Populous
City of San Antonio officials confirmed plans to “pursue the development of a major sports and entertainment district in the center city anchored by Hemisfair and the Alamodome,” according to W. Scott Bailey of the SAN ANTONIO BUSINESS JOURNAL. A new Spurs arena “could serve as a showpiece for the entire district,” but because plans are “still in the preliminary stage, a new home for the Spurs is not a given yet.” City Manager Erik Walsh said that it is “not yet clear what such an undertaking would cost.” San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Walsh said that the city has “already engaged Bexar County officials as well as Spurs leadership.” Bailey notes the city has “right of first refusal to purchase the former site of UTSA’s Institute of Texan Cultures that could accommodate” a new home for the Spurs. The district plan also calls for “more significant improvements to the more than 30-year-old Alamodome.” Walsh and others contend that those upgrades are “necessary” for San Antonio to “continue to compete for major events,” including future NCAA Final Fours. The city has hired Populous to “conduct due diligence and feasibility work tied to the potential district plan” (SAN ANTONIO BUSINESS JOURNAL, 11/21).
