Worlds Fair in San Antonio (Houston, Dallas: hotel, airport, rail)

[gy2020]

I don't think its too early to do this. HemisFair was created to celebrate San Antonio's 250th birthday (1618-1968). We have enough lead time, let's make this a world class World's Fair in San Antonio in 2018 to celebrate San Antonio's 300th birthday.

We can use this forum as a suggestion box for how, why, when, where and this information can be passed on to our City Fathers.

Do we want to hold it on the grounds of Hemisfair or do we want to choose a new site.

This is a 10 year outreach.

St. Louis held a major World Fair back around 1903 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase, 1803. Los Angeles has hosted Worlds Fair as well as Philadelphia in 1876. New York and Chicago have also been host cities.

Back in 1968 we weren't able to get world's Fair and we made it Hemis Fair, at least if my history serves me right.

That's why I believe with a 10 year lead we ought to be able to get World's Fair designation.

Now, your thoughts!!!

[Bowie]

Wikipedia says Houston is bidding on the Universal Expo that'll be held in 2020. If you're counting on support from the state support for an event in SA, I doubt the governor will be interested in supporting an event that would compete with Houston's interest in landing that big fish two years later.

[gy2020]

Then we should make it a stronger effort. San Antonio has a stronger tie, with a 300th ann. coming about. That's why its important to start thinking now!!!

[gy2020]

I think Toyota could be a good partner.

[gy2020]

We use to be the big city in the state. It's events like this that make cities. Dallas hosted a World Fair in 1936 and catapulted over San Antonio as a result. We should really get after this.

[gy2020]

Spain should also have a large interest in this, since it was the Spanish that settled in San Antonio in 1618.

[gy2020]

Come on folks. Someone else must have an opinion.

[gy2020]

Think about putting the Worlds Fair on the Southside of San Antonio and then watching the development on that side of town afterwards. That's also some of the most historical part of San Antonio. We hosted a fair on the southside at the Fairgrounds on S. Presa at the turn of last century, 1890s to about 1909 and that kick started southside development for many years into the 1950's.

[gy2020]

Nobody else wants to comment:
Think about this. If the old State Hospital on S. Presa is closed, incorporate that property, the old hot wells hotel all the way over to Mission San Jose and the upgrade to the Mission Drive-in with their development. That would kick start hotel development on Loop 13, an upgrade of Stinson field for computer air traffic, a rail system from the Airport to downtown to the fair on the southside. Trolley cars down S. Presa, making S. Presa into a better road, an upgrade of the buildings along S. Presa. Now you are talking about real development.

[gy2020]

Here's a link to the St. Louis Worlds Fair of 1904. I said it was 1903, sorry.
http://washingtonmo.com/1904/