San Antonio Independent School District Superintendent Jaime Aquino addresses the media following the Board of Trustees meeting on Monday. Credit: Michael Karlis

Plans for a new minor league baseball stadium hit a possible roadblock Monday night as San Antonio ISD trustees unanimously approved bold terms for selling land needed for the project.

When Designated Bidders LLC — the owner of the San Antonio Missions baseball team — convinced City Council and Bexar County Commissioners Court to approve plans for a $160 million stadium downtown, the group hadn’t yet acquired the land where it wants to build the facility. That land is owned by San Antonio ISD, and it’s being used as a parking lot for Fox Tech High School.

With Monday’s vote, SAISD’s board signaled that it’s placing a premium price on the land it holds — and that getting a good return is vital for the district.

“We believe in economic development, but we as a school district, our mission is to advance the educational offerings for our students and support our families, parents, staff and students,” SAISD Superintendent Jaimie Aquino said during the meeting.

In exchange for the 2.3 acres of land on which the stadium would be built, the school district is demanding:

A $45 million building for its Advanced Learning Academy
Guarantees from the city that it will build at least 1,250 affordable housing units inside the district
A new parking garage with at least 250 spots
$400,000 in annual compensation for not opening the land to a competitive bidding process
A spot for Aquino on the board which will oversee funding of the stadium project

Designated Bidders has until Dec. 9 to come up with a “serious” counteroffer, according to SAISD’s board. If the board deems that proposal satisfactory, it will be considered during a Dec. 16 meeting.

Initially, Designated Bidders told council and commissioners court that a deal had to be finalized by Oct. 15, or the San Antonio Missions would risk losing its MLB affiliation.

However, Bruce Hill, part-owner of the San Antonio Missions, clarified what that deadline was about to the Current after Monday’s meeting.

“The Oct. 15 deadline was contingent upon the city and county approval,” a defeated-looking Hill said following the Board of Trustees meeting. “It’s all subject to this [land sale].”

Unlike past meetings, neither Hill nor any other Designated Bidders representative publicly addressed citizen concerns about the planned demolition of the Soap Factory Apartments. Under the plan presented to the city and county, real-estate developer Weston Urban would raze the complex, one of the few offering low-cost units downtown.

The vast majority of those who turned out for the public comment session of Monday’s meeting were there to air grievances about the planned demolition.

“It’s disheartening to know you are so easily sacrificed on the altar of the almighty dollar,” Soap Factory tenant Sarah Honeycut told SAISD’s board. “Weston Urban has every right to do what they want with the Soap Factory, but legality and morality don’t always go hand in hand.”

Weston Urban acquired the land around the proposed ballpark, including Soap Factory, potentially allowing the project to be financed using a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) scheme. Under such that deal, the increased property tax revenue generated by surrounding development would pay for the stadium.

One of those proposed developments includes demolishing the Soap Factory and replacing it with pricy condominiums, much to the outrage of tenants. Indeed, some tenants previously told the Current that they worry about ending up homeless.

Even so, Aquino said Monday that even if Designated Bidders agrees to SAISD’s terms, it doesn’t necessarily mean the Soap Factory will be saved. Weston Urban is still free to do what it wants with the property, he explained.

Subscribe to SA Current newsletters.

Best of San Antonio Nominations are Now Live

San Antonio ISD issues bold terms that could halt Missions baseball stadium project

Michael Karlis

24 San Antonio-area parks and greenways with amazing hiking and biking

The price tag to buy San Antonio Spur Tony Parker’s mansion has dropped by nearly half

This San Antonio century home for sale was once lifted on jacks to add a new first floor

San Antonio women-owned restaurants and bars everyone should try

Related Stories