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San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones on Monday continued to push for a strategic pause on Project Marvel and may have had her wish granted.
In a press conference Monday, she emphasized a desire to conduct an independent economic analysis before any further action on the project is taken. San Antonio City Manager Erik Walsh sent a memo to council later in the afternoon saying that another analysis was being considered but that would depend on council opinion.
Despite a majority of city council members advocating against the pause for a downtown sports and entertainment district during a meeting last week, Mayor Jones said a new study and 60 to 90 days is needed for the city to do its due diligence.
“We have talked about with the city staff, you know, potentially a bond next May, and so you'd have to call that by February,” she said. “So that still is more than enough time for us to do an independent economic analysis and lay much of this flat, and I think, have a better understanding of the way in which the economy is going, so we can rightly understand how do we best make these investments in light of the changes in the economy.”
Jones cited feedback from the campaign trail earlier this year in her rationale — that San Antonio is the seventh largest city in the county and "we need to start acting like it" and the city needs to address "the persistent poverty in our community."
“I can't think of two better reasons to take a strategic pause on this until we have all of the data and can really lay out for our community the costs the benefits of not only the potential new spurs arena, but this overall endeavor,” she said.
She requested an analysis similar to one conducted by the city of Philadelphia on the creation of a new basketball stadium for the 76ers. She did not specify when a potential study would be released, or how the study would impact the timeline of the project.
At least four council members — Phyllis Viagran, Marina Aldarete Gavito, Marc Whyte, and Misty Spears — sent out statements of support on Project Marvel negotiations Friday, albeit with calls for more transparency.
San Antonio City Manager Erik Walsh sent a memo to council members on Monday saying he would move forward with drafting a term sheet and is exploring the framework around another economic analysis, but would wait for council direction.
“I’ll be looking for direction from the Mayor & Council before any additional steps are taken on this additional analysis. We have the information we need that outlines the potential impact of the entire sports and entertainment district,” the memo said.
Jones focused on a potential $1.3 to $1.4 billion cost for the arena, where Bexar County would cover $311 million in costs through a venue tax sent to voters (which would be funded by revenue from hotel and car rental taxes), the Spurs would chip in $500 million and the rest would be covered by the city.
Earlier this month, Bexar County Commissioners voted to place a venue tax on the November ballot.
While there is no planned ballot initiative on the city’s side for the upcoming election, District 7 Councilwoman Marina Aldarete Gavito stressed the importance of the city showing support before the election.
“As we prepare for the upcoming discussion, I want to emphasize the urgency of action,” Aldarete Gavito said. “The sooner we move forward, the better positioned we’ll be. By bringing this to an A Session, and having the County tax vote in November, we can ensure the project reflects the voices and vision of our community.”
