The Menger Hotel, which opened in 1859, now has a new owner: the State of Texas. Credit: Sanford Nowlin
In case anyone’s wondering how much taxpayer money Texas is spending to protect the Alamo’s “hallowed grounds” by buying up nearly hotels, the number is now public.
The Texas General Land Office (GLO) dropped a combined $62 million to purchase downtown’s Menger and Crockett hotels, a sales agreement obtained by the San Antonio Business Journal shows. Of the total, $40.5 million covers the cost of the Menger with the remaining $21.5 million spent on the Crockett.
The GLO handled the transaction in partnership with Ohio-based hospitality investor Rockbridge, which will operate the hotels, the Business Journal also reports. Bexar County last appraised the properties at a combined $55 million.
“By securing the footprint around the Alamo Complex for the State of Texas, we are protecting these hallowed grounds and enhancing one of our nation’s most sacred historical sites,” Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham said via email back in August, when the state announced its purchase. “This investment ensures the Shrine of Texas Liberty, the Alamo, will become the most prominent battlefield site in the country — charting its own destiny for generations to come.”
Takeover and controversy
The GLO took over day-to-day oversight of the Alamo in 2011 after then-Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush kicked out the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, the private group that had long managed the site. Bush alleged the DRT wasn’t keeping up its contract, and the move unleashed a legal battle.
The state’s purchase of the two hotels comes amid major upgrades at the Alamo complex, including the addition of the 160,000-square-foot Alamo Visitor Center and Museum, expected to open in 2027. The state has approved $400 million to cover upgrades to the historical site, while Bexar County has pumped $25 million into upgrades in Alamo Plaza.
The state’s operation of the Alamo isn’t been without controversy, though.
Kate Rogers, who oversaw the recent upgrades as executive director of the Alamo Trust, last month resigned after Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick publicly targeted her over her 2023 doctoral dissertation, alleging it showed that her views were “incompatible” with the state’s vision of history.
Rogers has since sued Patrick and Buckingham, alleging they violated her First Amendment rights by pressuring the Alamo Trust’s board to remove her.
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