downtown

Members of the No! Project Marvel Coalition, a group of grassroots San Antonio advocacy organizations, want a new, independent economic impact report to analyze financial impact of the sports and entertainment district project.

The report includes an estimate that the Spurs arena will generate over $300 million in annual net economic impact. Some councilmembers find the figures encouraging, while others on council and in the community doubt their legitimacy.

City leaders said the infrastructure upgrades would be necessary to support the new Spurs arena downtown and a slate of other proposed projects.

An attorney representing four of the companies said they would consider litigation to prevent the city's action.

There is a new $2.8 billion budget and possible downtown moves for the Spurs and the Missions. County Judge Peter Sakai joins us to update listeners about the latest developments.

As San Antonio's City Council is preparing to decide if downtown horse carriages should be banned, it's worth noting the horse's long journey with mankind. Timothy C. Winegard is the author of "The Horse: A galloping history of humanity."The horse's evolutionary history, its indispensable role in human development, and its enduring cultural significance make it a subject worthy of study and appreciation.

The city’s grand vision for the southeast corner of downtown is called Project Marvel. It’s an ambitious multi-billion-dollar project that will turn the area around the re-imagined Alamodome and the bulldozed Institute of Texan Cultures into a new home for the Spurs and an entertainment destination. But some say the ITC building should be saved and that public transparency is needed for all of this.

Developers plan to remodel former offices and retail spaces into residences. But guests can tour the building until mid-May, before the work begins.

Workers at a second San Antonio Starbucks store joined their downtown colleagues on Sunday as nearly 100 stores around the country participated in a 3-day unfair labor practice strike.

The City Council voted last Thursday to sell the former Continental Hotel property at 322 W. Commerce St. to Weston Urban, the San Antonio-based developer…