Monday Musings #24: Drop the ‘Project Marvel’ name, please

With municipal elections completed, San Antonio’s most anticipated and biggest investment in downtown in history takes center stage. It’s time now to give the public a more focused picture of the ambitious plan’s individual projects, their cost and funding sources, and a realistic timeline.

By August, as Bexar County Commissioners advance a potential November ballot measure that would include a modest county venue tax increase, residents should have a solid understanding of how elected leaders at the city and county intend to undertake major improvements to Hemisfair.

As the public conversation moves forward, retiring the internal term “Project Marvel” would reflect a new Phase One focused on clarity and shared ownership of the vision ahead. Going forward, the process promises to be quite public and transparent. 

It would be useful for newly elected Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones and the City Council to request from staff a timeline that clearly outlines that not all the major components of the public investment can or will happen concurrently. This will make it easier for citizens to support sequential improvements that occur in a logical progression.

Some elements of the plan are probably a decade into the future, and don’t need to be included in every discussion of Phase One.

City Manager Erik Walsh and staff have identified expansion of the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center and construction of a new, adjacent convention hotel as their first priority. That might be prudent to keep the city competitive with parallel investments underway in other major Texas metros. I’d like to learn more about the estimated $750 million price tag for both. The city invested $365 million in convention center expansion in 2016, when it was said the project would keep San Antonio competitive for a decade or more. And while the convention center and hotel are important economic drivers, the arena and entertainment district are clearly at the heart of public interest, and the most visible signal of long-term investment in our city’s future. 

The broader public interest centers on the proposal to bring the San Antonio Spurs back to Hemisfair in a new arena surrounded by an entertainment zone, and investing anew in the Frost Bank Center, Freeman Coliseum, and surrounding grounds to ensure the continued growth and success of the popular San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. Enhancement of the county’s sports and entertainment district will add much-needed investment in the Eastside and elevate what already is a national caliber stock show and rodeo. The Spurs’ long-standing presence on the Eastside, including community programming and philanthropic investment, complements this effort and reinforces the commitment to see both areas thrive.

These parallel projects create the opportunity to revitalize the Eastside meaningfully, honoring the community’s history and future potential. City and county officials would be wise to elevate these projects in their planning, as they represent a unique opportunity to advance cultural, civic, and economic goals across multiple communities. 

Meanwhile, the new sports and entertainment district on the southern flank of Hemisfair will connect Southtown and downtown, creating an attractive and walkable cityscape adjacent to the Civic Park green space and other public amenities.

Newly elected city council members and the public deserve a clear, transparent picture of how state-authorized hotel occupancy taxes, the county venue tax, and a significant investment from the Spurs will fund the arena. 

The Spurs also have agreed to pay for any cost overruns in construction of the arena. That could prove to be a significant concession in a world of rising labor and material costs, escalating tariffs and supply chain challenges. City staff will hold public hearings to explain to taxpayers how revenues generated by the visitor economy, enhanced by recent legislation giving cities added funding to undertake construction or expansion of major visitor attractions, will help fund these investments without increasing local taxes.

No monies from the city’s General Fund will be diverted from existing or planned community investments to pay for the arena. Private sector partners will pay for the new hotel and most entertainment zone venues. This ensures essential city services and community investments remain protected while delivering long-term value for residents and visitors alike. 

Other elements, notably a vague $1 billion proposal to remake the Alamodome and a proposed land bridge over I-37 connecting the Eastside venue to Hemisfair, can be scheduled for a future phase of redevelopment. That certainly will help the public support the prioritized improvements without getting lost in the multi-billion-dollar cost of all the components in one massive proposal.

With the county venue tax approved by voters in November, there should be sufficient funds for County Commissioners to undertake the Stock Show and Rodeo site investments while also participating in the new downtown arena. The Rodeo’s expanded programming vision - growing from 30 to potentially 120 days annually - could transform the Freeman site into a year-round destination and cultural anchor for the Eastside.

This is not a one-or-the-other investment. It’s a shared opportunity. The new downtown arena and a reimagined Freeman campus can coexist and complement one another, strengthening both the urban core and the Eastside. With the right partnerships and vision, both can become civic spaces the entire city can take pride in.

Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones and newly elected city council members will be sworn in on Wednesday. All are busy assembling their teams, scheduling staff briefings, and stepping into new public roles. Timing has put them in charge of the most ambitious downtown investments and improvements in city history. Done right, this moment will build on San Antonio’s legacy -- and create the kind of city where people want to live, work, and play, and where millions of visitors will want to come.