‘At Best Tepid’: Polling Shows ‘Limited’ Support for Downtown San Antonio Sports Stadiums for Spurs, Missions

SAN ANTONIO – The prospect of new downtown sports stadiums for the San Antonio Spurs and the San Antonio Missions has scored ‘limited’ support from voters in a new poll, with less than 40% favorability reported for either proposal. The University of Texas at San Antonio Center for Public Opinion Research (UTSA CPOR) conducted the poll between September 11-16, surveying 692 registered Bexar County voters on a range of subjects, including these potential stadiums.

Insufficient Support for New Sports Stadiums

The poll indicated that a significant 41% of voters oppose relocating the Spurs to a new downtown San Antonio arena. Though nearly 36% were in favor of the move, 23% were either unsure or had no opinion.

“We see at best tepid support for these new plans and not overwhelming support for the construction of new facilities downtown and close to downtown,” UTSA CPOR director, Bryan Gervais, stated during the announcement of the poll results.

Slightly Better Support for Missions Ballpark

While underwhelming, support for a new stadium for the San Antonio Missions was slightly stronger, with nearly 40% backing the idea. Still, almost 35% opposed such a plan, and an additional 26% remained unsure.

According to Gervais, the Missions ballpark plan enjoyed greater support due to funding concerns. In the June UTSA poll, the possible tax implications for the Spurs stadium were identified as a key factor driving opposition. Meanwhile, the September survey participants were advised that the cost of the Missions ballpark “would be offset by the development of land surrounding the stadium.”

Initial Approval for Ballpark Plan amidst Opposition

The city council granted approval for the ballpark plan on September 12. However, the proposal has faced vocal opposition from residents of the Soap Factory Apartments, who would be displaced by the surrounding development. Furthermore, the San Antonio Independent School District still owns a key piece of property involved in the plan, which also requires Bexar County Commissioners’ approval.

Possible Sites for Downtown Stadium Development

The City of San Antonio and the Spurs have yet to announce specific plans for a new downtown stadium for the city’s flagship franchise. Nevertheless, public records requests pertaining to “Project Marvel” have uncovered discussions concerning a large-scale “sports and entertainment district” costing between $3-4 billion.

The former Institute of Texan Culture building at Hemisfair, close to the intersection of Interstate 37 and Cesar Chavez Boulevard, has been flagged as a potential site. As of February, the city had obtained an exclusive deal from UTSA to lease 1.36 acres on the Hemisfair campus.

This poll by UTSA CPOR, provided in English and Spanish, carries a margin of error of 3.7%, serving as a clear indication of the public sentiment around ambitious plans for these San Antonio sports institutions.