SAN ANTONIO — Local developers are exploring sites around San Antonio for a new minor league baseball stadium, Bexar county judge Nelson Wolff said Tuesday.
The San Antonio Missions, a San Diego Padres Double-A affiliate, currently play at Nelson Wolff Municipal Stadium on the city's west side. The ballpark does not meet Major League Baseball's facility standards, implemented when the MLB took over MiLB in 2021.
As mayor, Wolff lobbied for the stadium's construction. The field opened in 1994, making it the oldest ballpark in the Missions' division.
"There's a little bit more of a push to get (a new stadium) or we'll probably lose the franchise," Wolff said.
He says renovating the existing facility to comply with the league's minimum standards would likely cost about much as building a new ballpark.
Local firms are now eyeing plots along San Pedro Creek in downtown, Wolff said. Other investors are considering redeveloping the Lone Star Brewery to include a ballpark, he confirmed.
There is also some discussion of a northside stadium, to be shared with UTSA's baseball team, he added.
"There's a lot of us who would like to see it downtown, but so far, nothing has come of that," Wolff said. "There's other places to build, besides downtown. We'll see if this comes together."
Wolff said the MLB wants to see financing plans, ownership approval, and a secured site.
"I don't think Major League Baseball has made any hard deadline," Wolff added. "But they made it clear, I think, that we're going to have to have something moving forward."