Business leaders from San Antonio's Market Square come out against Project Marvel

San Antonio’s Historic Market Square is among the city’s top tourist destinations. Credit: Michael Karlis

Representatives of small businesses at Historic Market Square told the Current their members aren’t just skeptical of Project Marvel but actively encouraging residents — even those who normally don’t vote — to cast ballots against it in November.

“You can get [Spurs General Counsel] Bobby Perez on TV and tell you this is the greatest thing since sliced bread,” said Yvette Ramirez, president of the Farmer’s Market Association. “But the reality is he’s not going to have to be in the middle of everything. He doesn’t own a business that’s going to be affected downtown.”

On Nov. 4, separate ballot initiatives from Bexar County and the City of San Antonio will ask voters to approve the use of county and city dollars to help fund a new Spurs arena, part of Project Marvel, a proposed $4 million development overhauling a large swath San Antonio’s center city.

Market Square has long been the heart and soul of downtown — a destination featured prominently in postcards and tourism ads for decades. However, Ramirez and others who own businesses there said they worry Project Marvel’s massive construction projects will eat into their already sluggish sales.

“The city never comes up with a plan to help and support these small businesses,” Ramirez said. “It’s the same thing that happened on St. Mary’s Street, what happened on Houston Street, what’s happening at La Villita, and so on. These projects they bring, they are not for the small-business person. These are for the wealthy. The reason why they’re bringing Project Marvel downtown is to make it a playground for the wealthy.”

The area surrounding Market Square, known as Zona Cultura, has been under construction since 2017, when the city passed a bond measure to enhance pedestrian amenities and streetscape improvements.

Although vendors at the Farmers Market Building have received a 75% discount on rent due to the construction, some, including Greg Peña, president of the El Mercado Association at Market Square, said the reduction hasn’t made up for lost revenue. Many vendors have seen their sales cut by half, even during large events such as the NCAA Final Four, he added.

“The construction itself is a deterrent,” Peña said. “Plus, the NCAA tends to keep people within the River Walk area.”

Potential customers may have traveled to the city, but they didn’t show up at Market Square, he added.

Veronica Sandoval, vice president of the Farmer’s Market Association, said construction isn’t the only thing endangering Market Square. She said the city hasn’t invested in public transit from Hemisfair and the Convention Center area to the west side of downtown, where the mercado is situated.

“We don’t see a lot of visitors from conventions. We may have a really high-attendance convention, and we don’t see them,” Sandoval said. “People used to come in early and fly home after, but companies now don’t want to spend the extra money to stay a few extra days.”

All three Market Square business leaders said they’re unclear how Project Marvel will benefit them. They fear another construction project at Hemisfair, combined with work on the nearby minor-league baseball stadium and still-unfinished road upgrades may sound a death knell for one of San Antonio’s most recognizable landmarks.

“Nobody’s saying we don’t want the Spurs here,” Ramirez said. “We don’t want the Spurs here at the cost of everybody else.”

Have thoughts about Project Marvel? Want to explain why you’re voting for or against it? Shoot an email to michaelkarlisreports@gmail.com.

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Business leaders from San Antonio’s Market Square come out against Project Marvel

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