An anonymous X account heavily promoting San Antonio’s Project Marvel is allegedly operated by a man in California. Credit: X / @projectmarvelsa

An anonymous social media account heavily promoting San Antonio’s Project Marvel — the proposed $4 billion downtown sports-and-entertainment district anchored by a new Spurs arena — is run by an academic and former policy consultant based in Sacramento, California, a person heavily involved in Texas politics told the Current.

The San Antonio-based source, who asked not be named for fear of blowback, said the @projectmarvelsa account on social media platform X is owned and operated by Juan “Johnny” Urbano. On his LinkedIn profile, Urbano — a California resident — lists his job as director of assessment and evaluation at the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science.

The Current reached out to Urbano, addressing him by name, two weeks ago via X’s direct-messaging system. Urbano didn’t dispute his identity when first contacted and said he would speak via phone the following day.

However, since then, Urbano hasn’t responded to multiple requests for comment, either on his private X account, @jl_urbano, or via the @projectmarvelsa account. It’s worth noting Urbano’s private account follows the @ProjectMarvelAccount.

The @ProjectMarvelSA account describes itself as the “independent voice of San Antonio” and often reposts glowing articles about the proposed downtown development. At times, tweets from the account give the broad impression the account’s owner lives in Bexar County or is at least intimately familiar with the area.

Urbano does have ties to Texas. He earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Texas at Austin and a master’s at the University of Texas San Antonio in 2010. He was also an assistant professor of political science at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi between 2014 and 2017.

Additionally, the @ProjectMarvelSA account operates its own website, which features a blog and sells Project Marvel-related merchandise. The online store features a variety of Project Marvel T-shirts and hats starting at $35.

Merchandise sold on a website tied to the account sells Project Marvel T-shirts starting at $35. Credit: Screenshot / projectmarvelsa.shopify.com

The Current’s request for comment sent Urbano included questions. He didn’t respond to requests for comment regarding whether his social media account, website or online store receive outside financing, nor did he respond to questions about why he hasn’t made clear to his online audience that he doesn’t live in San Antonio.

The account’s activity has ramped up in recent days, with the increase coming after San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones and council members heard hours of testimony on Friday from citizens concerned about the financing mechanisms being considered to help pay for the new Spurs arena. Some have questioned the wisdom of moving ahead on the project while the city deals with a $170 million budget shortfall, while others expressed concern over the pace of the talks.

Last week, the Spurs offered to invest $500 million in the new arena. In a letter to City Manager Erik Walsh, the NBA franchise also offered $500 million in unspecified, non-timeline binding “adjacent downtown development” and $60 million in “community incentives.”

Even so, some who spoke at Friday’s council meeting, including Father Richard Aguilar, said the Spurs and the team’s wealthy ownership should provide more funding for the arena, which has an estimate cost of $1.5 billion.

“The Spurs were able to raise several hundred million dollars for this project just over the last few days. Why can’t they raise a little more to pay for their arena so that they will have all the rights to it?” Aguilar asked from the podium. “You have mentioned, Madam Mayor, of this debt that the city has. I can’t imagine how that debt happened with tax abatements and other privileges we define as welfare for the rich.”

Jones and City Council are set to receive an economic analysis and a survey on citizen concerns this week before making a final decision whether to pause discussions with the Spurs, a move likely to delay the project by a year.

At Friday’s discussion, the mayor and at least three council members signaled that they might support a delay to get a better offer from Spurs Sports & Entertainment. Those other council members are District 2’s Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, District 5’s Teri Castillo and District 6’s Ric Galvan.

“Why can’t we be a little bit bolder in our ask,” Jones told reporters Friday, according to the Express-News. “We don’t do this every day. This is a generational investment. Now is the time to negotiate.”

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