The project would take root on much of the 200-plus acres adjacent to Brooks that until 2020 was the Republic Golf Club. Owner Foresight Golf LLC plans to sell 170 acres of the property for it.

“We aren’t just looking to fence off a big acreage and let plants grow — but really try to make that into a significant asset in San Antonio that can be a destination for people who either visit or reside in the city,” said Tom Corser, CEO of Arboretum San Antonio. “We’re going to do all we can to make it a world class arboretum.”

Such sites feature various species of trees and shrubs and offer recreational, educational and research opportunities, he said. They also can provide a respite from the busyness of living in a city.

Under a deal in the works, the development authority would purchase the land for $1 million and lease or convey it to Arboretum San Antonio, a nonprofit founded by Cisneros that would develop a master plan for the site.

The public-private entity oversees Brooks, the 1,308-acre former Air Force base less than a mile and a half away from the arboretum site, and has converted it to include a mix of new housing, manufacturing facilities, stores, schools, restaurants and hotels.

On ExpressNews.com: First new high-end office buildings on Southeast Side to open at Brooks

Arboretum San Antonio board members include Evangelina Flores, who owns Flores Riverwalk Properties Ltd. and is past chair of the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts; Andrew Anguiano, CEO and co-founder of Southside Craft Soda; and attorneys Fred Jones and Jane Macon.

Leo Gomez, president and CEO of the development authority; Suzanne Scott, state director at the Nature Conservancy; Juan Solis, community development manager at Truist; and Mary Jane Verette, CEO of the San Antonio Parks Foundation, are also involved.

Its place in Texas

As planned, the arboretum would be bigger than the 155-acre Houston Arboretum & Nature Center and far larger than the 16-acre Mollie Steves Zachry Texas Arboretum in Austin and 66-acre Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. But it would be dwarfed by the 250-acre Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens in Humble.

Finding a South Side location was a priority, Corser said. Outdoor jewels such as Phil Hardberger Park, the San Antonio Botanical Garden and Government Canyon State Natural Area have been built in north San Antonio.

“Putting that substantial asset in the South Side is important to us,” he said.

It also would provide marketing and event benefits for both Brooks and Arboretum San Antonio, Corser said, in which each can highlight the other and host gatherings on the grounds.

“This is a significant investment by Brooks and we’re going to honor that and leverage that on both sides,” he said.

The development authority’s aim extends beyond redeveloping the former Air Force base, said chief strategy officer Connie Gonzalez.

“Brooks is an anchor of this greater region,” she said. “Our success is their success, to be able to do something that would impact in a positive way and bring prosperity to this region.”

An arboretum could be an amenity for residents and a draw for visitors and presents opportunities to work with local businesses and schools.

In exchange for the authority’s involvement, Arboretum San Antonio would offer “in-kind services” such as marketing, free membership for Brooks employees and board members and free use of facilities for events, according to a resolution approved by its board.

Earlier efforts

Initially, the arboretum group targeted a swath of land owned by TJX Cos., the parent of TJ Maxx and other retail chains, near Mission Espada.

In op-eds published in the Express-News and San Antonio Report, Cisneros suggested using 379.61 acres donated by TJX Cos to Texas A&M University-San Antonio and the San Antonio River Authority for an arboretum.

But a conservation easement in place there was not conducive to an arboretum, Corser said. That property is set to become a park for recreation and “limitless” opportunities for research by students, A&M and SARA announced earlier this month.

On ExpressNews.com: A new park — bigger than Brackenridge — is coming to San Antonio’s South Side

Arboretum San Antonio narrowed its search to about five tracts of land, and the Republic Golf Club site rose to the top of its list.

It was cared for as a golf course, a creek runs through it and there already are several large heritage oak trees estimated to be between 200 and 300 years old on the grounds, Corser said.

Dan Pedrotti Jr., president of Foresight Golf, said he closed the Republic Golf Club amid competition from the Alamo City Golf Trail.

The 170 acres he plans to sell to the BDA includes 132 acres of the roughly 205-acre golf course and an adjacent 38-acre parcel he has under contract.

Foresight Golf will continue to own the rest of the golf course, which is slated to be turned into 310 single-family homes and 370 apartments with a hike and bike trail.

The first phase with 124 single-family lots has been finished. Pedrotti Jr. said an expansive park has always been part of his development plan for the property.

“It’s educational, it’s generational, it has so much opportunity to attract people from outside San Antonio and outside of Texas, for that matter,” he said of the arboretum.

The sale transaction is expected to close in the first half of next year. The next step is developing a master plan for the acreage and determining what the cost will be, which is unclear at this point, Corser said.

To fund the project, Arboretum San Antonio would seek local, state and federal grants, bond funding and philanthropy. Bexar County has already identified some funds but discussions are ongoing, Corser said.

Money generated from memberships and other potential sources at the arboretum would go to the nonprofit, he said.

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