San Antonio City Council approved the San Antonio Spurs term sheet for their new arena on Aug. 21. The Spurs, as well as the San Antonio Livestock Show & Rodeo, hosted an event at Idle Beer Hall & Brewery during the early evening of Sept. 7. The event’s objective was to launch the campaign for the approval of Proposition A and Proposition B in the upcoming election.
Voters will decide whether to fund $191.8 million of upgrades to the Frost Bank Center, where the San Antonio Livestock Show & Rodeo is held, as well as the Freeman Coliseum through Prop A. In terms of Prop B, voters will choose to authorize public funding for the new arena through visitor-based revenue.
The Spurs have offered to pay directly for the arena with up to $500 million in support, plus another $500 million for surrounding development.
Fans, Spurs officials, council members and former Mayor Ron Nirenberg were all in attendance at Saturday’s event to highlight the importance of the new arena to not only San Antonio, but to the Spurs family.
“San Antonio is so great and we are rooted in our history and foundation, but our people always look to the future,” Chairman of Spurs Sports & Entertainment Peter J. Holt said. “The importance [of these propositions] is that our city really deserves an urban core that we are really proud of that is inclusive, accessible and joyous.”
“The Spurs have always been downtown. I was kind of upset when they moved to the east side, but bringing them back in town to the heart of San Antonio makes me happy,” Spurs fan Tomas Zuniga Jr. said.
As more people settled into the Hall, the first speaker took to the stage, former San Antonio Spur Manu Ginóbili.
“I missed you guys,” Ginóbili said as he opened up about the special bond he and his family have with the City of San Antonio. “We are excited about what is about to come, the future we are building for the next generation.”
As Ginóbili exited the stage, the crowd was chanting “Go Spurs Go,” and the next speaker took the stage, former UT San Antonio quarterback Frank Harris.
“I love San Antonio until the day I die. We want to keep the Spurs here in San Antonio. We do not want them migrating to Austin, so whatever that means from us, the supporters of the city, vote ‘yes’ so we can get this thing passed,” Harris said.
As the rally came to a close and people began to mingle, a familiar face was in the crowd, a face people knew for the past eight years. Former Mayor Nirenberg showed support for the event and its cause.
“I think this is an extraordinary opportunity for San Antonio’s future. We have one of our key community partners making a historic investment in downtown San Antonio,” Nirenberg said. “[The Arena] has been a community wide goal for the last 20 years, and the time has come for us to see our downtown become one of the most special places in America.
“I would just hope San Antonio residents seek out the information and really dig into the facts of this when they do. I think people will see what a tremendous opportunity it is for us in November,” Nirenberg added.
The vote in November will be the only direct way for people to decide on the overall funding of the arena. The Paisano will continue to follow this story and will provide updates when available.
