Good afternoon.

The time is now 1.03 p.m.

on Wednesday, January 14th, 2026.

Happy New Year.

And the City of San Antonio B session is called to order.

Madam Clerk, please call roll.

Councilmember Corps.

Councilmember McKee Rodriguez.

Present.

Councilmember Via Gran.

Here.

Councilmember Mungia.

President.

Councilmember Castillo.

Here.

Councilmember Galvan.

Councilmember Alderete Gavito.

Here.

Councilmember Mesa Gonzalez.

Present.

Councilmember Spears.

Councilmember White.

Mayor Jones.

Mayor, we have a quorum.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

We've got two items for briefing today.

The first is an update on the proposed downtown minor league baseball stadium, and the second is an update on the proposed downtown sports and entertainment district.

Eric, over to you.

Thank you, Mayor.

Good uh good afternoon, Mayor Council.

Um, so this afternoon's uh presentation are on um two items um the downtown district um and and the um uh baseball um each presentation includes um an overview of the proposed work plans that are underway and the anticipated timelines of all the major work efforts um in each of these areas um with a big focus of on the things that um will occur later on in the year um much work needs to be done in these areas um given the the depth and amount of information included um you know i think what we're gonna do and i i uh we talked to the mayor's office earlier we're gonna break this up into two presentations so that uh we do we we we um spend time on each one of those um the other the other part of this is that and i'll I was gonna say it at the end but I'll take an opportunity to say it uh up front you know this is um um we're gonna need to set a regular time frame and update tempo for the council um and the public um as we go forward so it's one of the things I wanted to get some feedback from you all uh this afternoon um and that starts uh really today um much like we do uh with the airport in the sense that we have there are a lot of things happening at the airport not just the terminal development plan but we bring those together in to uh in in a quarterly fashion to the council if not sooner um remember for some council members we did it we did it more often early on in the in that project um and I do anticipate us needing the need to needing to have a regular executive session conversation to be able to discuss matters of negotiation when we get to that point uh later on in the year but I suspect that council will want to have some of that conversation early on um quickly so those are a couple of things that that are uh that you should consider as we as we go through the the work plan of these of these issues um and we're gonna start with um the uh the downtown district first thank you so good afternoon mayor and council members so as Eric said I'm gonna kind of walk through our proposed work plan for calendar year 2026 and is your mic on I think so there you go all right good afternoon mayor and council members so uh with the presentation today we're gonna walk through our proposed work plan for 2026 calendar year uh this work plan really builds upon the work that's been done before it takes into consideration some of the phasing that we've talked about before you know the district's got a number of very large projects in there we've talked about the fact that we've got to really phase those over time in order to be able to implement that so that is built into this work plan uh it takes into consideration our non binding term sheet on the arena project which that's the framework for how we proceed with that project and again builds on the work that we've done before so let me talk a little bit about what's in the work plan and then what's not in the work plan when we talk about the district so our work effort's gonna focus on the expansion of the convention center and I'm gonna go into these in more detail on subsequent slides.

So our work effort's going to focus on the expansion of the convention center, and I'm gonna go into these in more detail on subsequent slides.

This is the phased one where we've talked about previously.

This is a focus on what is the dome need in terms of operational capital so it can continue to function and operate.

The larger potential renovation reimagination of the dome, we've pushed that out into around a tenure time frame, so around 2035.

We're gonna talk a little bit about infrastructure improvements for the district, uh mixed use development, connectivity.

So we've talked about in the past how do we create more connectivity between the Alamo Dome and the eastern side of IH 37 with the park on the western side.

So we'll go into a little bit more detail on that.

What is not in the work plan is and you see on the right there the convention center hotel.

We've talked about before that we'd kind of push that out into kind of the second phase.

Um that's more challenged because the site we were looking at is the current side of Chill Water Plant.

I'll give you a little bit of an update on that today.

But we had already kind of pushed that out.

That is not in the near-term planning for us, and I'll go into a little bit more discussion on that.

The other one is the event venue listed there.

So today we own the Wood Courthouse.

Great opportunity to renovate that, turn that into an event venue, potentially a live music venue.

Um it is not in the work plan given some of the other work that we need to do on the things I just went over.

We are looking maybe towards the end of the calendar year to start to look at what do we do with that.

So we might try to incorporate that towards the end of the calendar year.

So I'm gonna kind of jump into some of the specific things that we're gonna be doing.

Some of these are gonna happen pretty quickly.

These first two I'm gonna go over are actually on the agenda for your consideration tomorrow.

So we're gonna begin with the acquisition of the uh federal property.

We call them the field federal building West properties.

Uh, they're noted there on the map on the right.

So we're talking about the office building just to the east of the Wood Courthouse, along with its parking lot, and then there are two parking lots just south on uh say across the street on Cesar Chavez that would be part of this acquisition.

It is three parcels totaling about 5.7 acres.

This item that you're gonna see tomorrow is a little bit different.

We typically come to you and say, Hey, we want to buy real estate.

We've already done the whole process, we've negotiated it, and we're bringing it to you for consideration.

This is an offer to the GSA to acquire this property.

The GSA is going through a disposition process for this property as a public entity, they can do a negotiated sale directly with us.

So last year they put out a uh notice on that process.

We were the only ones that responded to that notice indicating we were interested in potentially buying this property under that statute and the way that works, we would have to acquire it for fair market value.

