There’s a burgeoning movement in the U.S. to convert golf courses into parks, and even housing. They consume too much water and take up too much space. Plus, golf is declining in popularity. Sasaki recently released a strategic masterplan for transforming the former Republic Golf Course into Arboretum San Antonio. The campus would have ample green space, but also a “living museum,” and a center for tree research. Arboretum San Antonio will total over 200 acres. It will have links to Salado Creek and the Howard W. Peak Greenway, making for one of the largest arboreta in the state of Texas. Features will include a welcome center, event center, retail nursery, a cafe, and The Oval community event lawn. Arboretum San Antonio will link to existing trails. (Courtesy Sasaki) The Canopy Walk will be a raised boardwalk platform that guides visitors through a forested landscape. (Courtesy Sasaki) Sasaki worked with the Arboretum San Antonio board of directors and local consultants for the last year. The office engaged over 18,000 community members, it said, in the visioning and design process. The strategic masterplan will restore the ecology that was destroyed by the former golf course. Adriana Quiñones, Arboretum San Antonio CEO, said the strategic masterplan is the “culmination of thousands of San Antonio voices coming together to create something extraordinary.” “Our design reflects the community’s desire for spaces that are physically accessible, culturally inclusive, educationally rich, and ecologically sound,” Quiñones added. “Community input has shaped every element.” A network of nature trails are also planned for the project. (Courtesy Sasaki) Quiñones further noted that Arboretum San Antonio will have an outdoor classroom, discovery areas, and a Veterans Grove. There will be heritage tree preservation, water conservation features, and diverse botanical collections, the CEO elaborated. Parking will be confined to Arboretum San Antonio’s core campus, which is closest to SE Military Drive, to ensure tranquility. The site will be broken up into nine arboretum zones, each with its own ecology. Visitors can learn about climate-resilient landscapes, and Indigenous land management practices. The Outdoor Classroom will be a place to learn about the ecology. (Courtesy Sasaki) Sasaki is collaborating San Antonio-based partners MPStudio, Work5hop, Ximenes & Associates, Pape-Dawson Engineers, Urban Tree Company, Cielo Strategy Group, Robb S. García, and Jeanette M. Honermann. North of Arboretum San Antonio, Reed Hilderbrand and SO – IL are renovating San Antonio Botanical Garden, another project enhancing the city’s green space. The project will take place over four phases over the course of 20 years.