San Antonio Current Staff
The San Antonio Missions risked being kicked out out of the league if a plan to replace aging Wolff Stadium wasn't ironed out by the start of next of the 2025 season.
A July 22 letter from Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai to Major League Baseball officials outlines in-depth plans for a new downtown ballpark slated to open in 2028.
The message from local leaders comes after the MLB threatened to revoke the Double-A Missions' league affiliation if a deal for a new stadium isn't finalized by Opening Day 2025. The team currently plays in the aging Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium, which the league has said needs a major overhaul.
After much speculation about how the deal could shape up and to what extent taxpayers would be on the hook, here's everything to know about the proposed ballpark, according to the letter from Nirenberg and Sakai.
Seating and uses
The 4,500 fixed-seat ballpark will be located on the site of Fox Tech's former baseball field near the San Pedro Spring Culture Park, according to the letter. The stadium will have a capacity of 8,000, and in addition to the Missions' 70 annual home games, it would be used for college and high-school tournaments, festivals, special events and community gatherings.
Funding
The cost of the ballpark is expected to run some $200 million, according to people familiar with the proposal, and it will be owned by the newly established San Pedro Creek Development Authority (SPCDA).
Construction of the facility will be funded by bonds issued by the SPCDA. Those bonds will be paid off by revenue from a newly established assessment district as well as taxes generated inside the Houston Street Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, which is also newly minted.
The Missions will also contribute to paying off the bonds via revenue generated from ticket and merchandise sales. However, the total size of the team's contribution to the stadium's construction cost remains unclear.
What's more, the Missions ownership group, Designated Bidders LLC, will be required to contribute annually to a capital improvement fund and be held responsible for all costs related to operation, maintenance and repairs, according to details outlined in the letter.
Additionally, Bexar County and the Missions will collaborate on the development of a new public parking garage, the letter also states.
What's next?
Despite the abundance of details outlined in the July 22 letter, Sakai maintained in a recent interview with the Express-News that the plan is a "broad overview."
Furthermore, any financing terms must still be voted on and approved by both Bexar County Commissioners Court and San Antonio City Council. The court reportedly discussed the ballpark's development during a closed-door session Tuesday, while council is set to discuss the project during an Aug. 14 work session.
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