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San Antonio council names West Side pool for community advocate Atanasio García
Summary
The Council voted to name the West Side Olympic-size pool the Atanasio García Natatorio after residents and family members recounted García's decades of local advocacy leading to the pool’s construction and community benefits.
The San Antonio City Council voted March 20 to name the West Side Olympic-size swimming facility the Atanasio García Natatorio following public remarks from family members and neighborhood advocates.
Speakers described Atanasio García as a longtime West Side organizer who in the 1960s and 1970s championed a neighborhood pool so local children could learn to swim, compete and pursue opportunities the speakers said were otherwise out of reach. Family members and community leaders told the Council García spent years collecting petitions, writing letters and raising local support; they said those efforts led to construction of the natatorium, which speakers said opened in 1981.
Several relatives and community leaders — including María Tijerina, Rosa García and a nephew identified as Jonathan — spoke during the public-comment period to recount García’s organizing work and to request formal recognition. Councilmember Castillo urged unanimous support, citing archival materials submitted to the city that document letters and petitions circulated in the 1970s. The Council approved the naming motion without recorded opposition in the transcript.
Supporters emphasized the naming as a way to preserve local history and to acknowledge grassroots leadership in a ZIP code speakers described as economically disadvantaged. City staff and councilmembers thanked CAP Metro and Department of Parks and Recreation staff for their role in maintaining the facility and noted that the naming request included supporting documentation from long-time residents and archival records.
The Council’s action formalizes the facility’s name; additional details about a dedication ceremony and signage will be arranged by Parks and Recreation staff in coordination with the family.
