The board of the Bexar County Soccer Public Facility Corp. approved accepting a $2.6 million payment from the San Antonio Spurs organization to cover a penalty owed for its failed effort to attract a Major League Soccer team, the Express-News reports.
The four-member board voted unanimously Thursday to green light the payment, which will fund improvements to Toyota Field, according to the daily. The planned upgrades will include new scoreboards and LED lighting along with future upkeep.
The Public Facility Corp., a city-county entity, owns Toyota Field, the stadium that currently houses the San Antonio FC soccer team.
The Spurs’ penalty stems from a 2015 deal the city and county put together to buy Toyota Field from philanthropist Gordon Hartman. As part of the pact, Spurs Sports & Entertainment agreed to help lure a MLS expansion team, and team officials agreed to a $5 million penalty a franchise never materialized.
MLS never came to the Alamo City, but SS&E only made in $250,000 payments to the city. In 2022, Bexar County Commissioners Court voted to waive its portion of the penalty.
However, Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones has turned up the heat on SS&E to make good on the payment. The city now faces a daunting budget deficit at the same time the team is poised to receive millions in public funding for its new NBA arena.
SS&E’s $1.75 million in unpaid penalty payments has grown to $2.1 million, according to the Express-News.
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