Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones and City Council continue their Thursday meeting after the majority rejected her call for a pause in negotiations. Michael Karlis" class="uk-display-block uk-position-relative uk-visible-toggle"> click to enlarge Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones and City Council continue their Thursday meeting after the majority rejected her call for a pause in negotiations. - Michael Karlis
Michael Karlis
Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones and City Council continue their Thursday meeting after the majority rejected her call for a pause in negotiations.
San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones’ agenda item calling for a “strategic pause” in negotiations with Spurs Sports & Entertainment for a new downtown NBA arena failed on a 4-7 vote Thursday in front of a packed house.
As of press time, council still hasn't voted on a the meeting's other item: a tentative agreement with the San Antonio Spurs' ownership group that would ask the city to pony up $489 million to help build the $1.3 billion sports facility.
Despite a full court press from Jones to win support for a pause — including hijacking a Greater Chamber of Commerce press conference and numerous media appearances — council voted on her proposal with no discussion from the dais. That's an unusual move for a such high-priority agenda item.
Other than Jones, only District 6 Councilman Ric Galvan, District 5 Councilwoman Teri Castillo and Interim District 2 Councilman Leo Castillo-Anguiano, who is filling in for Jalen McKee-Rodriguez while he’s on paternity leave, voted in favor of the item.
If passed, Jones’s proposal, added to the agenda late Sunday, would have ordered up a second, independent economic impact analysis of the proposed arena and Project Marvel, the $4 billion downtown sports-and-entertainment district that would surround it. Her item also called on each council member to hold two public forums before a vote to move ahead on such a deal.
Council's rejection of Jones’ proposal came after more than four hours of public comment at Thursday's session. The comments appeared evenly split between those opposed to requiring a second study and those wanting to immediately green light a new Spurs arena.
Following the vote, council went directly into discussion about the meeting's other agenda item.
If a majority of council agrees to that item, a non-binding term sheet with SS&E, the city's portion of the cost of the new Spurs arena would come from a mix of visitor and property taxes near Hemisfair along with ground leases. The city also would have to pay the interest on the loans.
City services used for Project Marvel — assuming the district is built — also could drain money from the general fund, according to some observers.
The Current will provide updates as council votes on the second agenda item.
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