SAN ANTONIO — City Council will convene in special session Thursday to receive a briefing on the future of downtown San Antonio, specifically a "proposed sports and entertainment district in Hemsifair and the surrounding area," according to the official agenda.
The meeting comes after months of rumors and media reports suggesting the Spurs could build their next arena there, having spent the last 22 years playing at Frost Bank Center on the east side. City leaders are only expected to receive information on "conceptual planning and other due diligence" up to this stage, meaning they won't be taking any formal votes.
According to an information packet compiled by staff, conversations between the city, Bexar County and the Spurs regarding the "opportunity" to develop a sports and entertainment area downtown have been ongoing since spring 2023.
"Such a district would be transformational for San Antonio," the agenda item's supplementary materials say, adding "the proposed sports and entertainment district would be anchored by an expansion of the convention center, improvements to the Alamodome, a new event venue for downtown, a convention center hotel, and potentially a new arena for the San Antonio Spurs."
Earlier this year, the University of Texas Board of Regents approved selling and/or leasing the 13.9-acre parcel of land where the Institute of Texan Cultures currently (ITC) sits, adjacent to Hemisfair. UTSA, which manages the institute, followed up in March by announcing they would be searching for a new physical home.
UTSA previously said they expected to raze the ITC, which on Oct. 25 was designated a State Antiquities Landmark by the Texas Historical Commission; it's unknown how that could affect the timetable for its demolition.
Thursday's meeting gets underway at 10:30 a.m.
