SAN ANTONIO — City leaders are facing criticism over the delayed public input on a proposed new arena for the Spurs, part of a broader initiative known as Project Marvel.
The plan is still in its early stages, and details about funding remain unclear.
Assistant City Manager Alex Lopez explained the delay, saying, “I think it was important for us to have something for the community to react to. It was important to have some sort of plan, some basic opportunity for people to really say, this is what I like, this is what I don’t like.”
A public meeting held in District 7 allowed residents to express their concerns and desires for the project. Kathy Vale, a local resident, voiced skepticism, stating, “San Antonio kind of has a reputation of over-promising and under-delivering. We do not want this to be one, and we need to break that mold, and we need to almost under promise and over deliver.”
Ted Guerra, president of the Jefferson Neighborhood Association, highlighted existing issues, saying, “We just have a lot of problems that we haven’t dealt with yet, infrastructure being one of them.”
Bianca Maldonado, president of the Monticello Park Neighborhood Association, emphasized the need for clarity on funding, questioning whether taxpayer money would benefit the Spurs or city improvements. “Every resident wants to understand, does the city recognize their concerns that they have in their neighborhoods today, and what are they doing to address that?” she said.
Maldonado addressed the funding complexities, noting, “You have private investment that’s coming in. You also have the county putting an item on a ballot that’s going to require approval, and then you also have the city that’s creating a unique investment zone within the community.”
Lopez clarified, “There’s some monies that can only be dedicated for this type of work, because it’s visitor taxes, because they’re specifically tied to this. So we wanted to make sure to clarify that.”
The city plans to engage with every council district to discuss the project’s funding options and implications.
For a list of meetings, click here.