{"id":55270,"date":"2025-07-10T22:47:18","date_gmt":"2025-07-10T22:47:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/55270\/"},"modified":"2025-07-10T22:47:18","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T22:47:18","slug":"san-antonio-wraps-up-spurs-arena-community-listening-sessions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/55270\/","title":{"rendered":"San Antonio wraps up Spurs arena community listening sessions"},"content":{"rendered":"

As they left the final public planning session for a proposed downtown San Antonio sports and entertainment district, some District 1 residents were hopeful that their input might shape the plan, while others remained skeptical, convinced the outcome was already decided and their voices would carry little weight.<\/p>\n

City officials at Wednesday\u2019s Project Marvel listening session aimed specifically at gathering feedback on public spaces within the project\u2019s\u00a0footprint emphasized that the project remains in its early planning stages.<\/p>\n

Officials said the community feedback gathered at 10 two-day workshops<\/a>, which kicked off on June 24 and covered each council district, will help shape which parts of the plan move forward \u2014 and how. Wednesday\u2019s session was held at the Oblate School of Theology at the same time other sessions were being held in District 6, District 8 and District 9. <\/p>\n

The multibillion-dollar redevelopment proposal, anchored by a new, $1.5 billion<\/a> Spurs arena and expansion of the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center at Hemisfair, has sparked both excitement and concern and became a key issue in the recent San Antonio municipal election<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The project will be housed in the urban council District 1, which stretches from neighborhoods south of the downtown core up into more suburban North Central areas between I-10 and U.S. 281.<\/p>\n

According to a June update by city staff, the planned project<\/a> includes a $750 million expansion of the convention center, $100 million in improvements to the Alamodome, a new hotel tower and performing arts venue, plus the city is planning for major infrastructure improvements that could be supported by a municipal bond.<\/p>\n

It would also reconfigure roads, establish more parking, upgrade public transit and establish a residential parking program for residential neighborhoods adjacent to the district, city staff said. At the same time, the Spurs organization is working to select a developer as a partner to build out much of the area surrounding the proposed arena, City Manager Erik Walsh said.<\/p>\n

Resident Rosalyn Jones says she walks through Civic Park every single morning and it\u2019s stunning, but she wonders if we should focus on other areas. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf the focus really just remains on that specific (Hemisfair) area, I think the city of\u00a0\u00a0San Antonio is doing itself and all the citizens a disservice, because there are other areas \u2026 where people who are coming to the Spurs game could flow out and expand, for instance Saint Paul Square,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\"\"A map of the proposed Project Marvel area with handwritten feedback from residents. Credit: Diego Medel \/ San Antonio Report<\/p>\n

Longtime San Antonio resident Dennis G. Linkenhoker said he attended the session because he\u2019s concerned the city\u2019s focus on building new arenas has taken priority over neighborhood needs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI got on the computer and looked up when the Alamodome was built \u2014 I believe it was 1993. In 2002, the Frost Bank Center was built. Now it\u2019s about 20 years later and the Spurs want another arena,\u201d Linkenhoker said. \u201cDoes that mean my grandkids are going to have to build the Spurs a new home, or they\u2019re going to leave in 30 years? Meanwhile, we\u2019ve got neighborhoods that still don\u2019t have working drainage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Linkenhoker doesn\u2019t believe the city will meaningfully incorporate residents\u2019 voices, despite having attended multiple community listening sessions.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur voices are being heard, but they\u2019re not going to do anything about it,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re going to get their Spurs arena.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another resident in attendance, Jack Finger, was particularly concerned about the potential use of city-initiated tax increment reinvestment zones, or TIRZ, which allow developers in designated areas to keep a portion of their property taxes to fund improvements within those zones.<\/p>\n

\"\"Dennis G. Linkenhoker speaks with Brian Chasnoff, assistant director of communications and engagement for the City of San Antonio, during the D1 focus group. Credit: Diego Medel \/ San Antonio Report<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re going to be able to keep their property taxes for their own improvements to their property \u2014 instead of those funds going into our general fund,\u201d Finger said. \u201cHomeowners can\u2019t get their own tax increment reinvestment zone. Only certain special interests can do that. I have big problems with that arrangement.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like Linkenhoker, Finger felt the sessions were more performative than participatory.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe city filled a slot. They heard various sentiments from the community,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I think there are too many other forces at play that will cause the City Council to not listen to what the average citizen has to say about this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other attendees expressed more optimism about the project\u2019s potential \u2014 and the community sessions themselves.<\/p>\n

\"\"Brian Chasnoff, assistant director of communications and engagement for the City of San Antonio, addresses the room during the District 1 community space focus group for Project Marvel on Wednesday. Credit: Diego Medel \/ San Antonio Report<\/p>\n

Hernan Jaramillo said he believes Project Marvel, coupled with VIA expansions including along the San Pedro corridor<\/a> in District 1, could create lasting improvements in how residents move through and experience downtown.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always keep linking that project to the Green Line. Just the ability to move around San Antonio and go to something like that \u2014 I\u2019d love it,\u201d Jaramillo said. \u201cWhen I go to a Spurs game now, I sit in traffic, watch the game, then sit in traffic again to get out. If this is done right, I\u2019m going to take the bus, get there early, hang out and stay after.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jaramillo said he\u2019s hopeful the downtown district will bring more accessible public spaces, and suggested that the voices in the room were overly negative about the project without considering its benefits.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re afraid or against something, that gets you out of the house. That\u2019s why most of the comments here are negative or doubtful,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019m here. I know I\u2019m probably in the minority, but if I don\u2019t come, who else will?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"A map of the proposed Project Marvel area shows resident feedback. Credit: Diego Medel \/ San Antonio Report<\/p>\n

As a design professional who works on parks for the city, Jaramillo said he\u2019s seen firsthand how the city works to incorporate public input.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve seen it before on many other projects. I do parks and trails for the City of San Antonio. We hold public meetings and take into consideration every single comment,\u201d he said. \u201cWe make design changes to accommodate things. The city goes out of its way to listen to constituents.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, Jaramillo said more transparency around funding partners would help build public trust and make the district more viable long-term.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d like to see real commitments from the people who are supposed to be backing this,\u201d he said. \u201cThat would go a long way.\u201d<\/p>\n

The city plans to compile findings from the listening sessions and present them to City Council as early as August, according to officials at the session.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As they left the final public planning session for a proposed downtown San Antonio sports and entertainment district,…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":55271,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5133],"tags":[5229,13123,7202,7203,40723,358,7453,3187,7815,67,586,132,5230,68,2969,20705],"class_list":{"0":"post-55270","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-antonio","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-project-marvel","10":"tag-san-antonio","11":"tag-sanantonio","12":"tag-spurs-arena","13":"tag-texas","14":"tag-top-story","15":"tag-tx","16":"tag-typedaily","17":"tag-united-states","18":"tag-united-states-of-america","19":"tag-unitedstates","20":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","21":"tag-us","22":"tag-usa","23":"tag-wc-750-1000"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114831376135984295","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55270","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55270"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55270\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55271"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55270"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55270"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55270"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}