SAN ANTONIO — It's a big day for the San Antonio Spurs!
The team officially broke ground on "The Rock at La Cantera" on the city's northwest side Thursday morning. The project is a human performance campus including a research center, a 22-acre park, and space for medical, hospitality and commercial use.
“This will put us on the map in many ways that we’ve never been on the map before,” councilmember Manny Pelaez told KENS 5.
The campus will be built within Pelaez's district but says it will benefit all San Antonians and provide a large return on the city and county investments.
"We’re very confident this will pay off for generations to come, in the same way that other catalytic projects like USAA has paid off, like Toyota has paid off,” he said.
The team said Thursday's ceremony marked the start of construction on Phase 1, the Spurs performance center, and will be followed with the outdoor event plaza, before work begins on the heart of the campus, the human performance research center.
“This project is much bigger than basketball and we’re excited to see it come to life,” said Peter J. Holt, managing partner for Spurs Sports & Entertainment. “It promises future economic growth and development for our city and provides a thriving community space for the residents of San Antonio, while allowing our regional thought leaders to engage in new conversations and opportunities.”
“As a global center of discovery focused on the advancement of human performance, The Rock at La Cantera will have a transformative impact on the communities we serve,” said RC Buford, CEO for SS&E.
On Thursday, the team unveiled a full website with artistic renderings of the completed project.
Spurs Sports & Entertainment says the total price tag is $510 million. This also comes after the city approved giving the Spurs a big tax break with the new collaboration
The San Antonio Spurs will get $17 million in tax incentives for the 500,000 square foot campus project. The organization also secured $15 million in funding from Bexar County in August.
There's no firm completion date, but Buford says his hope is this project will continue evolving.
The 22-acre park is already being developed, but there were some environmental concerns surrounding the campus.
Councilmember Jalen McKee-Rodriguez was the only person on council to vote against it, saying he was concerned about the development being built over the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone
Mayor Ron Nirenberg says the city and county collaboration ensures the project meets aquifer protection and water quality standards
A completion date for the campus hasn't been announced.