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Thursday, March 5, 2020 713-526-3399

Patrick Challenges Direction of Alamo Restoration Project

Asks: “What Will We Remember About the Alamo?”

HOUSTON TX – Dan Patrick, Texas Lt. Governor issued the following statement
as Texans remember the final Battle of the Alamo:

“184 years ago tomorrow, brave men fought and died to save the Alamo. It was a
battle that changed the course of history for Texas, the United States and the
world. Now it is time for Texans to come together to fight for it again.

“In 2015, the Texas Legislature provided funding to preserve the Alamo and
begin the process of rebuilding Alamo Plaza so Texans and the world can see the
battlefield as it was on March 6, 1836.

“I have asked people from all across this great state about their vision for this
effort. The job of oversight for this project is the responsibility of the General
Land Office headed by Commissioner George P. Bush. It is evident to me that
both the design, planning and execution of the project is badly off track.

“Nothing defines the independent and the courageous spirit of Texas more than
our iconic Alamo and, like most Texans, I treasure it. The history of the Alamo is
a personal passion of mine. I do not intend to sit quietly and see this project fail.

“Millions of state dollars have already been spent to begin the initial process of
restoring the current buildings at the Alamo and buying the adjacent property to
reclaim much of the entire battlefield. Significant additional funding will be
necessary to complete this project.

“Texans from across the state are quite clear about what they expect to see upon
the completion of the Alamo restoration project:

 “The primary focus of the Alamo conservation and restoration must focus on
the battle itself, not the 200-year history of early Spanish settlement in Texas.
That story is already impressively depicted through San Antonio’s Mission
Trail.

 “Alamo Plaza should resemble, as closely as possible, the actual fort as it was
in 1836. While some space limitations exist, there is room to re-create the
barricade adjacent to the Alamo mission that Crockett defended, the front

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 gate, the room where Bowie was killed, the west wall, the Trevino House
inside the fort where Travis resided and likely wrote his letters, and to rebuild
the long barracks where many of the defenders made their final stand.

 “To educate our children, Texans want a world-class visitor center that is
interactive and tells the story of the Battle of the Alamo. The visitor center
must complement the Alamo in design and not overwhelm it.

“There is no disagreement that the Cenotaph needs repair, but there has been
substantial disagreement on its final location. I have yet to hear a good
explanation of why the Cenotaph must be moved. In the Republican Primary on
Tuesday, nearly 98% of voters supported Proposition 7, which would prohibit the
removal of historic monuments in Texas, including the Cenotaph. This issue now
seems to be settled.

“I have seen two architectural renderings so far, including the latest one a few
weeks ago, and neither are anything close to what the people of Texas are
expecting. The latest looks like a massive urban park with hundreds of trees –
more like Central Park in New York City than Alamo Plaza. We have wasted
significant public dollars on designs which most Texans would immediately
reject. Today, I’m asking for transparency to finally be injected into the process
and for the Land Commissioner to release all designs.

“We simply must get the Alamo preservation project right, because what we do
now will be with us forever. The Texas Historical Commission is holding a
meeting later this month where I trust several Alamo issues will be addressed.

“If the General Land Office cannot handle this important job, and to date it does
not appear it can, I will recommend we identify another entity to provide
oversight.”

More information about Dan Patrick is available at www.DanPatrick.org.

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