Spurs to hold public meetings on planned downtown arena and sports district

Spurs Sports & Entertainment is opening a public-input phase for its planned downtown arena and surrounding sports and entertainment district, with 10 community meetings set to begin July 13.

The sessions, billed as Community Conversations and Open House, are designed to give residents a chance to learn where the project stands, ask questions and offer ideas about the arena, the district and nearby public spaces.

The meetings come while the Spurs, the City of San Antonio and Bexar County continue negotiating the remaining details of a deal that would help finance and shape the project. City staff have said they expect to finalize a non-binding term sheet by the end of 2026.

What the meetings are for

SS&E said the sessions will let residents hear an update on the project and share feedback on the proposed Hemisfair arena and the broader district around it. Reporting also says the company wants to use the meetings to talk through the project’s status and collect ideas on the arena footprint, district amenities and the surrounding public realm.

That matters because the plan is still evolving. The team is starting public meetings before the city and Spurs have finished work on financing terms, land purchases and lease details.

The arena package approved by the city is valued at $1.3 billion. The financing framework cited in reporting includes up to $489 million from the City of San Antonio, up to $311 million from Bexar County and $500 million from the Spurs.

Where the project stands

The arena is planned for Hemisfair in downtown San Antonio and is intended to become the Spurs’ future home. The team currently plays at Frost Bank Center.

The arena proposal sits inside the larger downtown sports and entertainment district often described as Project Marvel. The district concept is meant to add activity and investment around the arena site, with public infrastructure and private development helping define the area.

Reporting says the Spurs have also pledged about $1.4 billion in adjacent private development around the arena. That could include a hotel for visiting NBA teams, along with possible apartments, retail, dining and entertainment uses.

The development team identified in reporting includes Overland International, CAA ICON, Marquee Development and Sasaki.

The chronology

The proposal has moved through several public milestones over the past year. The Spurs first publicly detailed a more than $1 billion arena and district investment plan in July 2025.

In May, SS&E announced the firms selected to design, plan and manage the arena project. On June 25, City Council members pushed for a public meeting about how to spend the Spurs’ $75 million community-benefits commitment tied to the deal.

The new community meetings broaden that public discussion from one funding question to the larger arena and district plan itself. That gives residents a forum to react to the project before the financial and land-use pieces are completed.

What remains unresolved

Even with the public meetings about to begin, several major issues are still open. The city and Spurs are still negotiating the non-binding term sheet, and the final lease terms have not been set.

Land acquisition is another unresolved piece. Reporting says the city is still working on property tied to the site, including the former Institute of Texan Cultures property.

Those open issues matter because they affect both the physical footprint of the project and the timing of the broader downtown development plan.

Why it matters

Public money is committed to the arena and surrounding district, so the project has become a major question for taxpayers, downtown businesses and neighborhood residents alike. The city is also balancing the arena plan with other redevelopment priorities downtown.

The Spurs’ public meetings are likely to shape how residents view the project’s design, amenities and public spaces, even if they do not settle the remaining financing and land questions.

The next step is the meeting rollout itself. SS&E says the 10 sessions will begin July 13 and continue through July 2026, while city staff work toward the year-end target for a term sheet.

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