'Ball Rolling' on Spurs Downtown Arena Plans
SAN ANTONIO - While it's no secret the San Antonio Spurs are kicking the tires on a downtown arena now we have some actual, tangible evidence.
This comes from my friend RJ Marquez from KSAT-TV in San Antonio who painstakingly took time to go through the public record. What he found were several emails between city officials and Spurs officials getting the ball rolling on an arena.
According to KSAT-TV, Spurs official legal counsel Bobby Perez began a dialogue with San Antonio City Manager Erik Walsh around the same time the team celebrated its 50th anniversary by playing the Golden State Warriors at the Alamodome in January.
Nell Redmond-USA TODAY Sports
That initial dialogue would turn into full blown spring time meetings between mayor Ron Nirenberg and Spurs CEO R.C. Buford. With Frost Bank on board as long term arena sponsor, the new state of the art training facility on the city's northside and the arrival of new phenom Victor Wembanyama, the timing seems perfect to begin the process of building a new place for games in the downtown area.
Mix in the ever-budding relationship with business leaders in Austin as we have covered in this space and the near and distant future of the franchise couldn't have a more exciting feel. The club is going to have to allow the Spurs out of the lease with the current arena and most likely raise taxes to get the new one done. While the excitement is palpable, time will tell if Joe Taxpayer feels that same buzz.
