SAN ANTONIO — For Kayla Miranda, Alazan Courts is more than a home. Over the years, it's been a neighborhood that never fails to come together when their community's culture and history have been threatened by developers as the west side continues to battle gentrification.
"The people that live here, that love this neighborhood, that want to stay here, we all pretty much want to preserve as much as possible," Miranda said.
Soon, the city's oldest public housing project will soon undergo new upgrades and renovations. Originally built in 1939, Alazan Courts has served mostly low-income Mexican American families. The San Antonio Housing Authority, now known as Opportunity Home, is working with a design firm and community members to make changes to Alazan Courts.
"That was an important step for us as tenants, as residents to get to share in this planning process," said Miranda.
One of the biggest concerns was the displacement of families, but Opportunity Home has committed to keeping Alazan a 100% public housing unit.
"A lot of the conversations is just thinking about how we balance the needs of today and making sure this is a place that will serve the west side of San Antonio for the next 80 years," said Seema Kairam, an associate with the Able City design firm.
Kairam is also the project manager for Reimagine Alazan. The design firm started meeting with community members back in February and has committed to keeping community input at the core of each phase.
Overall, Miranda said planning as been going well, although there have been some disagreements in previous meetings.
"Currently, there’s an issue with the flood zone that we’re going back and forth on," she said. "And there are people that are on the side of demolishing and building new, but those people aren’t usually in this community."
For Miranda, preserving as many buildings as possible and ensuring the property remains accessible to all are two top priorities.
"A lot of individuals here are disabled or elderly and we have family that are disabled or elderly," Miranda said. "If you build a high rise or three story buildings, someone in a wheelchair, their family can't come."
Miranda encourages others to get involved in the planning process.
Able City is looking for community feedback on their design plans through September 9. The survey can be found here. The survey is also available in print at the Alazan Community Center.