About Project Marvel SA

Background: What Is Project Marvel?
Project Marvel is the City of San Antonio’s ambitious plan to create a new downtown sports and entertainment district centered around a modern arena for the NBA’s Spurs. Unveiled in late 2024, the multibillion-dollar proposal includes major projects in the downtown Hemisfair area, such as a $1.5 billion Spurs arena, a $750 million expansion of the Henry B. González Convention Center, renovations to the Alamodome (around $100 million), a new convention-center hotel, conversion of the John H. Wood Jr. Courthouse into a mid-sized concert venue, and even a land bridge over I-37 to better connect the district (SanAntonioReport.org) (TPR.org).

The total investment is estimated around $4 billion, combining public infrastructure upgrades and private development downtown (News4SanAntonio.com). City leaders envision this district as a way to revitalize downtown and improve the fan experience by surrounding the new arena with restaurants, shops, hotels, public parks, and transit access (TPR.org). The Spurs have played at the AT&T Center (now Frost Bank Center) on the East Side since 2002, and the franchise has expressed a desire for a downtown location to offer a more vibrant, “live-work-play” environment for games and events (TPR.org).

City officials argue that upgrades to the convention center and Alamodome are also critical to retain San Antonio’s competitive edge in tourism and major events, holding onto hundreds of millions in economic impact each year (TPR.org). Crucially, they emphasize that no new taxes on residents are planned – funding would come from sources like the Hotel Occupancy Tax (paid by visitors), special tax zones, private Spurs contributions, and other private investments (TPR.org) (TPR.org).

Timeline of Key Events

November 21, 2024: The City of San Antonio formally unveils conceptual plans for Project Marvel. Renderings show a vision for a downtown Spurs arena and entertainment district at Hemisfair, kicking off public awareness of the proposal (KSAT.com). Community excitement is mixed with questions about cost and impact from the start.

Early 2025: Project Marvel quickly becomes a hot-button issue in local politics, even though it’s not directly on the ballot. In the June 2025 mayoral race, candidate Rolando Pablos campaigned as a strong supporter of Project Marvel (to “keep the Spurs in San Antonio”), whereas eventual winner Gina Ortiz Jones expressed skepticism about the need for such a project and how broadly it would benefit the city (TPR.org) (TPR.org). Ortiz Jones’ victory signaled that the new mayor would take a more cautious, “show-me-the-benefit” approach, potentially demanding more private funding and ensuring the plan doesn’t divert too many public resources from other needs (TPR.org).

June 24, 2025: The City kicks off a series of community planning workshops – ten two-day forums, one in each City Council district, from late June through early July (SanAntonioReport.org) (KSAT.com). These meetings, run in partnership with an urban planning firm (Able City), are designed to inform residents about Project Marvel’s scope and to gather feedback through presentations, focus groups, mapping exercises, and Q&A sessions (KSAT.com) (KSAT.com). The first workshops (Districts 2, 4, 5, and 7) begin on June 24-25, drawing crowds of interested and concerned residents across the city (News4SanAntonio.com).

June 30 – July 1, 2025: Midway through the outreach, workshops are held in Districts 3 and 10 (KSAT.com). By this time, common themes are emerging in community feedback (detailed below), and the media begins reporting on the questions and concerns raised in these sessions.

July 8–9, 2025: The final workshops conclude in the remaining districts (1, 6, 8, and 9). For example, District 1’s forum on July 8-9 – the last of the series – draws over 60 attendees and focuses on public space ideas within the district footprint (TPR.org). As the forums wrap up, residents in some sessions express hope that their input might influence the plan, while others remain skeptical that decisions have already been made (SanAntonioReport.org).

August 2025 (Upcoming): City officials will compile all the community feedback gathered from the 10 workshops into a report (SanAntonioReport.org). A set of “guiding principles” based on public input will be developed to help shape how (and if) various pieces of Project Marvel move forward (KSAT.com) (KSAT.com). The new City Council (and Mayor), which took office in July, is expected to review these findings in early August.

By August 18, 2025: A critical deadline – the City Council must decide whether to call a bond election for November 2025. City staff have indicated they will likely propose a $220–$250 million municipal bond dedicated to infrastructure improvements for Project Marvel (streets, utilities, parks around the arena, etc.) (TPR.org) (News4SanAntonio.com). This bond vote, if placed on the ballot, would effectively let voters signal approval or disapproval for moving forward (TPR.org). (There is no direct up-or-down vote on the arena itself planned, so the infrastructure bond serves as the public’s voice on the project) (TPR.org).

November 2025 (Potential): If called, San Antonio residents will vote on the Project Marvel infrastructure bond. City leaders have framed this as the first real “test” of public and council support for the project (KSAT.com). Officials have also mentioned possibly coupling it with a separate affordable housing bond measure, acknowledging community calls for broader city investment beyond downtown (News4SanAntonio.com).

Beyond 2025: Should voters approve the necessary funding and the project move ahead, further steps would include finalizing designs, securing any additional funding (e.g. county venue tax contributions or private investments), and formal City Council approvals for specific project components. The timeline for completion could span a decade or more (TPR.org) – this is a long-term redevelopment initiative. The Spurs organization, for its part, is already working to select a private developer partner to help build out the surrounding mixed-use development if the arena proceeds (SanAntonioReport.org). City officials promise that community engagement won’t end with these workshops; there will be more input opportunities as plans are refined.

Sources:

• Texas Public Radio – “San Antonio wrapping up final Project Marvel community workshops”tpr.orgtpr.org
   
• San Antonio Report – “City wraps up Project Marvel listening sessions with District 1 residents airing concerns, optimism”sanantonioreport.orgsanantonioreport.org
   
• News 4 San Antonio – “San Antonio residents share questions, concerns at Project Marvel meetings”news4sanantonio.comnews4sanantonio.com
   
• KSAT News – “East Side concern over Project Marvel is clear as San Antonio begins public input meetings”ksat.comksat.com
   
• KSAT News – “San Antonio to host community feedback sessions on Project Marvel…” (Workshop schedule and format)ksat.comksat.com
   
• Texas Public Radio – “Davies: What Gina Ortiz Jones’ victory could mean for Project Marvel”tpr.orgtpr.org
   
• News 4 San Antonio – Interview with Spurs Chairman Peter Holt on arena funding timelinenews4sanantonio.com