The San Antonio City Council has cleared the way for the Spurs’ new downtown arena plan to keep moving, rejecting a push to put the city’s proposed $489 million contribution on this year’s November ballot.
The decision came Monday morning in a 5-6 vote during a special session, meaning voters will not get a direct say this fall on the city’s share of the project. The proposal is part of Project Marvel, the broader downtown overhaul that also includes expanding the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center and renovating the Alamodome.
Former Spurs star Sean Elliott was one of the speakers who addressed mayor Gina Ortiz Jones and the council, and he leaned into the idea that the team’s run to the NBA Finals mirrored the city’s own identity.
"No one expected our young Spurs ... to make a run all the way to the NBA Finals," Elliott said. "They epitomize the spirit of this city.
They were tough. They played with grit and heart.
They believed in each other and they defied the odds. You could feel that everywhere."
He added: "I've never been more excited about where San Antonio is headed."
Jones had pushed for the public vote, even though one is not legally required, and she has opposed the initiative since taking office in June 2025. On Monday, she said in a memo posted to social media, "I will always fight to ensure our community has more of a say in how their money is spent," not less. They deserve that.”
Her main concern around Project Marvel has been the absence of a second economic study on the sports and entertainment district’s financial impact on San Antonio, even though a CSL study was completed during the tenure of former mayor Ron Nirenberg.
Monday’s outcome followed another failed attempt to slow the process down. Last August, Jones’ request for a strategic pause in talks between city manager Erik Walsh and the Spurs over a term sheet for the downtown arena was defeated by City Council in a 7-4 vote, and both sides continued forward.
The term sheet lays out how the arena’s costs are expected to be handled. Last November, voters approved Proposition A, which raised the venue tax to help fund a reimagined Eastside coliseum district near Frost Bank Center, and Proposition B, which increased hotel and rental car tax rates to cover Bexar County’s portion.
For the city’s piece, the plan calls for revenue bonds supported by four sources: rent from the Spurs, ground-lease payments from private developers, property-tax revenue captured within the Hemisfair Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone and state hotel-related tax revenue captured through the Project Finance Zone.
Voters still will have a say on part of the infrastructure work tied to the project. They’ll need to approve the disbursement of a bond that would pay for necessary renovations around the arena site and nearby infrastructure, with council expected to sort out the details in the coming weeks.
The Spurs responded with appreciation after Monday’s vote.
“Today’s decision allows San Antonio to move forward on a path that was established through years of work, public discussion, City and County action and last year’s vote," Spurs CEO R.C. Buford said via press release. "We can now turn our full attention to delivering on that shared vision and the transformational opportunity ahead for our city."
Elliott, too, sounded encouraged about what comes next.
"Now is the time to build on that energy," Elliott added, "Real opportunity to revitalize the Eastside, hotels, restaurants, small businesses. That’s right there within our reach."
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