SAN ANTONIO – As the San Antonio Spurs advance to the second round of the NBA playoffs, a pair of contracts related to their planned new home are also moving ahead in City Hall.
The San Antonio City Council is scheduled to vote Thursday on two contracts on the city’s proposed, multi-billion-dollar sports and entertainment district in Hemisfair, known as “Project Marvel.”
Though a new Spurs arena is at the heart of the vision for the district, it also includes plans for mixed-use development, a possible expansion of the Henry B. González Convention Center, the conversion of the John Woods Courthouse into a live entertainment venue, and more.
The city plans to award Accenture Infrastructure and Capital Projects the contract to coordinate and manage development activity in the district as the “executive program manager” (EPM).
The $6 million contract is for the “first phase” through March 2027, though it can be renewed in additional one-year increments through September 2031.
The council will also vote on a one-year, $350,000 contract with MuniCap to conduct a cost-of-service study for the district.
The Maryland-based public finance consulting company would look at how much it will cost to provide core city services to the area, like police, fire, traffic, and park maintenance.
It would also be charged with forecasting how much money the district will bring to the city and new opportunities for generating revenue.
Geoffrey Propheter, an associate professor of public finance at the University of Colorado-Denver, told KSAT that’s a report that would have been helpful before the council approved a term sheet for a new arena last August.
“These are the sorts of questions you ask before you make a decision, because now in hindsight, the fact that you’re asking afterwards just kind of seems like you’re trying to play catch up with this whole transparency, accountability business, and that it was a foregone conclusion beforehand, even if that was the worst-kept secret in the room,” he said.
Both consultants were selected through a competitive process, but their contracts need council approval.
City staff are also expected to brief council members with a wider update on the proposed district.
Read also: