Officials will field questions Wednesday at Freeman Coliseum on ballot measures funding the proposed $1.3 billion Spurs arena and rodeo facility upgrades.
SAN ANTONIO — The clock is ticking down to a pivotal Nov. 4 election that will shape the future of the Freeman Coliseum/Frost Bank Center grounds while laying the groundwork for a $1.3 billion downtown Spurs arena.
Two propositions on the Nov. 4 Bexar County ballot look to increase the local hotel room rental tax from 1.75% to 2%. Proposition A would allocate $192 million in tax dollars from that source, as well as a 5% rental car tax, to improvements at the Spurs’ current home and the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo facilities; Proposition B would direct $311 million to construction of a new NBA arena along East César E. Chávez Boulevard, in the same plot of land where the former home of the Institute of Texan Cultures is being torn down.
For those with questions about what exactly they’re voting for and how it impacts them, county leaders have organized an open information session for Wednesday evening to provide answers. Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai will host the forum, with San Antonio Rodeo officials and State Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins – who represents much of the east side at the capitol in Austin – also in attendance.
Community members will have the opportunity to submit their own questions at the event, the county says. Leaders called it “informational in nature.” It gets underway at 6 p.m. at Freeman Coliseum Expo Hall A; parking at the facility will be free.
Prop A: Creating the rodeo’s future
Rodeo leaders are hoping Bexar County voters give this ballot measure the green light, as it would fund a makeover to the popular annual event’s grounds while potentially laying the groundwork for year-round attractions—an objective that would be more attainable should the Spurs depart the grounds for downtown.
At a Sept. 16 town hall, San Antonio Rodeo CEO Cody Davenport said upgraded facilities could help attract year-round activity, such as an annual county fair, Future Farmers of American conventions or even professional bull-riding.
Among the ideas to build on the current rodeo property: Three new and modified “flex” buildings to include courts for pickleball and volleyball; modifications to Expo Hall 1; and a new welcome gate emphasizing the property’s rodeo identity.
“We have the capability to go out in the industry, bring in people from the western industry, and host events that are happening across the nation right now,” he said.
If voters reject Proposition A, county leaders will have to find another way to pay for what they describe as much-needed renovations and repairs at the Frost Bank Center and Freeman Coliseum.
Prop B: A slice of the Spurs arena pie
A new home for San Antonio’s only major professional sports franchise is expected to cost $1.3 billion, with Bexar County’s agreed-upon allotment of $311 representing the smallest slice of the funding pie. Per the details of a term sheet between the Spurs and the City of San Antonio approved by City Council in August, the city would be on the hook for up to $498 million while the team would be responsible for $500 million and cost overruns.
But the stipulations of that term sheet are contingent on voters passing Proposition B in November; as this point, it’s the only scheduled public referendum on the headlining component of San Antonio’s efforts to develop a downtown sports and entertainment district.