And so we have been in discussions uh with GSA since that time frame.

Um we are proposing an offer of 30 million dollars.

That is based on an appraisal that we did on the property in conjunction with G uh uh GSA, along with closing costs up to 120,000.

Um, that would be the offer that we would submit.

They've asked us to submit the offer by January 26th.

This is a property that they're interested in moving.

Initially, they wanted us to do it by the end of last calendar year, last December.

We asked for a little bit of an extension.

We were doing some additional due diligence, wanted to complete that before we move forward and rate a recommendation to you on the offer.

We've completed that work, and uh that is on the agenda for tomorrow.

This site's important because it's a site of future guaranteed mixed use development that would support the arena project financing.

So, again, the timeline there on the bottom is it'll be on the agenda, it is on the agenda for your consideration tomorrow as an individual item.

It's it's part of one of that item.

I'll get to the second piece here in a second.

Um, the timeline would be if you approve this tomorrow, we would submit the offer to GSA along with the earnest money deposit under the offer of 10% of the of the acquisition price, which is three million dollars.

Um GSA has uh really 120 days to review that offer to accept accept it or reject it.

Um, and then um uh we would expect closing to take about 30 to 60 days if they were to accept the offer.

That timeline is all subject to change.

Again, those are kind of the outside um dates, I would say in terms of of what they've got, what they're gonna review.

Um, it could go quicker than that once we submit the offer.

So the second part of the item that you've got before you tomorrow for your consideration is a contribution from the Spurs.

So under the term sheet that was approved last summer, the Spurs agreed to provide agreed to provide a contribution of $30 million to help the city acquire this property.

That item will accept that $30 million contribution.

They've also agreed to cover the closing costs of up to $120,000.

So that is part of the item tomorrow.

Under this agreement and the offer, the city gets fee simple title to the property, subject to a contingency deed.

The contingency deed really comes into play more in the event we can't get a deal done on the arena project.

So I'm gonna start with if if if the project moves forward, it commences, it's financed, meaning the county's got its money, the Spurs have uh their money, we have our money, it's commencing.

The contingency deed goes away, we retain fee simple title to the property.

In the event for whatever reason, we can't get a project done, and we can't move forward, and the Spurs declare that or we declare that, and we just can't move forward uh with the project.

At that point, the city has the option, not the obligation, but the option to reimburse the Spurs, the $30 million uh $30 million that they have provided for the acquisition along with their carrying costs on the loan that they would take out on that funding.

We would look at actual carrying costs.

If we um and if we do that, then we retain P simple title to the property.

If we choose not to do that and not to reimburse them, that's where the contingency deed comes into play.

It would transfer title from the city over to the Spurs, and they would now have fee simple title to that property.

Again, the timeline there on the bottom, again, this item is on the agenda.

Um, they would be providing us the funding uh for the earnest money deposit as well before January 26th, so that when we make the offer, we'll be sending that to the GSA, and then we think again that closing at the latest.

I mean, I really think it probably will happen sooner if they accept the offer uh would be in that June to July time frame.

And at that point, that's when the Spurs would provide the remaining balance uh due of roughly 27 million dollars plus the closing costs.

Uh talking next about um connectivity and specifically the US Department of Transportation Planning grant.

So the city was awarded just under three million dollars in 2024 through the neighborhood access and equity program.

Um it was really to look at community-based solutions for um how we create connectivity between again that east side property on the Alamo Dome, those parking lots back over to the west side and the park.

You know, it was gonna look at a number of different options, including sidewalks, crosswalks, mid-block crossings, bike paths, could include larger investments that we've talked about before, like a land bridge.

This could have been the precursor to that.

If we get additional federal funding in the future to fund that, that was something we were looking at underpasses or pedestrian bridges.

Early 2025, the grant became a little less um certain.

We were unsure as to whether we were actually gonna get this grant funding.

Um that status was in question for a while in terms of whether we were gonna be able to excuse me, receive that.

So while we had gone through an RFP process, completed the procurement process in early 2025, we held that because we were unsure as to whether we were gonna get this grant funding.

Um we have been uh able to determine that we are going to receive this grant.

We have until the end of this calendar year, December 31st to spend it.

We have the procurement pending, which is a little bit stale.

I mean, it's been about a year since we completed that process.

Um, it has this scope built into it, and it's a I should have mentioned it's a total $3.7 million project because it's three million dollars in grant funding, but also includes a local match from us of 740,000.

So one option is we could continue to move forward with that.

It has a community engagement piece built into it as well, um, in terms of engaging the community on these solutions and what we would be looking at.

So that is one option.

Another option is given the fact that that was completed about a year ago, is we could cancel that, go out quickly, reissue something, get your additional feedback on the scope as long as it complies with the grant.

We just got to make sure we get it done, turned around and spent by December 31st.

So that is an option.

That's one of the things we'd like your feedback on uh today as part of this briefing.

But again, that key takeaway is uh we don't see a lot of flex probably on the deadline to spend the money by December 31st.

The next two items I'll cover were actually presented to the audit committee yesterday in terms of the procurement process.

Appreciate the discussion yesterday at the audit committee, Chairwoman Via Gran, Committee members White, and Mesa Gonzalez, I appreciate the feedback and the input that we got yesterday in the process.

But the two items that we presented, the first one was the district study.

We want to issue an RFP to engage a consultant to look at a couple of things in the district.

