WACO, Texas (KXXV) — The work continues to get Waco's riverwalk project off the ground. As the project moves forward, an important part of it includes looking back to pay homage to our neighbors who lived in Sandtown.
- Sandtown was a predominantly Mexican-American area located around the present-day Texas Ranger's Museum and Hall of Fame along the Brazos River.
- The project will be rebid in April.
- With the new timeline, construction is expected to begin in August.
- The project should be completed in August 2027.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
"We won't disappear," Robert Gamboa said.
Robert Gamboa grew up in the Waco neighborhood of Sandtown in the 1950s.
The neighborhood had no official borders, but it was a predominantly Mexican-American area around the present-day Texas Ranger's Museum and Hall of Fame along the Brazos River.
Robert tells 25 News' Bella Popadiuk it was an extremely tight-knit community.
"This was an immigrant-infused community that honored America," he said. "They honored the family model and they don't live here anymore. So we have to remember."
The neighborhood of Sandtown was an essential part of Waco's diversity and its working-class residents contributed to the economic growth of our city.
While the neighborhood of Sandtown has ceased to exist for decades—it will be brought back to life through Waco's upcoming riverwalk project.
"No one ever, ever painted a picture for us about the possibility," Robert said. "But here it is. Again, the term or the name Sandtown would live as long as the river walk can, for the tourists, for the locals, everything."
Robert says seeing its history becomes a physical part of our community is emotional.
"We have a generation of young people who may not know originally about Sandtown, but by the time that they spend looking about, they'll see, they'll read."
The project's historical homage to Sandtown will include a perimeter wall with interpretive information, photos, and text, seating elements for storytelling and gathering, and a map of Sandtown inscribed in the plaza.
"We just hope that generation after generation will know about Sandtown and the uniqueness of Sandtown," he said.
