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Bexar County commissioners on Tuesday formally approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with rodeo officials on the redevelopment of the Frost Bank Center and Freeman Coliseum if the Spurs end up moving into a proposed downtown arena.
If the Spurs leave, the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo will be its only major tenant left. County Judge Peter Sakai will be the negotiator on behalf of the county with rodeo officials. The center and coliseum are county properties.
Sakai has said the center and coliseum must remain major economic drivers for the East Side if the Spurs do move.
The stock show and rodeo event is more than three-quarters of a century old, and it attracts more than 1 million visitors during its long February run each year. It pumps millions of dollars into the local economy and into scholarship programs for students.
The indoor rodeo is held in the Frost Bank Center, and in the recent past it has been named the best indoor rodeo in the U.S. It attracts some the top professional cowboys and cowgirls who compete for cash prizes.
In the professional rodeo world, it is often mentioned among the nation's best too, alongside rodeos in Houston and Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Most of the outbuildings around the center and coliseum are built for livestock, so there is that to consider too when it comes to redevelopment.
Public town hall meetings held on the potential future redevelopment saw residents who live around the rodeo grounds suggest a number of wide-ranging ideas, including a mix of entertainment, shopping, and residential.
Precinct Four County Commissioner Tommy Calvert, who represents them, hopes their comments contained in a report he issued will be considered.
Keeping rodeo officials happy with any redevelopment is important too, according to county officials.