One is cost of services for the district, and specifically what we're talking about there primarily is traffic, fire EMS, security, and district maintenance.

So if we think about the what's there today, and then you layer in what we're proposing to build, uh, and if we get and if this all moves forward and we now have an arena there, the wood courthouse turns into a live music venue, you've got the convention center, the Alamo Dome, the district, the park.

What does that look like from a cost of service perspective for us in these areas?

And it ranges.

So we could have uh a day where all this gets built.

You've got a uh uh a small concert going on in the wood courthouse, it's 5,000 attendees, and maybe a few people in the park.

That's one end of the spectrum.

We could be on the other end of the spectrum where you've got something going on at the Wood Courthouse and that live music venue.

We've got a uh MBA game going on in the arena, we've got a big concert going on in the dome, and we've got a large uh convention at the convention center, and there's a lot of people in the park.

So, what does that look like?

So, as we think about that, we want to look at a scalable model, we want to look at the methodology in terms of in that case, if there's multiple events going on, how do we allocate some of those costs back to the venues?

And that'll be part of the the kind of the problem solving we need to do in terms of how we allocate those costs.

Um, so that's an important piece of this uh study.

So we want to bring somebody in to work on that, and they would be working with um you know our departments in those areas, public works, fire, police.

Um, we would engage all of them as we kind of think about what does this look like and how do we support uh the district.

The other thing it will do is it will focus on getting a little more granular in terms of general fund revenues.

And I'm talking about specifically things that aren't pledged to the repayment of bonds.

So we've done a lot of forecasting and modeling of things like our hotel occupancy tax, the project finance zone revenues, which are state hotel associated revenues.

We've done forecasts around those.

Um of this got touched on a little bit in the economic impact analysis, but we want to look at things like, for example, the sales tax within the general fund.

As we get a more definitive development path on mixed use, what does that look like?

Long-term projection, um, and then look at potentially other general fund revenues that that that aren't pledged to the repayment of bonds and get forecasts on those.

The third area is we want to look at uh new revenue opportunities.

And given again this concentration of potential people within the district in the park, what does that open up in terms of new revenue options?

Uh, as we've talked to others, we want to learn from what other districts have done, uh, what they've been able to implement, but also um, you know, some of what we heard informally was things like something as simple as like pop-up marketing.

If you're gonna have that many people in the park, some folks have said, you know, people will come to you and say, hey, I I want to launch this or I want to launch this device, I want to do pop-up marketing.

So there's some opportunity there to maybe create new revenue opportunities, and we want to explore that more.

The timelines there on the bottom.

Um we plan to release that RFP this Friday, um, hopefully be back to council with a recommendation on the consultant by April 16th, and then we think the work will take about six to twelve weeks, and with findings and uh a draft findings and a report probably in the June-July time frame.

I should have said on the front end that you know it says preliminary schedule and all these.

This is our best estimate in terms of of trying to get these things done.

Obviously, we'll be informed as we get responses from consultants, and we talk about the scope of work, so this could get adjusted on that.

Also, we'll acknowledge um the April time frame for coming back on the consultant, probably slightly aggressive, but we want to target that to try to get this done because this is some work that's gonna be important uh as we move forward with the district.

The next item is executive program manager.

This would be an RFQ, a request for qualifications.

Um, this is really to engage a consultant that is gonna help us coordinate and manage activities within the district as it relates to the venue projects, infrastructure, mixed use development, EPMs, executive program managers or EPMs, common to have on large projects.

For example, the last time we expanded the convention center, we had an EPM on board as well just for that singular project.

We've got an EPM in place out at the airport as we're working on the terminal development program.

This one's a little bit different in the sense that it's not going to be a project, it is project.

So they're going to oversee the district and help us sequence, coordinate, collaborate, make sure that everything is moving on schedule and help us identify gaps and solve issues when they come up.

Excuse me, the initial cost we put here is 10 million.

It's kind of the initial phase of it, much like we did with the airport.

You get them on board, we're going to task it, we're going to lay out the work, the scope, and then we will update that and come back with you, uh come back to you with that update and adjust that at that point in time.

It is funded primarily from the projects themselves.

So you see the the uh project budgets, and what we mean is when it gets to the point where we're doing work on the convention center that can become part of that convention center project budget, that's where it gets charged to.

There may be a little bit of work on the front end that is what we'll call non-capitalizable.

We can't include it in the cost of the project that we would then fund out of our hotel occupancy tax redemption and capital fund.

Um the schedule there is similar to the one that you saw on the prior slide.

Uh, we want to release this RFQ this Friday, uh, be back to council in April, April 16th is what we're targeting, and then um they would begin their work in April and remain uh remain on board uh with us through the duration of that first phase of projects.

Um you know, some of the feedback and with a really good discussion at audit committee yesterday.

Uh, some of the feedback was around the accountability, managing risk, making sure that we structure the contracts so that we can hold them accountable, uh, clearly uh completely agree.

Understand that we need to make sure that we have those provisions in these contracts.

A little bit complicated.

We're gonna have to layer this, we'll coordinate with our legal team as we kind of work through these, but think about the EPM as kind of your oversight and kind of at the top, and then be underneath that we'll have contracts for example, potentially construction of the expansion of the convention center, design for the convention center.

We got to make sure all of that syncs and that we have clear lines and that we can hold folks accountable for the work that they need to be doing.

