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Precinct 4 County Commissioner Tommy Calvert said a blending of needs is possible in the $192 million makeover of the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo grounds.
With the eventual departure of the Spurs from the Frost Bank Center on the grounds to a new downtown arena, the rodeo will be its sole full-time tenant.
It has been nine months since voters approved a venue tax to pay for improvements, but a development agreement has yet to be reached between all the parties involved.
In a video-driven campaign, Rodeo CEO Cody Davenport said the plan he's seen is not necessarily what voters said they wanted.
"Unfortunately, the plan under consideration today is not what voters approved and would dramatically reduce the space needed for livestock shows and competitive rodeo events."
Davenport said given the improvement funding and space, the rodeo could host year-round events outside February's rodeo. Other western themed events could be a draw too.
Cowboy culture hasn't swept through the nation's popular media like this since the 1980s, when the movie "Urban Cowboy" and the TV show "Dallas" were wildly popular. Streaming services today are full of western themed shows such as "Ransom Canyon," "Landman," "1883," and "Yellowstone."
But Calvert said Davenport is reacting to a developer's mixed-use concept requested by the Coliseum Advisory Board and not a county-approved plan. Calvert said he hopes such a concept would at least be considered during the negotiations ahead.
"The taxpayers deserve the best return on investment and now we will have 20 days of rodeo in February, and their last plan that they communicated with the county was about 20 additional days. That means we have 325 additional days that we have to figure out how to program and create economic activity."
Conceptually, proposals to roll the Willow Springs Golf Course, hotel and retail space, dining, and affordable housing into the mix have all been discussed, but, again, not formally approved.
Calvert said the development should be "community first" this past May, so the East Side would not be left out economically again as it was with the Frost Center opening in 2002. Republican Precinct 3 Commissioner Grant Moody disagreed with that argument then.
"As we get into negotiations with our partners at the rodeo ... this is a 'rodeo first' plan and a 'rodeo first' commitment," Moody said.
He said it's the rodeo events that will be the main economic driver for the grounds in the future. While he allowed some room for economically self-sustaining and compatible development, Moody said there should be no development that would compete against the rodeo interests.
Commissioners voted on Tuesday for County Judge Peter Sakai to lead the talks in an effort to reach an agreement.
