Six months after the City of San Antonio unveiled the conceptual plans for a new sports and entertainment district around Hemisfair, dubbed “Project Marvel,” the city is preparing to start its official process for getting community members’ opinions.
Top city staff said they’ve hired an outside firm, Able City, for $150,000 to help them with a community engagement process.
The schedule hasn’t been finalized, but the process will include at least two-day “charrettes,” or meetings, in each of the 10 city council districts, mostly taking place in June and July, as well as a survey around the same time.
According to a memo City Manager Erik Walsh sent city council members this week, these larger meetings will include public design workshops, focus group meetings, stakeholder meetings and topical presentations and discussions.
05.20.25 SA Sports and Entertainment District Community Engagement Plan 1 by nkotisso on Scribd
“We’ve heard concerns about parking and infrastructure. We’ve heard concerns about affordable housing,” Assistant City Manager Lori Houston said during a Thursday afternoon media briefing. “We’ve heard concerns about funding. ‘How is this going to be funded?’ And so these charrettes will provide space to go into more details with each of those items.”
The multi-billion-dollar district is anchored by a proposed new Spurs arena but also includes an expansion of the Henry B. González Convention Center, a new convention center hotel, a new music venue made from renovating the former federal courthouse and dozens of acres of mixed-use and retail development.
One aspect of Project Marvel that could wrap up before the engagement process is the funding plan for the arena.
The city, Spurs and Bexar County have tentatively agreed to figure out before July how the arena will be paid for, and what proportions of private and public dollars will be used.
Walsh said if people have strong feelings about how the arena should or shouldn’t be funded, they should let the city know now and not necessarily wait for a community engagement meeting.
Click here, to sign up for email or text updates on Project Marvel.
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