Um, and certainly we will work closely with our legal team as we put those contracts together.

The other thing we talked about a little bit was um the EPM can help us put together um kind of the community-facing dashboard, and I know there's a CCR that's making its way through the process from from councilwoman Castillo and Councilman White.

Um we've got a dashboard related to the airport that they helped us stand up, the EPM out there.

We'll be able to use that here to help us also stand up a kind of a community-facing dashboard.

Um, we can also explore.

I know some of the feedback that I've gotten is will we be able to kind of pull reporting out of there?

That's something we'll explore.

Um, and really what I mean by that is there's a community dashboard, but could we pull key things out of there on a monthly or quarterly basis and say here are the major things that happen at a district?

We'll push that to you all, and then you all can decide whether you want to include those in your newsletters or communications to uh you know your residents within your districts, or we can look at other options there as well.

The last part I want to say on EPM, and the other thing they're gonna be really important, and we really want to work on is the collaboration and coordination amongst the different projects that are happening within the district.

Some of this work is going to be happening at the same time.

We want to make sure that we're collaborating and coordinating and finding ways to save dollars, not creating issues where we're actually competing for the same supplies, materials, labor, um, and actually driving up costs.

And really, what we're talking about is the arena and the convention center.

Both of those are going at the same time.

Is there a way for us to collaborate here, for example, in the mixed-use development?

Could we order?

I'm just uh giving you examples of things we'll look at.

Could we order all the steel for all of that at the same time?

And does it put us in a better position then to one avoid driving up the cost unnecessarily, but two, do we get some economies to scale because we're we're making larger purchases?

It'll be true on labor, it'll be true on other materials.

So we really want to spend time on that effort.

Um, it's actually in the term sheet with the Spurs.

They've agreed to collaborate on that.

I know they're interested in it, we're interested in it.

Certainly don't have it figured out, but that is something that I think can really work well going forward, and we look forward to those discussions.

Uh, acquisition of the ITC property.

We have the exclusive right to purchase this property through a memorandum of understanding with the UT system.

Um this would be the site of the arena if all this moves forward.

The initial estimated purchase price that that this hasn't been updated, this is from before is still 60 million.

We talked about funding it from the midtown tours.

Could explore other options as we uh begin negotiations with UTSA.

We expect to do that in early 2026.

The MOU does outline a process by which you know they get an appraisal, we get an appraisal of the property, and it talks about how we work our way through that, but really we just need to commence negotiations.

We've not had any recent conversations with them about the acquisition of this property, so we need to re-engage on this effort.

Um I put by December 31st on the acquisition of the property.

Hopefully, it happens sooner than that, sooner than that, but giving us some time to work through that uh this calendar year.

Um the next is the Chill Water Plant uh feasibility study.

SAWs is leading the uh effort on this study, uh looking at a number of different options.

Um it includes the well, let me frack up.

So one of the one of the things we need to accomplish here is with a MBA arena with an expanded convention center with mixed use development.

Um there's opportunity for additional chilled water capacity or load on this system.

Today, that system, we're probably 70% of that system, and and what I mean by that is this chill water plant is like a subcompany under SAWS.

The people that use the chill water, the the customers that use the chill water system are the ones that pay for it.

So, right now we're the bulk of that because our convention center and our Alamo Dome are both on that system, they're the bulk of that load.

Um, with the addition of those others, we need to add additional capacity.

We also talked about relocating the plant that is on Market Street right across the front door of our convention center.

Could we relocate that nearby and then expand and free that side up for the convention center uh convention center hotel somewhere down the road?

That is one option they'll look at.

Uh, could we expand and add some capacity at the Cherry Street location?

This is the satellite uh plant that was built near lot B of the Alamo Dome.

And then a third would be could we look at a satellite location within or near the district where we're just adding the additional capacity we need there as well.

I say that because at the end of the day, and we should get um we are gonna get draft um feedback from SAWS this month.

Um this whole effort is really to get to a cost-effective solution to getting that additional chill water capacity.

I know that this was coming up a lot last fall.

Um, in particular the the relocation option and expansion.

We'll see what that looks like.

But again, at the end of the day, if it doesn't make sense, we're not gonna recommend we do it.

Um we want the the system to pay for as much, meaning the the customers that are on it to pay for as much of it as we can.

Um if that option isn't feasible and doesn't work, I mean that's why it's a feasibility study.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

If it comes back and that's just too costly an option at this point, then we wouldn't look at that.

And and um we'd start to explore those other options as we look at those options.

It may lead to other solutions, other options that we can look at.

It could be even more decentralized.

But part of saying that is we're gonna need more time to work through that.

That's why you see on the timeline.

We'll start to get some draft analysis this month.

We're gonna continue to look at that, work with SAWs on options to problem solve for how do we potentially come up with additional capacity in the district cooling system to support an arena of the mixed use development and expanded convention center, and how do we do that in a cost-effective way?

So there's more work to be um obviously done there.

Parking feasibility study.

Um, we'd like to move forward and engage a consultant to do a study looking at both vehicular and pedestrian traffic scenarios.

Um, there's been a little bit of work done on this already, but I think we want to get more specific on parking here.

Um we want to look at both our our the city's uh existing facilities and lots, but also look at some of the existing private parking.

Um I think we want to look at again um how VS plans have evolved and and how we leverage that in terms of of moving people in and out of downtown, not maybe the district, but maybe it's a broader conversation around downtown transportation network companies.

