There’s no concrete timeline for when the projects will get underway, including when a new Spurs arena will be finished. But officials on Wednesday stressed unity.
SAN ANTONIO — Bexar County voters approved two key propositions Tuesday night, setting in motion plans for a new downtown Spurs arena and long-awaited upgrades to east-side venues like the Freeman Coliseum and Frost Bank Center.
But celebrations are now over, and city and county leaders are focusing on next steps.
Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones and Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai acknowledged there’s still plenty of work ahead and many unanswered questions about timelines, design plans, and when construction could commence on a variety of projects.
But they noted that ongoing collaboration with all stakeholders involved is paramount.
“We need to be expansive, we need to be strategic, we need to be bold in our vision,” Jones said. “I think about what it’s going to take to have a revitalized downtown that we all want and we all deserve. That includes affordable housing, so I look forward to talking about that in these negotiations. That includes commitments to labor commitments throughout as we build these opportunities and the infrastructure.”
Sakai said he plans to meet with San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo officials this week to start talking details like schematics and design for the upgrades now expected to come to those facilities.
Under the now-approved measures, the Bexar County’s hotel occupancy tax will increase from 1.75% to a maximum of 2%, while the car rental tax of 5% will be extended–it’s dollars from those sources that will go to facility upgrades and the new arena.
About $192 million will help fund renovations to the Freeman Coliseum, Frost Bank Center and other facilities tied to the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. Up to $311 million will be allocated to a new downtown Spurs arena estimated to cost $1.3 billion, with additional financial contributions from both the Spurs organization and the City of San Antonio.
The term sheet between the city and Spurs approved by City Council in August provided our earliest hints at possible development timelines. The document stated that the Spurs estimated 57 months for design and construction of a Hemisfair arena that will have between 17,000 and 18,500 seats.
Of the more than 246,000 voters who cast ballots, 55% of voters approved Prop A and 52% green-lit Prop B. Total voter turnout for the Nov. 4 election ended up being 19.3%.
Officials did not indicate when the new venue tax will take effect or how long it will take to generate enough funds for the projects.
“The passage hasn’t guaranteed anything until the contracts are signed, sealed and delivered, committing, protecting the taxpayers, protecting the county,” Sakai said.
Jones emphasized community engagement will play a key role in determining next steps.
“Yes, there were folks that saw these propositions differently, and we will most certainly incorporate a timeline, communicate a timeline to the community,” she said. “What real public engagement is going to look like.”