a community center at Villa Coronado Park, yet a solid plan and timeline have not yet been established. Summer programming and other community services have been relocated until a resolution is reached. The city, while acknowledging the shared discontent, reassures residents that deliberations with the city manager’s office, District 3 City Council office, and Public Works Department are actively ongoing to define the center's future.
