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The whole effort has been largely shielded from the public, with meetings behind closed doors. Now that San Antonio and Bexar County have entered into an agreement to continue these conversations, the lack of transparency will likely continue.
That's why we're calling for a transparent, aboveboard, meaningful decision-making process that includes community input. We have no doubt that the push for Project Marvel will persist, but the public needs to be involved.
A lot of questions don't have answers. For instance, who stands to benefit from another new Spurs arena? How much are the Spurs invested in this community?
While San Antonio's Holt family remains the largest shareholder of Spurs Sports and Entertainment LLC, ownership now includes private equity groups.
Outside investment groups like 6th Street Partners from San Francisco, Earnest Partners from Atlanta, Austin billionaire Michael Dell and Joe Gebbia, Airbnb co-founder, billionaire and Tesla board member, would profit from the new arena.
We’re told taxpayers won't fund the latest Spurs endeavor, but if the city chooses to tap into tax increment reinvestment zone, or TIRZ, funds, that's still our tax dollars.
To date, every proposed funding stream the city has put forward requires taxpayer dollars, which is simply too risky for those of us living in the third-poorest large city in the country.
[Photo Credit: San Antonio-Express News]
Last year, at a City-wide Action with over 1100 members, COPS/Metro came out as the first organized opposition to the use of any public funds for a new downtown stadium for the Spurs, or for the creation of a sports and entertainment district surrounding the area, known as Project Marvel. The project is expected to cost between $3-4 billion with a majority of funding likely from public tax dollars and has been negotiated largely behind closed doors.
Leaders turned up the heat at the beginning of the year, testifying at an Eastside town hall and again before the Bexar County Commissioners Court. “Our tax money is better spent on what the East Side needs — more green spaces, workforce development and opportunities, and affordable housing and access to healthcare facilities and quality health care,” said Stewart Blanton, speaking on behalf of COPS/Metro.
This month, Bexar County Republican Party precinct chairs passed a resolution denouncing the project, similarly opposing the use of public funding. The resolution states: “Be it resolved, we object to any attempt to relocate the San Antonio Spurs to a new arena developed or renovated by public funds,” it continues. “Be it further resolved, that we object to the wasting of public funds to expand the city’s sports and entertainment industry.”
[Photo Credit: Sam Owens, San Antonio Express-News]
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[Excerpt from San Antonio Report]
“We were told there will be jobs for the communities, hotels, restaurants, stores — empty promises,” said Darius Lemelle, a leader with St. Paul United Methodist Church - COPS/Metro.
“That we see leaders continue to allow these developers to take our tax dollars for private investment, I say no more.”
The meetings follow a public call by Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai for more clarity on what the project will cost and how it will be paid for before he could agree to a venue tax election requested by the San Antonio Spurs’ basketball team owners....
[T]own hall attendees... frequently expressed their ire for a proposed new stadium after several said the arena failed to deliver in terms of economic development for the East Side.
Many said they oppose any new taxes to pay for it.
“Our tax money is better spent on what the East Side needs — more green spaces, workforce development and opportunities, and affordable housing and access to healthcare facilities and quality health care,” said Stewart Blanton, also speaking on behalf of COPS/Metro Alliance.
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