{"id":178934,"date":"2025-08-27T05:34:11","date_gmt":"2025-08-27T05:34:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/178934\/"},"modified":"2025-08-27T05:34:11","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T05:34:11","slug":"even-after-council-vote-spurs-arena-and-project-marvel-on-residents-minds-at-d1-budget-town-hall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/178934\/","title":{"rendered":"Even after council vote, Spurs arena and Project Marvel on residents\u2019 minds at D1 budget town hall"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAN ANTONIO<\/strong> \u2013 The City of San Antonio is considering a $4 billion budget, but another big city issue crept into a community discussion Tuesday night: Project Marvel.<\/a><\/p>\n

As Councilwoman Sukh Kaur (D1) read off written audience questions during her district\u2019s budget town hall Tuesday night to be answered by city staff at the meeting, most had to do with either the city\u2019s ongoing budget discussions or specifics on city services. Several were about streets, potholes and other infrastructure issues in the downtown district.<\/p>\n

However, Kaur also read at least three questions that had to do with the city\u2019s plans for a sports and entertainment district around Hemisfair or the proposed $1.3 billion Spurs arena that would serves as its centerpiece. <\/p>\n

The city council passed a nonbinding set of terms on a funding deal for the arena on Aug. 21, and most of the proposed district, apart from the Alamodome, sits within District 1.<\/p>\n

Though the project is not part of the current budget discussions, it hits close to home for many. <\/p>\n

\u201cEverything is intertwined,\u201d Kaur said after the meeting. \u201cWe don\u2019t just get to represent budget today and nothing else that the city is doing. So I was sure that questions were going to come up.”<\/p>\n

Questions included whether infrastructure funding for neighborhoods would be affected by the arena project, what would be done about sidewalks around the area and whether Project Marvel would displace residents. <\/p>\n

For their part, city staffers said nothing in the proposed budget called for cutting basic services and that considering walkability around the district was part of the city\u2019s plans.<\/p>\n

Though street maintenance funding in the proposed budget<\/a> remains roughly flat compared to last year, there is $4.5 million less for sidewalks.<\/p>\n

As for displacement, Assistant City Manager Lori Houston said Project Marvel would not directly force anyone out of their homes since there\u2019s no housing in the way of the developments.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, there could be indirect displacement down the road, and that is something that we will be studying once we understand the housing and what, where it\u2019s going to be built and types of housing,\u201d Houston said.<\/p>\n

Kaur also asked about when community members would have their next chance to provide their input, specifically mentioning the community benefits agreement for the Spurs arena plan. However, it was unclear if that was a question from one of the attendees or the councilwoman herself.<\/p>\n

Houston said staff was working on that and a schedule would come out in the near future. <\/p>\n

\u201cBut the communication is ongoing. It doesn\u2019t end here,\u201d she said. \u201cIt goes through the end of the project, which, phase one is 2032 when the Spurs arena would open. But then we have another phase, which we don\u2019t know what\u2019s going to happen there just yet, but that will have engagement as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Houston said each aspect of Project Marvel would have its own engagement process. <\/p>\n

The city\u2019s final budget town hall<\/a> will be held 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in District 8 at the Phil Hardberger Urban Ecology Center, 8400 NW Military Highway, 78231.<\/p>\n

Related coverage on KSAT.com:<\/b><\/p>\n