SAN ANTONIO – Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai laid out the impact and consequences of San Antonio’s decision on the proposed Spurs arena Saturday, ahead of a special City Council meeting Monday on whether to put the arena back on the November ballot.
The $1.3 billion NBA arena planned for Hemisfair relies on the Spurs, the City of San Antonio and Bexar County all chipping in. The Spurs would pay at least $500 million, the city would pay up to $489 million and the county up to $311 million.
Council members will meet at 9 a.m. Aug. 17 in City Council Chambers to discuss putting the city’s share of funding on the ballot, according to the meeting agenda. Monday is also the deadline to order a vote.
During a KSAT Q&A on GMSA, Sakai said a second city vote was not part of that deal.
“We are going to have a problem if there is a second vote and the city does not fulfill its obligation of $489 million,” Sakai said. “... We’re going to be stuck, and there are going to be really consequential issues, possibly litigation, that the county wants a reimbursement for whatever costs are lost because of what the City of San Antonio proposes to do.”
Sakai also said the Spurs arena would revitalize both downtown San Antonio and the East Side.
“I am making sure that the East Side is included in this whole overhaul, so to speak, of the new Spurs arena,” he said. “We’re going to remake the county facilities, the Frost Bank, the Freeman Coliseum, and the county grounds, working with the San Antonio rodeo.”
Watch the full interview in the video player above.
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