San Antonio city leaders approached Spurs officials about building a new downtown arena months before the franchise landed the No. 1 NBA draft pick, the Express-News reports, citing text messages between the city and team management.
The first confirmed mention of a possible downtown relocation followed the team’s nationally televised matchup against the Golden State Warriors at the Alamodome, the daily reports.
Following the Jan. 13 game, Spurs general counsel Bobby Perez texted city manager Erik Walsh, writing, “We need more games downtown,” according to messages obtained by the Express-News.
However, it was Walsh who texted Perez again on Feb. 6, asking if the pair could set up a meeting with Alejandra Lopez, who oversees the city’s Economic Development Department.
That pair of text messages eventually led Walsh and San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg to meet with Perez and Spurs Sports and Entertainment CEO R.C. Buford April 11 at the Frost Bank Center — then the AT&T Center — the Express-News reports. Details of that meeting remain unclear, the paper noted.
The revelation that such talks began before May 16, the date the Spurs landed the No. 1 draft pick, comes as conversations heat up about whether the franchise needs a new arena and where it should be located. Many assumed such talk percolated after the team landed French phenom Victor Wembanyama, its new star player.
In social media debate, some San Antonians have expressed reservations about helping the Spurs build a new arena. The Frost Bank Center is just over 20 years old, and many question how much of the bill taxpayers may end up footing for a pricy new facility.
Indeed, the last three new NBA stadiums — including the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum and the Chase Center in San Francisco — all boasted price tags of more than $1 billion.
Even so, the Silver and Black have some time to convince voters a downtown arena is necessary. The team’s current lease on the Frost Bank Center doesn’t expire until 2032.
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This article appears in Aug 9-22, 2023.
