SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo plans to expand its footprint at county-owned facilities on the East Side, whether or not voters approve a $240 million makeover.
Propositions A and B on Bexar County ballots would allow for a two-step of sorts by the Frost Bank Center, the current home of the San Antonio Spurs, and the Freeman Coliseum and Coliseum grounds surrounding it. Supporters want the rodeo to bring in year-round, rodeo-style events after the team leaves for a new downtown arena.
Proposition A would pay for the work on the East Side county facilities, using a county venue tax on hotel stays and car rentals, while Proposition B would use the same tax to put up to $311 million toward a new arena at Hemisfair.
Both propositions include raising the hotel portion of the venue tax from 1.75% to 2%, while keeping the short-term car rental tax at 5%.
Spurs and rodeo officials are pushing for both propositions to pass, but San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo CEO Cody Davenport indicated they plan to go to year-round operations no matter how the results land.
During an interview with KSAT over what would happen if there is a split result in the Nov. 4 election, Davenport said “we have commitment from (Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai), Prop A passes that we would become the anchor tenant going forward.”
The Spurs’ lease on the Frost Bank Center lasts into 2032, so a handoff of the area wouldn’t be immediate. If both propositions pass, Davenport said it would be easier to work together on everything, down to scheduling construction and operations.
But if Prop A passes and Prop B gets shot down, Davenport said coordinating would become more difficult.
“Realistically, it’s going to be very hard for us to do certain facilities while the Spurs are still there operating. And, quite frankly, we won’t know what they’re doing. That’ll be completely up to them, because we’re no longer all playing together in one unified front,” Davenport said.
The improvements to the Coliseum grounds, which include adding and renovating buildings, would cost about $195 million, according to an August presentation. Work on the Frost Bank Center and a Freeman Coliseum roof replacement would cost close to $45 million.
If voters approve Prop A, the tax could be used to raise about $192 million for the projects, and the county has an additional $48 million already on hand from what the tax has previously generated.
But even if Prop A were to fail, Davenport said the rodeo plans to expand beyond its takeover of the grounds each February, though it would be “more regionalized type events, not national-type events.”
“We’d do more year-round operations,” he said. “It would just be disappointing in the point that we could not bring in some of those higher-end events that truly are going to spur, you know, the activity down there for the East Side.”
Those plans would go ahead, even if Prop B gets shot down.
Though Prop B is technically only on the county’s share of the $1.3 billion arena construction, the larger funding deal, which includes up to $489 million from the City of San Antonio, collapses if the proposition fails.
“Our plan would remain the same,” Davenport said when asked what would happen if both props were to fail at the ballot box. “Again, I can’t speak on behalf of the Spurs, right? But I would say I think it’s pretty it’s safe to say that they’re not staying there. They publicly stated that. So we would begin planning on the year-round operations on our end on that lower level without the nicer facilities. They would roll out what their plans are in their due time when they’re ready to tell us.”
A spokeswoman for the Spurs declined to comment for the story beyond saying in a text, “we remain focused getting Props A & B passed. As (Spurs Managing Partner Peter J. Holt) has said, there is not a plan b.”
She did not respond to a follow-up question from KSAT asking if she could confirm that, whatever happens, the Spurs’ plans don’t include staying at the Frost Bank Center.
A spokesman for Sakai said the county judge was unavailable for an interview Thursday. However, he spoke about the possibility of a split result during an appearance Monday on the KSAT Q&A.
“As we know, those referendums could pass, yes-yes. It could be no-no. It could a yes-no, a no-yes,” Sakai said. “So all those options have not been fully vetted as to what realities and what opportunities can come out of whatever the election’s result. But we have to respect the voters and their decisions in this election.”
Early voting continues through Friday, Oct. 31. Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 4.
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