I didn't list um autonomous vehicles.

Does that change anything?

Um part of and it'll tie into the infrastructure conversation that that we had before, and part of what I'll go over in a second.

Some of the infrastructure that was included in the 220 to 250 million dollar estimate we gave you before was part of a parking garage.

So if if in fact we're gonna move forward with a parking garage, if that's part of the solution, then this consultant will help us figure out how much of that garage can that garage pay for, meaning the revenues it generate, how much how much of that garage can be paid for through that through that operation, and then if there is a gap, then that is something that we would talk about in terms of of uh potential bond program or something else.

Um we think it makes sense to look at all of those uh things from a broader perspective.

I mean, ideally, um, I don't know if we can accomplish this, but ideally, I think if we could figure out a way also to, and we'll explore this.

Is there a way to make um parking availability, not just our stuff, not just our lots and our garages, but some of the private garages and private lots.

Can we make that availability or that status available on a platform that everybody can see?

So if someone's going to come downtown, you look at this platform, it doesn't matter if it's our garage or somebody else's, you start to see they're full, there's availability.

What does that look like?

So we're gonna explore that as part of this process as well.

We're gonna develop an RFP, um, get back to audit committee by the February meeting to talk about the pre-solicitation piece of it, like to issue the RFP by mid-February, um, be back to council in mid-May with a recommendation on the consultant.

We think that work will last about eight to twelve weeks and would have some findings by September in terms of draft uh draft findings.

The next item is a negotiation of definitive agreements.

We've talked about the fact that while we have a uh a term sheet in place that lays the framework out, there's a lot of work, a lot of documents, a lot of agreements that need to be negotiated and put together.

We just listed some of them here, um, and obviously the parties would include us, the Spurs, uh, their developer, the county could include others.

Um, but we just gave you a sampling of of them here, um, bond indentures and other financing documents, community benefits agreement, development agreement, design and construction agreements, economic development agreement, and a guarantee agreement.

Those are just a few, there'll be many more.

Um, also wanted to note that you know the the form of these agreements and how we come forward will kind of um evolve through negotiations, whether they're standalone agreements where there's some are combined.

Um we'll look at the pros and cons of that, work with our legal team in terms of how we should move forward.

Uh we put in here that we want to have substantive negotiations complete by December 31st.

Again, an outside date.

We'll be diligent.

We'll be working with our partners here to negotiate these documents.

Um, if we can get them done sooner, um, we'll we'll work on that.

But that's kind of the outside date is to at least be wrapped up by December 31st.

Next item is expansion of the convention center.

Um, a draft feasibility report was presented to the council back in December of 24.

There was some additional work that was done around that.

That feasibility study really looks at at the end of the day, what should the expansion do in terms of additional square footage for exhibit hall space, ballroom space, meeting rooms?

Um it looks at our market, our competitive set in terms of who we typically compete against.

Um we're gonna just work over the next several months uh with the goal to bring this back to you by September.

Um, as the district projects evolve, we want to take those into consideration.

We want to look at market analysis again.

We want to make sure we've got our space requirements right.

Um, we want to look at accessibility to the park.

So if you think about the convention center today, it really is front facing towards um market street.

Uh very little connection back to the backside or to the park.

Um, do we need to reconsider that?

Do we need to look at that?

Um, the convention center from a selling the building perspective, maybe there's some opportunity there because of the other venues that are there, like the Wood Courthouse.

If that venue does get renovated and it's 5,000 seats roughly, um, you know, you could have somebody who's got a large convention saying I'm looking for a general assembly opportunity in a smaller venue that's got a more intimate setting, that building could be perfect.

It's right there.

So it it could be um leveraging the assets that are in the park and the venues that we're moving forward with.

Um so we want to take a look at that as part of the feasibility study.

But again, the goal will be to bring that back to you by September.

Uh district infrastructure.

The last time we talked about this, in terms of looking at the vehicular and pedestrian mobility plan and kind of the first phase, what should we think about doing?

That first estimate was around 220 to 250 million dollars, ballpark at a high level.

It included a number of things, intersection improvements, some ramp changes, some ramp configurations over there on IH 37.

Some of that was to help the buses get in out in and out of the Robert Thompson Center.

It had a portion of a parking garage in there.

Of the Alamo Dome or parking lot A, with a SPUI or a direct connection into the freeway.

Talk to our partners, coordinate our planning efforts with via TechStot, other stakeholders as we bring a plan forward.

We want to make sure one, we understand what the impact of that can be in terms of moving people in cars in and out of the district and out of downtown.

But also we want to make sure it's executable.

So some of what was in that plan also was leverage dollars.

So our match to uh federal funds or state funds.

Um we just want to make sure that the plan we've got is executable, they're ready to move, it fits within their planning and time horizon, and that we can do that uh and move forward.

The other thing we'll look at is summit time some of the timing of the district projects as we've continued to update some of this.

Does that really change how we do some of the infrastructure?

For example, the mixed use development, if it moves forward, what does that look like around the arena?

Which phases go first, GSA property arena.

Does that affect what we might want to do around Cesar Chavez?

So we want to take about that, and then we want to make sure that our infrastructure projects are kind of aligning with what we're doing on the venue side.

