As Bexar County voters prepare to decide whether to increase the county’s venue tax for two major projects, community leaders gathered Wednesday night to give more clarity on what those changes could mean for San Antonio’s East Side.
The San Antonio Report’s CityFest 2025 panel, “What’s Next for the East Side?” brought together James Nortey of San Antonio for Growth on the East Side, Rena Oden of COPS/Metro Alliance and Cody Davenport, CEO of the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo. Moderated by senior government and politics reporter Andrea Drusch, the discussion centered on how Propositions A and B — two venue-tax measures on the Nov. 4 ballot — could reshape both the arena district and the broader Eastside community.
Proposition A would direct roughly $192.8 million toward redeveloping the Frost Bank Center and Freeman Coliseum complex into a year-round, western-themed event campus anchored by the Stock Show & Rodeo. Proposition B would steer up to $311 million toward a new downtown arena that would eventually become the San Antonio Spurs’ home. Although the items are technically separate, panelists said they are difficult to untangle.
“It’s hard to separate Project Marvel,” Oden said, referring to the city’s larger redevelopment vision for the Hemisfair area, where the NBA arena is planned. ” The rodeo is hitched to Project Marvel, the arena is hitched to Project Marvel and the city pitched it as Project Marvel. And because it didn’t catch fire or it didn’t catch on very well, then the idea of separating things out became the nuance. Well, how do you separate them out now?”
Both Oden and Nortey referenced a lingering tension throughout the discussion — whether this latest round of redevelopment planning would be any different from the many East Side revitalization efforts that came before it.
Rena Oden of COPS/Metro Alliance answers questions during the San Antonio Report’s CityFest 2025 panel discussion “What’s next for the East Side?” at the Frost Bank Center on Wednesday. Credit: Amber Esparza / San Antonio Report
History has made residents cautious about new promises, when the move of the NBA team to the East Side in the early 2000s never resulted in hoped-for development, Nortey said.
“In 2003, the city and the Spurs and nearby neighborhoods invested a lot of time in planning, for economic development, for what could happen here,” Nortey said.” Those plans haven’t materialized. There are real concerns in our community about ‘here we go again’. Fool me once. Shame on you. Fool me twice. Well, no, I’m gonna learn and so it is on the city and on the Spurs to demonstrate what will be different this time.”
Davenport, who leads the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, said those concerns are understandable but stressed that Proposition A is designed to stand alone to ensure the East Side’s future isn’t tied to the Spurs’ plans.
James Nortey of San Antonio for Growth on the East Side answers questions during the San Antonio Report’s CityFest 2025. Credit: Amber Esparza / San Antonio Report
“When the Spurs said they were leaving the, the rodeo stepped forward and said we would take over and protect these grounds,” Davenport said. “And I asked the great question — ‘I’m taking care of the rodeo, but what happens with all this other mess that goes down?’ Prop A is isolated so these East Side grounds can be respected and taken care of, and we’re no longer at the mercy of all these things you’re talking about.”
A year-round destination
Davenport described the future of the project as a partnership between the rodeo, Bexar County and nearby residents — one aimed at creating a year-round attraction that brings steady traffic and spending to the East Side along with overnight guests.
“Like most people around here, I am tired of hearing about master grandiose plans. I’m tired of promises. I’m tired of somebody waving a banner out there. I’m doing this, I’m doing that, and we end up with nothing,” Davenport said. “Let the rodeo come in and do what we’ve been doing every year in February. Let us expand that. … Let’s build that.”
Davenport added that the rodeo’s plan to expand programming beyond its annual two-week run could turn the Frost Bank Center and Freeman Coliseum complex into a destination for youth competitions, concerts and festivals that draw visitors year-round.
But while Davenport emphasized action and follow-through, Oden said true progress on the East Side depends on how those decisions are made — and who gets to make them. She pointed to Project Marvel planning as an example of where public input fell short.
“When we first saw that rendering, you know, some of the things that came to our mind were, whose idea was this? Did the community help develop this? Where’s that bridge going? This is public dollars,” Oden said. “So where’s the public input?”
Oden said she hopes plans for the Stock Show & Rodeo’s expansion will include more opportunities for residents to participate openly and meaningfully in the public input process.
Nortey agreed, saying new master planning efforts for the area should start with lessons from the past rather than a blank slate.
Andrea Drusch, right, of the San Antonio Report, moderates CityFest 2025’s East Side-focused panel. Credit: Amber Esparza / San Antonio Report
“The first thing I would want is that a master planner actually review the past plans from 2003 to 2025. We over-plan to death the East Side, and we never implement what’s on the shelves.” he said. “ Implement what’s already been asked for, restaurants or retail, green spaces for the families that are already here, and improved infrastructure.”
Oden added that residents want to see those benefits and amenities reflected in their own neighborhoods, not just around the venue complex.
“It’s important that the East Side is developed in that way, so that staying at home is just as attractive as traveling 30 to 45 minutes across the city. And yes, ‘if we build it, they will come,’” she said.” Is that the moniker we’ve heard before? I think that we can use that when it comes to putting the right type of amenities on this side of town.”
Her comments reflected a sense of optimism shared by many East Side advocates — but also set up a central question that continues to drive the community’s conversation about growth.
“The concern for the community is that growth is going to come regardless, but will the amenities reflect their culture, their lifestyles, their community?” Nortey said. “We’re cautious and optimistic. We do think there’s a great opportunity for the rodeo, but there is some concern about who this is for. Is it for the people who live on the East Side of San Antonio? Is it for someone else? That’s the outstanding question.”
He added that long-term progress will depend on building basic infrastructure including roads, drainage, sidewalks, utilities, the things that make private investment possible.
Oden added that meaningful change will require both creativity and follow-through. “Imagination and the will to execute,” she said. “Eastsiders know what they want and what they need.”
Asked what the East Side could look like in 20 years, Nortey envisioned “a community of opportunity for everyone — whether you’ve lived here five generations or five minutes.”
Cody Davenport, CEO of the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, answers questions during the panel. Credit: Amber Esparza / San Antonio Report
Davenport closed on a more personal note, tying his vision for the East Side to the rodeo’s longstanding role in youth and agricultural programs — from 4-H, a network of youth development initiatives, to western events that foster a sense of community and belonging.
“My vision is real, real, crystal clear. I see identity down here. I see grounds in a vibrant area that has an identity. I see my neighbors embracing this identity. I see their kids growing up with us, and I watched them grow and watch them go out into society,” he said. “ I can see the people down here and why they want to be here, and I can see my East Side neighbors reaping the rewards of it.”
CityFest continues Thursday with a free panel discussing the small businesses that bring a sports and entertainment district to life. Please RSVP to attend.
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