The San Antonio Spurs are one step closer to getting a flashy new home after city officials gave the green light to start serious talks about a massive arena project.
This isn’t just any arena – we’re talking about a $1.5 billion venue that’s part of an even bigger plan to transform downtown San Antonio.
The city council and Mayor Ron Nirenberg met Thursday to kick off negotiations with Bexar County and the Spurs. While it’s just the first step, it’s a big one.
They’re calling it “Project Marvel” – and it’s easy to see why. The whole thing could cost up to $2.75 billion when you add in all the extras like a land bridge, a new hotel, and a convention center.
The Spurs are looking to move from their current home at the Frost Bank Center on the east side to a brand new facility on the west side of town.
Why now? The team’s lease at Frost Bank Center runs out in 2032, and they’ve made it clear they don’t plan to stick around after that.
The city’s hoping to have the new arena ready by 2030.
County Judge Peter Sakai sees this as more than just a basketball arena. “We could really be a game changer for this community,” he said, pointing to the potential for redeveloping the entire East Side area.
It’s been a while since the Spurs brought home an NBA championship – more than a decade now. But this new project might just give the team, and the city, something fresh to get excited about.
Right now, everything’s still in the early stages. The current approval just means they can start talking details – it’s what they call a “non-binding memorandum of understanding” in official terms. But for Spurs fans and San Antonio residents, it’s the first real sign that this massive project might actually happen.
