Three City Council members are requesting a special public meeting to discuss how money promised by the San Antonio Spurs for community benefits could be spent.
And they want that briefing before negotiations begin between city staff and Spurs Sports & Entertainment to hash out the final details of the new downtown basketball arena.
“It’s our responsibility to ensure this project delivers on real community benefits for the people who call San Antonio home, in addition to supporting sectors like affordable housing and workforce opportunities,” District 5 Councilwoman Teri Castillo said.
In exchange for the city publicly financing $489 million for the proposed NBA arena as part of Project Marvel — the $4 billion sports and entertainment district planned arounds Hemsifair — SS&E pledged to hand over $75 million to the city over the next 30 years to spend as it sees fit. That’s a pledge of about $2.5 million annually.
City Manager Erik Walsh told the Current this month that the city hopes to begin arena negotiations with SS&E by the end of the summer and have a final arena agreement in hand by the end of the calendar year.
The three-signature memo submitted by Castillo, District 1 Councilwoman Sukh Kaur and District 7 Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito on Thursday calls for the special meeting no later than Aug. 7. They want a discussion on developing a framework for community input on how the $75 million Community Benefits Agreement will be spent and distributed.
“The priorities of our community are my priority, and right now, we have a real chance to deliver on them,” Alderete Gavito said. “The Spurs committed $75 million to our city, and we owe it to residents to put that money to work. That starts with a clear plan shaped by our neighbors.”
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