The Alamo Dome uh assessment um talked about the fact that we're really focusing over the next 10 years on just making sure we can provide the operating capital the building needs to continue to operate and be successful.

Um we had uh consultant do an assessment.

Our our team, our staff did an assessment of the building.

I mean, they're obviously looking at the building and its needs all the time.

Brought a consultant to look at it as well.

Uh we'll get that draft report um probably later this month or next month.

And um that will help us make sure we're planning for that operational capital that we need to put in place.

We've talked about in the past creative capital as well.

We'll just assess that as we go as funding becomes available.

Are there opportunities to do smaller scale investments in the dome that either have a financial return and or an enhanced attendee experience?

Maybe can we do things around concessions?

Can we use technology differently?

What are some of those things look like?

Um we want to make sure that we're doing things that if we if a major renovation happens in 2035, you don't have like a stranded investment where we've not really recouped that, so we want to be careful about what we're looking at and what we're doing there.

Um again, we plan to present some updated recommendations by uh September of this year.

The next one is displacement impact assessment based on our tours policy.

A displacement impact assessment would be conducted by our neighborhood housing services department.

They've already started some of this work.

Um while there's no direct displacement from the district projects, um, it's really to assess the impact to the surrounding neighborhoods.

They've got a scorecard that they go through and that they work through.

So as we get more information about the development that's going to be occurring in the district, we'll share that with them.

I don't know that it'll change the outcome of the of the of the uh scorecard, but we'll get them the most recent information.

Uh we think that can be completed in the spring time frame.

The next is just the last one here is on financial planning.

Um, you know, so as we continue to do all the work that I just went over, all of that feeds into and runs in parallel with all the financial modeling that we do.

Revenue projections will continue to be updated based on actuals coming in.

We'll continue to update our trend analysis, looking at what we're doing, how things are moving, uh assumptions will change and be updated.

So as we get project assumptions, timing on projects, when things are happening, sequencing, all of those things, we'll build those in.

Um so this will be a bit fluid for a while, um, but they'll be running in parallel as we continue to update those information from some of the other studies will also feed into this financial modeling and planning, and then of course, we're always watching financial market conditions to see if there's anything we need to adjust.

This will be occurring throughout the year, and again, we'll be running in parallel with all of the other efforts that I just mentioned.

Um Mayor, that's my last slide.

I'm gonna turn it over to um Eric, who I think is gonna wrap up this part of the presentation.

Thanks, Ben.

So just um three points I wanted to make in terms of feedback.

Um the convention center aspect that Ben described, um, the district infrastructure, uh the Alamo Dome and the SAW's Chilled Water, all of which uh we are expecting um reports soon, especially on the dome and the chilled water.

But uh part of the feedback maybe for this afternoon from you all um because as we laid out the timeline, we're kind of looking outward um and and whether or not you all uh because there was some conversation last year about those elements and and scheduling um a uh a conversation with you all on those issues, particularly the as we as we see what the alternatives are to do the most cost efficient.

I mean what what Ben said nicely is that um something that costs way too much money um and doesn't make sense on the chilled water, we're not gonna do right.

But but SAWS is gonna have to to um as the owner of the utility is going to have to figure out how to make sure they've got the um the expanded capability to be able to service those that development, and that's just the natural part of it.

But I I think some of those those four things uh for your consideration may require some early conversation.

Uh the district infrastructure is the same way, right?

We had that presentation at the beginning of last summer, there was conversation at the end of last summer.

I think this council weighing in on kind of those concepts.

Um the um I'll use an example the mayor uh said last year about the parking garage.

Does it need to be a garage?

I mean, what what happens to retail commercial is there a housing element?

So before we do way too much work for 2026, you know, having a conversation about that.

But the second point that I wanted to make was that in addition to kind of setting the tempo for regular update with this body, um, I'd like to get some feedback and thoughts on how we engage the community.

Um we have a couple of opportunities.

I mean, this is um today's presentation is one of them, right?

It could be this kind of presentation, and we start that now.

We didn't want to uh we wanted to kind of get some feedback from you all how we do that, but we also have some opportunities through that now that the U.S.

Department of Transportation has clearly told us that we can utilize that planning grant money.

That is another community engagement process.

So we have some tools that we can use, and I'm interested in in hearing from uh from uh the body on what your thoughts on, and then we can develop a plan and bring it back to you all.

Um and then lastly, just um uh just downtown in uh in in broad in a broad sense, you know, as part of the conversation around the district last year, um, and I suspect going forward there are uh a multitude of other of downtown related issues that are becoming that are part of this conversation and and and others that aren't that maybe should we have ongoing priorities.

Um you know this certainly around housing, infrastructure, downtown parks.

Uh we have a riverwalk master plan that we brought to B session last year that is kicking off or that is kicked off.

We have transportation and parking uh issues and priorities.

Um we have via investing in a green and silver line that runs through this area, and um I uh I'm suggesting that we ensure you know in from a good standpoint of the core of of the city is important that those are coordinated in this in the in a in a in an aligned way.

Um the um it it it allows us to take into consideration all elements and all partners.

Bear County has um is um indicated their uh desire to move and do more in terms of housing as it related to the conversations they had with SAISD.

Um we have opportunity home, which is um a major provider of housing as well.

Um and so in a in an aligned way, um, how are we ensuring that all of that is taken to consideration?

And and you know, uh uh councilwoman Corn and I uh were talking about it uh with several other council members.

