Our Own Backyard

Landmark San Antonio garden has designs on prestigious global award

Part of the "Play" public art project.

Courtesy photo

In a time when outdoor public spaces are more important than ever, San Antonio is lucky to have a landmark like the Yanaguana Garden at Hemisfair. Now it appears the design world agrees.

On May 22, the Yanaguana Garden was one of only eight public spaces in North America to be deemed a finalist for the prestigious Urban Land Institute Open Space Award 2020. The global competition is designed to seek out places "instrumental in promoting healthy, sustainable and equitable outcomes in communities."

Projects must be mostly outdoors and operational for at least one year to be eligible. The 2020 competition attracted more than 50 applicants.

Yanaguana Garden has been open since 2015, but plans for the revitalization of Hemisfair have been underway since 2009 when the city council approved the creation of the Hemisfair Park Area Redevelopment Corporation. To lead the ambitious project, the city turned to California-based MIG Inc. to craft the design.

In the past decade, Hemisfair — and the 4.1-acre garden — have become a destination for residents and tourists alike, thanks in part to its use as a community gathering place.

As the ULI press release notes, Yanaguana Garden is more than just a green space, it also "incorporates and preserves several historic structures [and] homes." It also repurposes multiple 1968 World’s Fair venues as locations for restaurants, retail, and "other park-activating amenities to attract and engage visitors." The garden has also provided the backdrop for a massive public art project called "Play," a series of eight public artwork installations that unveiled its final piece in 2018.

Along with Yanaguana Garden, the following seven North American projects were nominated:

Domino Park — Brooklyn
Historic Fourth Ward Park — Atlanta
Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park — Tampa
Salesforce Park — San Francisco
Trojan Park — St. Louis, Missouri
Uptown Normal Redevelopment — Normal, Illinois
West Eau Claire Park — Calgary, Alberta, Canada

A jury will name the winner of the ULI Urban Open Space Awards Competition in October. The winning project will also receive a $10,000 prize.

awards parks

staying open

Sudden deal means hundreds of Big Lots stores won't have to close

dallas.culturemap.com

Hundreds of Big Lots stores will remain open.

The discount chain Big Lots, which filed for bankruptcy protection in September, has reached a deal that will keep hundreds of its stores and distribution centers open.

Big Lots said Friday it will be sold to Gordon Brothers Retail Partners, a firm that specializes in distressed companies. Gordon Brothers will then transfer Big Lots’ stores, distribution centers, and other assets to other retailers.

Variety Wholesalers Inc., which owns more than 400 discount stores in the U.S. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, plans to acquire between 200 and 400 Big Lots stores and operate them under the Big Lots brand. Variety Wholesalers will also acquire up to two distribution centers.

“This sale agreement and transfer present the strongest opportunity to preserve jobs, maximize value for the estate, and ensure continuity of the Big Lots brand,” Big Lots President and CEO Bruce Thorn said in a statement. “We are grateful to our associates nationwide for their grit and resilience throughout this process.”

Columbus, Ohio-based Big Lots sells furniture, home decor and other items. When it filed for bankruptcy in September, it said inflation and high interest rates caused consumers to pull back on their purchases of home and seasonal products, two categories the chain depends on for a significant part of its revenue.

At the time, Big Lots planned to sell its assets and ongoing business operations to private equity firm Nexus Capital Management.

But on December 20, Big Lots said the deal with Nexus didn’t materialize. It then partnered with Gordon Brothers to conduct going-out-of-business sales at its 869 U.S. locations.

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