Spurs’ ownership wants to replace a 22-year-old venue.
The rush to build an arena for the National Basketball Association’s San Antonio Spurs’ ownership has hit a bump in the road. Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai said he cannot ask local voters to approve a spending package for the proposal because no one knows just how much the construction is going to cost. Spurs’ ownership wanted to get the proposal before the voters on May 3rd but Sakai said. “There are many questions about the Spurs’ proposal for a venue tax election and not enough answers at this time. We are also missing out on the input of the public.”
The Project Marvel plan includes the construction of a San Antonio Spurs’ arena along with renovations to the 31-year-old Alamodome. The plan also calls for the adding 150,000 square feet to the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center as well as building a 20,000-square-foot University of Texas at San Antonio School of Hospitality. Additionally, if all goes according to the plan, the empty John H. Wood Federal Courthouse would be turned into a 5,000-seat concert venue. A convention center hotel would be part of Project Marvel. The price tag of Project Marvel is estimated to be around $4 billion. In the late 1990s, Spurs’ management pushed for a new arena and local voters said yes to building a new venue that opened in 2002. San Antonio officials want to keep the Spurs ownership group happy and have been talking to the ownership about building a new arena. San Antonio officials are also worried that Spurs’ ownership may fall in love with nearby Austin and move operations to the Texas capital. Spurs’ games have been played in Austin because the ownership group wants to expand its fan base. San Antonio is a small market. The arena game is underway in San Antonio.
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