Downtown is not um Houston commerce and market.

Downtown is the uh the crag, the original crag area of the city.

It is uh councilwoman Castillo asked me about the PFZ uh three mile radius, it's exactly that area.

It is the jail on Frio to North New Bromfels from 35 to Highway 90, that kind of that core area.

Um and beyond that, how are we ensuring alignment with our own plans, um, you all's priorities and other public entities uh investments.

Um the um I'll make a suggestion here that you know if that is if that is something that is of interest of the council to to better uh understand and develop priorities at y'all's level that um that the staff work with um D1, D2, D5, and D3, all of which kind of have a part of that that larger area I described.

Um inventory, what we're doing, uh what we're gonna do, what others are doing or intending on doing, and coming back to the full council and laying out an approach for you all to decide, you know, what is that larger downtown conversation because ultimately uh that may be helpful as it relates to future conversations around the bond program and uh the housing bond.

Um it could uh help inform around infrastructure as it relates to uh priorities.

Um next week we're gonna talk about we're gonna give you the update on the debt management plan and the bond process.

What what is a municipal bond process?

Um, and um let the body weigh in because ultimately ultimately, and several of you have said this before that while the core is important, uh we have a large city that has a lot of need, and uh there's gonna be have to be a balance at some point, and so that's something for your for your consideration also.

Um if that's something you want to do, then we need to we need to organize and and be prepared to come back and have that larger conversation with all of you.

Thanks, Mayor.

Um so um in signing in, um please sign in for item two since we started with that one first.

Um let me say I um know we got these slides uh 7 p.m.

on on Monday, so I know some of my colleagues may have other questions as a result of the actual presentation here and may have not had uh as much time with the material as they would have liked.

Um this is an important conversation as we look um some of this information uh, for example, and looking at the baseball stadium information, we didn't we didn't have the basketball term sheet, right?

So now we have the opportunity to look at these things in the aggregate.

Um I think it's also important that we um uh consider uh potential asks.

Um not only do we have new information, part of that new information is a new economic environment, right?

One of the things we'll get at the end of this month uh is an initial readout on the tabletop, uh which helps us think through some of these major economic uh considerations that are one driving up costs in our community, but also as when we implement the one big beautiful bill, uh, these major cuts that are kind of come down on the most vulnerable and how we're going to um you know think about major investments like this, but also closing the 142 million dollar budget gap that we have in FY27 and ensuring that we are caring for our citizens as best able.

I think we all recognize this is a generational investment, but also a wonderful opportunity, uh not only for the four districts that Eric described, but for the entire city, right?

Downtown can be uh much more of a strategic economic engine uh than it currently is, and now is our opportunity to to shape that there is um as you've heard me describe, um, I think there is a need for um a downtown master development so that we are when we're looking at uh phase one of either of the the basketball arena or the baseball arena, um, that we can have something in mind so that we're not frankly just reviewing what we're being offered, uh, but thinking about some of those offers in the context of the downtown that we want and that we deserve.

So some of the things that Eric just mentioned, I think certainly would need to be incorporated in that um and not just what we know we need today.

We know we need a lot more affordable housing than we currently have, um, but also for the growth that we know is coming to our community, right?

Um we're expected to see a city the size of Austin join us by 2050.

So now is the time to be thinking about not just you know the basketball, uh the sports entertainment district and the baseball stadium and and and what that looks like, but ultimately the growth that we know is is coming.

Okay.

Let me um go to my colleagues here and I'll provide comments at the end.

This is for item two.

Correct.

Okay.

Um councilwoman Corp.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Ben, for this presentation, and excited to be talking about this again.

Um, as I was listening to you go through the slides, I can't help but think there's so many studies that are going to be happening next year and so much work that is to be continued.

So I just wanted to shout out Councilmember White and Council Woman Castillo's um CCR that they put forward that I know is gonna come up about a dashboard to kind of show the metrics, and I know I'm sure you guys will talk about it too in your comments, but we definitely want to be able to track progress and and metrics for this area.

Um, and then to the mayor's point around like an overall, you know, full context for downtown.

Eric alluded to this too.

And downtown is not just the area within 35, like he was saying.

And if we look at the broader crag, if you ask someone from the east side, they'll say Sunset Station is downtown, right?

People say the Pearl is downtown, Lone Star, which is going to be hopefully developed soon with affordable housing is downtown.

So I think it's important for us to think about some of these studies that we're doing in that con in that vein as well, and make sure that the analysis that we're talking about includes all of those areas.

I do think there are a lot of pieces already happening, and so I obviously support Council um Eric's uh proposition to have us come together and figure out how do we put all these things together to make sure they're all in alignment and that we're moving forward together.

But I think my biggest feedback on the presentation today is there are things that we can do now that we don't have to wait for an arena to get built.

And I think the first thing we have to start with is parking.

The amount of times I hear downtown, oh, there's no place to park, but we have so many surface parking lots, it's insane that we don't really even need them.

So I think out of all of the things that are in that uh RFPs for next year, it I think the district study was coming before the parking feasibility, but I actually think we really need to pry out parking feasibility.

You should be able to, we want to build a downtown where not only uh tourists are going to naturally come to because it's where you look up when you come to San Antonio and come to the riverwalk.

But we want to build a downtown where our residents want to come down to as well, and don't feel it a burden and don't only come down when there's a big uh when there's fireworks or a big show or a big event.

