San Antonio taxpayers could be on the hook for up to $250 million in Project Marvel costs

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SAN ANTONIO - City officials revealed Wednesday the massive amount of money that voters will be on the hook for to help with the transformative downtown project known as Project Marvel.

City officials have said from the start that voters will not be on the hook for the Spurs arena, the convention center, or any of the buildings and structures that come with Project Marvel. But voters will be on the hook for some of the infrastructure in the Downtown area. At Wednesday's city council b-session, the city revealed that number to be between $220-250 million.

Caption: WOAI

That money will be in the form of a city bond and, if all goes according to the city's plan, will be on the ballot for San Antonians to vote on by November. That bond money will go towards 20 projects -- some big, some small.

Projects like constructing a parking garage in lot-A of the Alamodome, constructing a pedestrian bridge over I-37, and fixing on and offramps near the proposed entertainment district.

Once again, though, city officials reiterated that taxpayers will not be funding the new arena for the Spurs.

"The public does not want, and I agree, to spend public tax dollars on an arena," Mayor Ron Nirenberg said. "We are not going to do that."

Nirenberg explained that the arena would be financed by revenue generated from Project Marvel developments.

"If those projects don't happen, there is no arena. The good thing about that is that those projects are going to come with a guarantee. And so, those projects happen and the arena gets funded," he added.

But not only will voters get their say at the ballot box, they will also get time face-to-face in community meetings. The city will be hosting 10 two-day community planning workshops, one in each council district, in July. Some council members, though, aren't sure these meetings will serve their purpose.

"What has me up here shaking my head is the thought that we would go to these community meetings without all of the details to give our residents because that is what they have been asking for," District 10 councilman Marc Whyte said during Wednesday's meeting.

Many councilmembers were frustrated that they and the public still do not know exactly who will be paying for what, especially regarding the potential spurs new arena.

Council members voiced concerns over the lack of concrete financial details regarding the proposed Spurs arena.

"We sit here today and haven't quite pinned down what portion the Spurs are going to pay for, what portion the city is going to pay for, what portion the county is going to pay for," Whyte said.

Councilmembers have been clammoring for more information regarding Project Marvel for months.

Nirenberg assured that public funds would continue to support essential services.

"Our tax dollars go towards streets and sidewalks, police and parks — that is going to happen whether it's downtown or in somebody else's neighborhood," he said.

So over the next few months, the public will have a huge say in whether this city builds a new spurs arena and many other parts of Project Marvel or not.