What used to be a space that housed some of the city’s favorite Spurs players throughout the years will now be a place for the entire San Antonio community.
SAN ANTONIO — Just a day before their NBA season officially tips off, the Spurs have unveiled plans for a multimillion-dollar investment to convert their former practice facility into a multipurpose community center.
Spurs Sports & Entertainment will be investing $10 million into the team’s former practice facility to convert it into the “Spurs Impact Center.” The space will become a shared home for the community to access important resources to “inspire culture and change.”
What used to be a space for some of your favorite Spurs players to train throughout the years will now be a place for the San Antonio community.
“A tremendous amount of the soul and heart of the Spurs culture is in the bones of this building,” Spurs Chairman Peter J. Holt said. “And now we get to activate and bring that to life through our kids, coaches, and community partners to execute on the mission that is always front and center for us which is positive community impacts.”
Patricia Mejia, the Spurs’ chief impact and inclusion officer, said this change is about reimagining rather than a typical building renovation.
“We have spent the last year or so really listening to community,” Mejia said. “In a quick conversation with a councilwoman she said, ‘Our district is the only one that doesn’t have a community center.’ I told her, ‘After 2:30 today, that will no longer be a true statement.'”
Mejia says that the message she received from the community was simple.
“People wanted a space for connection, for belonging and for opportunity,” Mejia said. “And that’s exactly what we will do.”
Brett Brown, Spurs assistant coach, said timing is everything, whether it be winning the lottery for Tim Duncan and Victor Wembanyama or creating a new impact center for the community.
“This is an important space,” said RC Buford, CEO of the Spurs. “I remember vividly putting the first shovels in the ground and having a groundbreaking here. It brings me great joy and excitement to see how the foundation of what was built here can be carried forward and passed forward to future generations.”
Standing in the corner of the old locker room, Buford told a story of how the team found out some major news in the very corner behind him.
“I’ll never forget. Tim [Duncan] had the corner two lockers and it was always a mess. Not the tidiest guy ever,” Buford said. “But we loved that it was a mess because one day I came in and it was empty and I was like, ‘Oh no, he cleaned out his locker, that must mean he’s retiring.’ That was how he told us [he was retiring] was he cleaned out his locker.”
Buford is now excited to see what new memories will be made and what new challenges will be faced in the locker room and the rest of the facility now that it will be the Spurs Impact Center.
“Every young person that walks through these doors will leave with more than skills of sport,” said Sonia Medina-Williams, a Spurs Give board member. “Here they will gain values, confidence and vision to set them up for success in life. And I believe with absolute conviction, what happens here will not only change lives but will save them.”
Plans for the Spurs Impact Center include partnerships with nonprofits, a digital inclusion lab and more.
This transition makes the Spurs one of the first NBA teams to convert their practice facility into a dedicated community impact space.
The first phase of renovation efforts is expected to be complete this fall. Holt says it’ll take about a year for the center to be completely finished but they are starting to have community events such as basketball camps in the space.