SAN ANTONIO — On Thursday morning, during a special City Council session, the city manager and the assistant city manager plan to publicly discuss what has been codenamed "Project Marvel"—concepts for a sports and entertainment district in Hemisfair that the city says has the potential be "transformational."
The plan would potentially bring the Spurs downtown, along with a revitalized entertainment district.
For the first time, the proposal will be made public in the first of many discussions surrounding the ambitious multibillion-dollar project.
District 1 Councilwoman Sukh Kaur said the team behind Project Marvel has been researching how other major cities pulled off similar feats. The city has been in discussion with the Spurs since the spring of 2023 about moving downtown.
The team's lease with Frost Bank Center expires in 2032.
"A lot of folks in our communities rally around our sports teams and so we want to make sure that opportunity is there downtown,” Kaur said. “It will bring our residents over here, which is where we need them.”
In April, UTSA announced it approved selling or leasing the 13.9-acre land where the Institute of Texan Cultures currently sits. The museum is being moved to a temporary location that is set to re-open next year.
The land, however, could be enough space to house a new Spurs arena. Kaur said Project Marvel can move forward with or without the Spurs relocation.
"I think what is really important for folks to figure out, is that it's not just the Spurs stadium, it’s all about the other components too,” Kaur said.
The plan also consists of expanding the convention center, building a new convention hotel, renovating the Alamodome, building a land bridge that would connect the Alamodome and the Spurs arena, and more.
She could not disclose all that it entails, but says that it's expected to be revealed Thursday.
However, many people are already aware of the plans. That includes Centro San Antonio President Trish DeBerry, whose organization focuses on promoting and revitalizing downtown.
"I think it's incredibly exciting, but the devil is always in the details,” DeBerry said.
She was not part of the conversations surrounding Project Marvel, but said she is in support of it. But she brought up the question many people will have Thursday: "Who is going to pay for it?"
"Obviously it should not be born solely on the backs of taxpayers, nor should I think it should be born solely on the back of the public sector,” DeBerry said.
Councilwoman Kaur said they have state-allocated funds for the convention center upgrades, but would not go into specifics about funding the other potential projects.
"We want to make sure we are not overspending citizen tax dollars and making sure that we are considering very carefully any public financing that goes into this,” Kaur said.
The city manager will give the presentation Thursday at 10:30 a.m., but there will not be anything to vote on yet.
Kaur said the community will have a say throughout the process, adding city leaders are are relying on feedback.
