SAN ANTONIO — The ambitious Project Marvel, featuring a new downtown arena for the San Antonio Spurs, is poised to transform the city’s economic landscape with its $1.5 billion price tag.
Former mayor and county judge Nelson Wolff expressed his support for the project.
“Well, we’re starting to get the facts,” said Wolff, stating the potential economic impact of the new arena and its surrounding upgrades.
Wolff noted that the previous AT&T Center, built in 2002, did not spur the anticipated economic development on the Eastside. “There’s a golf course on one side, industrial development behind it, on the other side, and only two accesses to the arena; it should have been built to be downtown,” he said.
Wolff said the importance of public awareness and support is essential for the project’s success. “So I found that when you work on a deal, you try to get it done and get it public as quick as you can get it up public, because the more that the public knows about it, the greater chance of getting it passed, and hopefully that’s going to happen now,” he said.
He also anticipates a significant tourism boost from Project Marvel, especially when combined with the Alamo redevelopment project.