SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs’ first public rally in favor of a new arena will be in an area they hope to call home soon: downtown San Antonio.
Spurs Sports & Entertainment, the organization that operates the Spurs, announced its “Win Together” event, which is slated to start at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Idle Beer Hall & Brewery located at 414 Brooklyn Avenue.
The Spurs hope the two-hour event will attract fans and galvanize support for Project Marvel, the city’s planned sports and entertainment district at Hemisfair.
This fall, two Spurs-related measures will be on the ballot: Proposition A and Proposition B.
According to the Spurs’ news release, Proposition A would consist of $191.8 million worth of upgrades to the Frost Bank Center, Freeman Coliseum and the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo Grounds.
If passed, Proposition B would “authorize up to $311 million” to help pay for a new downtown arena, the organization said in the release.
“What’s at stake is more than an arena – it’s our community’s next chapter,” San Antonio Spurs Governor Peter J. Holt said in a news release. “It’s about pride in who we are as a city and belief in what San Antonio can become.”
On Aug. 21 via a 7-4 vote, San Antonio city council approved a funding deal for the Spurs’ arena portion of the project. Current estimates have the downtown arena in the neighborhood of $1.3 billion.
The four dissenters in the voting were Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones, interim councilman Leo Castillo-Anguiano (D2), councilwoman Teri Castillo (D5), and councilman Ric Galvan (D6). Earlier that day, the same four voted in favor of Jones’ “strategic pause” for additional information, but seven other council members voted against the pause.
The six-hour meeting that day was sometimes lively and contentious, including one exchange between Jones and Holt.
“I’m going to try just one more time. Just, kind of ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ Mr. Holt,” Jones asked Holt during the Aug. 21 meeting. “Is there an opposition to us seeking an independent, economic study and allowing us additional time to engage with our constituents? Just ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ please.”
“I’m going to try one more time again,” Holt told Jones, with the sound of the crowd’s applause echoing through the council chambers. “There’s ample information that shows (that) this city deserves an urban core that we are proud of, that is unifying, that’s accessible and that continues San Antonio’s progress to be a world-class destination. And we’re willing to invest billions of dollars into that.”
The funding deal includes the city kicking in up to $489 million for the arena and Bexar County up to the aforementioned $311 million. The Spurs would contribute at least $500 million, plus any cost overruns.
The team would also guarantee $1.4 billion of nearby development over a 12-year period, including offices, retail, housing and a boutique hotel for visiting teams.
A vote on the county’s share of the funding through its venue tax on hotel stays and car rentals is already on the November ballot.
The overall funding deal is contingent upon voters passing the measure, which includes an increase to the hotel portion of the tax.
Anyone interested in attending Saturday’s rally can RSVP here for free food and parking.
“By harnessing tourist dollars and private investment, this plan will deliver a new downtown arena while expanding and upgrading the Frost Bank Center and Freeman Coliseum with no new taxes for local residents‚” Holt’s statement concluded.
Bexar County voters will be able to vote on Proposition A and Proposition B on Election Day, which is Nov. 4.
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