Bexar County voters are lukewarm and divided on two major ballot measures that could reshape San Antonio’s entertainment landscape ahead of a November vote on proposals for $503 million in bond funding.
A survey from the University of Texas at San Antonio’s Center for Public Opinion Research found that 44 percent of voters back Proposition A, which would expand the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo grounds on the East Side, while nearly 40 percent support Proposition B, which would direct venue tax funds toward a new arena for the San Antonio Spurs at Hemisfair.
The ballot items are part of Project Marvel, a broader proposal for a downtown sports and entertainment district that could reshape the city’s urban core. When asked about the overall project, 45 percent of respondents supported it, while 40 percent were opposed.
In August, Bexar County Commissioners voted to send the ballot items to voters in a proposal that could provide $500 million in visitor tax revenue for a new Spurs arena and renovations to the Frost Bank Center, the current home of the Spurs, should voters approve the measure.
Voter-approved funds could also go to work on redeveloping the grounds of the Freeman Coliseum, a concert venue and home of the stock show and rodeo. Bexar County would contribute 25 percent of the cost and no more than $311 million to the project.
Spurs Sports and Entertainment Chairman and Managing Partner Peter J. Holt has pledged $1 billion toward the projects: at least $500 million for the new arena, $500 million for adjacent development and $60 million for community incentives.
The Spurs also pledged to cover cost overruns. In late August the San Antonio City Council approved the continuation of City Manager Erik Walsh’s negotiations with Spurs Sports on a term sheet.
Opposition in the polling was stronger for the NBA team’s proposed arena, with 46 percent of respondents saying they would vote against it and 15 percent undecided. About 41 percent opposed funding the rodeo expansion, which includes redeveloping the Frost Bank Center, the team’s current home.
“Support for ballot propositions is always very fluid,” in a news release outlining the findings of the poll. “That said,
“It’s fair to say that the effort to secure venue tax funding for a new Spurs arena faces an uphill battle,” said Bryan Gervais, UTSA political science professor and director of the research center.
The poll surveyed 660 likely Bexar County voters between Oct. 1 and Oct. 3 using computer-assisted, self-interviewing software in English and Spanish. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percent.
The findings come as city leaders and Spurs ownership make their case for the new arena, arguing it would anchor a revitalized downtown district and attract more events year-round. The prospect of the project getting off the ground also renewed interest in downtown San Antonio’s office market despite high vacancy rates near 27 percent.
Critics, meanwhile, question using public venue tax revenue for a facility that could primarily benefit the team.
Gervais said campaigns on both sides “have plenty of room to move the needle.”
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