Along with an expanded convention center and hotel tower, the plans include a new Spurs arena, an improved Alamodome, acres of retail and residential development, new roads and infrastructure and a land bridge spanning Interstate 37.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The momentous project, described by City Manager Erik Walsh as \u201ctoo big for us not to get it right,\u201d will span at least 15 years, starting with a memorandum of understanding between the city, Bexar County and the San Antonio Spurs ownership.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re committed to it. We have huge partnerships, some of them in the room, and we\u2019re going to rely on them,\u201d Walsh said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot-2024-11-21-at-12.27.58\u202fAM.png\")
A rendering of the San Antonio Sports and Entertainment District. Credit: Courtesy \/ Populous<\/p>\n
Mayor Ron Nirenberg, whose term ends in May, is confident such an ambitious plan can be achieved even after he leaves office.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of people didn\u2019t believe that the San Antonio Spurs could be the gold standard of sports franchises in the world, but look at what they\u2019ve been able to accomplish, and I think our city can do the same thing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Reactions were less than mixed among council members, who were largely supportive of pursuing the project and an agreement with the county.<\/p>\n
Andres Andujar, president and CEO of Hemisfair, another monumental project that got its start in 2009 and where much of the proposed district would be, said he was excited about the plan and looks forward to its evolution.<\/p>\n
The same can be said for most of the people the Report heard from in the days since \u2014 even as the question of how to pay for it all looms over the collective enthusiasm. Here\u2019s what they had to say:<\/p>\n
Peter J. Holt, managing partner, San Antonio Spurs: \u201cSan Antonio is a city on the rise, and our community deserves a world-class, accessible city center that unites us and delivers unforgettable experiences. A centrally located entertainment district anchored by the Spurs could help bring that vision to life, benefiting fans, families and the entire San Antonio region.\u201d<\/p>\n
RC Buford, CEO, Spurs Sports and Entertainment: \u201cWe\u2019re thrilled to see the city\u2019s interest and are looking forward to developing a collaborative process that includes input, dialogue and consensus from across our entire community.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cA new arena in downtown San Antonio represents a generational opportunity to shape the future of our community \u2013 fostering economic growth, celebrating our city\u2019s identity and creating a vibrant gathering place for all.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Brenda-Bazan-sports-entertainment-district-city-council-brief-special-session-8.jpg\")
Spurs general counsel Bobby Perez, UTSA President Taylor Eighmy, San Antonio Spurs Sports & Entertainment CEO RC Buford, Corinna Holt Richter and Spurs Chairman Peter J. Holt listen to City Council comments during a city council special session on Thursday. Credit: Brenda Baz\u00e1n \/ San Antonio Report<\/p>\n
Lewis Vetter, president of the Conservation Society of San Antonio: \u201cWe still have some legitimate concerns, that we should be able to get the [Texas Historical Commision] and other elements looking at [the Institute of Texan Cultures] very seriously that it should be preserved.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201c[As for the John H. Wood Courthouse], that was a theater in the first place \u2026 the fact that they\u2019re going to return it to a theater is a really good idea, a good use of the existing structure.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trish DeBerry, president and CEO of Centro San Antonio: \u201cThere are still going to be lots of questions about who pays for it \u2014 we didn\u2019t see a lot of details associated with cost. I\u2019m in agreement that it\u2019s big and bold and aspirational, and I think we need to be thinking like that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIn downtown, when you look at peer cities \u2014 Nashville, Charleston, Las Vegas \u2014\u00a0everybody is investing in the downtown. The investment opportunity I think is huge but the devil is always in the details.\u201d<\/p>\n
David Adelman, developer of The \u201868 apartments in Hemisfair and other downtown properties: \u201cIt\u2019s a heavy lift for the whole community. It\u2019s a heavy lift for the public sector. It\u2019s a heavy lift for the private sector. It\u2019s a heavy lift for the Spurs. But we\u2019re ready, and I think San Antonio was ready for this next level.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI would definitely be pursuing any opportunities [in the sports and entertainment district]. Obviously, we own a building right in the heart of what is the district. And so we certainly have the experience, track record and a passion for it, and so I would absolutely be pursuing future opportunities as they come up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Robert Thrailkill, general manager of the Hilton Palacio del Rio: \u201cThe downtown market is underperforming where it was prior to COVID. It still is. There are probably a lot of good reasons for that, including \u2026 the construction [on downtown streets].\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201c[But] a brand-new downtown with an entertainment district and all that is going on is a wonderful story to share. The price tag for San Antonio may be a little rich, but we might be able to figure out for some of it. I think the market will determine whether the hotel \u2026 actually ever comes to reality.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe put the expansion of the convention center in place, and then the market will dictate very clearly whether another hotel will be justified or required to support it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thrailkill estimated that a hotel tower the size of what\u2019s been proposed would cost between $400 million and $600 million to build.<\/p>\n
Mark Moreno, a native San Antonian, far Northside resident and life-long Spurs fan: \u201cI am super excited to hear about this bold plan. We need to find a way to make this happen. It will be expensive, however we need to look at this as a long-term investment that will pay dividends over the 50 years!\u201d<\/p>\n
Omar Gonzalez, director of development, Oxbow Development Group: \u201cIt\u2019s kind of undoing some poor decisions that were [made over the years] by bringing back the things that matter to people into downtown. The other great cities in the world have their true gathering places in downtown and I think at the beginning of creating Hemisfair, that was the notion.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIn a way, we\u2019re a really fortunate city, because we didn\u2019t do anything from 1968 until 2012 and so we have this land that, yes, it has a tainted history with the eminent domain and all that, but at the end of the day, we have this publicly held land that we have a chance to re-look at \u2026 and say, maybe we can do something that is really powerful for the whole city and brings the community together and creates vibrancy, and it has lasting impacts for generations.\u201d<\/p>\n