Construction of a rainbow sidewalk, intended to celebrate San Antonio's LGBTQ+ nightlife district, is underway despite no formal council vote. The project, costing $170,000, replaces a previous rainbow crosswalk removed by order of the governor and is funded from past and future city budgets. Controversy surrounds the project with some council members raising concerns about procedure and taxpayer dollars.
Work crews began painting the rainbow sidewalk over the weekend near the intersection of North Main Avenue and Evergreen Street.Work on the rainbow colored sidewalk in San Antonio ’s Pride District is now underway, even though there’s been no formal council vote on the project.
City officials confirmed that work on the first phase of the sidewalk celebrating the city’s LGBTQ+ nightlife district at the intersection of North Main Avenue and Evergreen Street began over the weekend. The project, which also included removing the rainbow-colored crosswalk banished by order of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, is expected to cost taxpayers $170,000. Via email, city spokesman Brian Chasnoff said the funding for the project came from the Fiscal Year 2026 budget, as well as “Task Order contracts approved by City Council in 2024 and 2025.”District 9 Councilwoman Misty Spears and District 10 Councilman Marc Whyte, the two conservatives on the dais, echoed those concerns in a joint statement earlier this month. However, District 1 Councilwoman Sukh Kaur — who spearheaded the project in conjunction with Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones, the city’s first openly LGBTQ+ mayor —late last week that the upgrades didn’t need council approval because of the area’s designation as a cultural heritage district.“This issue is not about opposition to any community,” Garza wrote. “It is about government conduct. Public sidewalks are shared civic spaces, and decisions involving taxpayer dollars and political or ideological expression must be made openly and with public input.”The removal was ordered by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. The city is saving circular pieces of the crosswalk for historical preservation.Pride San Antonio says it will take Rainbow Crosswalk fight to court if city doesn’t ramp up effort to protect the landmarkSince 1986, the SA Current has served as the free, independent voice of San Antonio, and we want to keep it that way. Becoming an SA Current Supporter for as little as $5 a month allows us to continue offering readers access to our coverage of local news, food, nightlife, events, and culture with no paywalls.Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...The sale price of this San Antonio mansion with a rare indoor pool just dropped $50,000
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