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Bexar County voters on Tuesday approved the first funding component of a new arena for the San Antonio Spurs in what was a divided election cycle.
Propositions A & B are both connected to the so-called Project Marvel, a name first used internally by city officials for a project to create a downtown sports and entertainment district in Hemisfair.
Supporters emphasized the potential economic and cultural impact, citing downtown revitalization and long-term growth. Critics, including community groups like COPS/Metro Alliance and "No Project Marvel," countered that projected benefits are speculative, and public dollars should be used for pressing infrastructure needs.
Prop A had 55.91% for to 44.09% against, and Prop B had 52.14% of the vote for to 47.86% against.
"To me this says this is not a mandate," said Beverly McClure with Cops/Metro, which campaigned against the funding for the new arena. "The community needs to be involved, and that's one of the things that we will ensure, and we'll be at the table."
Prop A will increase the venue tax to fund a potential year-round rodeo and improvements to the county-owned Frost Bank Center and Freeman Coliseum. Prop B provides $311 million from the venue tax that will go towards a new arena that would sit on land that was once the home of the Institute of Texan Cultures.
Prop B was heavily backed by the San Antonio Spurs and a majority of the San Antonio City Council. The Spurs, through a political action committee named Win Together, spent upwards of $7 million towards campaign support for the arena. Conversely, Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones attempted to pause the creation of Project Marvel shortly after she was elected to office this summer.
"This is a generational investment, and regardless of the outcome, I look forward to making sure that we've got a win-win for San Antonio," Jones told TPR as polls closed Tuesday evening.
About 350 people attended a watch party organized by the Win Together campaign at River North Ice House, including former mayors Ron Nirenberg and Henry Cisneros.
"The Spurs are an integral part of San Antonio's identity and economic development. That's the simple truth," Cisneros told TPR. "And that's good for people. It's good for their wages. It's good for their household income. It's good for their ability to purchase a house. It's good for their education and their children."
Organizers with COPS/Metro and the "No Project Marvel" campaign remained defiant at an election night party at the Friendly Spot in Southtown.
"We are going to continue to demand transparency. We are going to continue to advocate so that community voices can be heard," McClure said. "There's still a non-binding term sheet, and there are going to be a lot of details that will need to be worked out."
Now, the city and Spurs will be expected to deliver on this new entertainment district. The Spurs have committed to $500 million for the arena, and the city has said it will provide approximately $500 million, with the Spurs pledging to cover all overages.
In 1999, a similar tax was approved by voters to create the arena where the Spurs currently play – now known as the Frost Bank Center on the city's East Side. At the time, the Spurs and city and county leaders promised revitalization in the mostly industrial surrounding area that was–to date– ultimately unfulfilled.
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