SAN ANTONIO — The UT Board of Regents on Thursday approved the sale and/or lease of the land the Institute of Texan Cultures currently calls home to the City of San Antonio, setting the stage for a potentially major change to the face of downtown.
It's a 13.9-acre parcel of land, but one that Spurs fans hoping for a downtown arena have their eyes on; the Silver & Black have been playing in the Frost Bank Center for 22 years, and the arrival of young star-in-the-making Victor Wembanyama might herald a new era in more ways than one.
In its vote, the regents said the city was acquiring the land alongside West Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard "for a downtown revitalization project." The Institute of Texan Cultures sits on the opposite side of Interstate 37 from the Alamodome, and is a short 10-minute walk from the River Walk.
But there are some hurdles: Local conservationists have filed for a historic designation of the land the institute now sits on and Bexar County would have to pay off its debt from the bonds approved to build the Frost Bank Center.
It also may not be a basketball arena that comes to downtown San Antonio -- if those conservations are happening at all -- but a baseball stadium. Earlier this week, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred says he'd like for the league to expand to two cities by 2029.
It's all speculation for now. But after Thursday's vote by UT leaders, it's speculation with a bit more momentum.
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