Not subscribed to local news but still want to stay up-to-date on the happenings around town? Look no further. Highlighting notable stories from external San Antonio news sources, State of the City summarizes the most captivating news headlines of the week. This week’s topics range from the mold in the Alamodome to thousands of vacant buildings in San Antonio being considered dangerous.
The Alamodome’s $1 million mold problem
After 30 years standing, the Alamodome has leaks that have created water damage to the ceiling. The damage consists of 3,160 square feet of ceiling containing non-toxic mold. Most of the mold is in corners of stairwells and on its fifth-floor concourse.
On Thursday, the San Antonio city council passed a $1.2 million contract for “mold remediation services” for the stadium. Initial leaks were found on the stadium throughout the summer, yet no damage to the roof has been found. The leaks have since been patched and mold cleanup will be completed soon.
San Antonio International Airport conducts emergency exercise
The San Antonio International Airport held a training exercise last Wednesday that simulated a plane crash. The training is mandated every three years by the Federal Aviation Administration. This exercise involved 35 emergency units that responded to parts of a Boeing 737 aircraft that would be scattered on the airport field with 100 occupants on board. This exercise was used as a test of communication for the responders which was successful .
Congress calls to protect San Antonio Missions from vandalism
Congressmen Joaquin Castro, Henry Cuellar and Greg Casar made a call to protect and preserve the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park from vandalism. This call to action was created after numerous vandalism incidents have occurred at the missions in recent years. A significant incident that happened over the summer was at Mission San Jose when the historic rose window was broken. The number of concerns has been consistently increasing within the past few years. These Congressmen are concerned about whether or not the Missions will survive another 300 years if the vandalism persists since repairing the damages is not simple or inexpensive.
Thousands of buildings considered vacant or dangerous
More than 11,000 buildings in San Antonio are considered vacant and dangerous. These unused buildings result in an increased number of calls being made to the San Antonio Fire Department every year. The breakdown of the vacant buildings comes out to 9,980 structures that are vacant or overgrown with an additional 1,178 being considered dangerous. With most of the buildings being in Districts Two and Five, the respective city council leaders are speaking about the issue. This data does not include every building, only the ones that have been identified.