And so I think the number one barrier we've got to remove from there is people thinking it's not accessible because of parking.

So I think we have to create an online tech-based system that's an easy app where you can see all available parking to you.

But at least we start with city parking lots because we have a bunch of city parking that people can access.

So if you know you want to come to Hemisphere, I can park literally across the street, and that parking is reasonable.

And knowing that you can pay for that, show your little um and park in the parking lot without getting a ticket ahead of time, I think would make people's access to hemisphere a lot easier.

So I think the number one thing we've got to look at is parking.

And then also on top of that, for my neighborhoods, because it would be remiss if I didn't say it is parking enforcement in the neighborhoods.

We've been doing it more thanks to Maria and the team in the last several months.

We've gotten really good feedback because there's nothing that's more frustrating to someone who's living in and around downtown than someone parked in front of their driveway, not letting them get out.

And so we have to make sure we continue that enforcement as well.

But we don't need to wait three or four years to actually put that parking app to use.

We don't have to wait till a new arena comes down to pre-book parking.

So I would love for us to have an operational app by the end of next year that allows you to pre-book and maybe even gives you monthly specials or reductions or things like that.

Um, and then eventually, we've talked about this prior, but instead of just doing free Tuesdays downtown, if you income qualify, you could expand that program as well.

Um, the second thing I wanted to reiterate is transportation.

So via Green Line is happening, and it is it might be stuck up in some bus top design right now, which we're working through, but uh we are moving forward, and so we need to figure out how to start ensuring that TOD, which Kat and her team put so much effort into over the last several years, moves forward because that is an integral part to ensuring people can easily access downtown.

So I think continuing to support the conversation around TOD is really important.

And also the second part around transportation is micro mobility.

We've talked about this several times.

I've mentioned it, but micro mobility is huge for ensuring that folks can park a little bit further and get to the space that they need to by running more routes.

So I think our transportation advisory board needs to really take that up in the spring to figure out what are the actual routes that we want to implement so that people can see it and access it and move from one place to the other without having to rely on car transportation.

Um, as far as the chill saws chilled water plant, I am glad we are coming up with other alternatives.

I quite frankly do not think it is a good idea for us to to grow that.

And I I look forward to seeing what the study says, but I'm hoping that the satellite solution is what comes about because I just don't think that that is the right energy or time or money where we were we should be spending there and is not gonna get us the bang for the buck that we're looking for.

Um and then as far as infrastructure goes, I also think this conversation needs to grow to thinking about not just district infrastructure.

Because if we just look at district infrastructure, we're forgetting how do people get to the district.

And so there is a, and I know some of some of my friends were telling me, oh, please, no more construction in downtown.

We're over it.

I get it.

We're all a little bit scarred, but we're on a better track, and we still just can't say we're not gonna redo any more of our streets and figure out any more ways to do shared use bike lanes.

I'm excited to see what the Market Street bike lane comes up with, but we have to look at infrastructure more broadly, so not just the district infrastructure.

So I I would like us to rename that just into larger downtown area or crag infrastructure so we know how people are getting in and out to make it all um seem a little bit more smoothly and connected.

Um and then on top of that, also making sure, and this actually goes back to my transportation point is even right now we have to get really good at getting people in and out when we have events.

I had calls again from my uh Lavaca neighbors this weekend that the change there was a change in pattern for how you could get out from this weekend for the Alamo uh the uh the MVP game on Saturday, and it was tough.

So we got to get really good at some of these things so that they don't become even a bigger challenge for us in the future.

So an updated live website that shows how you can where the blockades are, how you can get in and out is really important.

And then the last thing that I wanted to talk about was affordable housing, and this I think is a larger conversation that I'd like to continue.

And Eric mentioned it a little bit, but our housing bond, I think was one of the most incredible pieces of the bond that we had last time, and it's almost completely used.

And on top of the housing bond, we have a lot of other different sources of creating housing just around the district right now.

There are three areas that are look are going to be considered for affordable housing.

The housing trust just passed a um good homes conversion of a hotel to workforce housing just north of the Al Mill.

I was talking with Opportunity Homes, who's doing uh redoing Victoria Commons, the lofts at Victoria Commons, and are building that for an average of 60% AMI, which is workforce housing.

And then there is a plot of land on hemisphere that was previously allocated for affordable housing that has not been yet developed, and there is an opportunity to continue the conversation to do that.

So I think what we have in front of us is an opportunity to map out all of the housing that exists in our downtown area and measure to see where is actually affordability that residents and folks that are working downtown can access.

The housing trust did an analysis of folks' affordability and what levels they could be accessible at, and they found that a lot of the service employees that are working downtown actually would be eligible from 50 to 80 percent AMI levels, depending upon which restaurant and what their tips and wages looked like.

So the service community downtown, if they wanted to stay, would be eligible at those 60% AMI um house units.

And so I think we have to continue to figure out how is it that we double down on that investment and most importantly, through either this dashboard or another way, communicate all of the components of what's work what's working and what's not.

You know, housing is definitely we always have a priority for affordable because it's what we want to most heavily incentivize, but at some point we need to have different levels of uh incentives at all scales of housing.

It's how we got so much downtown, but there is still a lot of space that could be developed.

There's still a lot of more eyes downtown that we could have by just bringing residents down.

So I wanted to make sure I said that.

And I'll just conclude by saying when we do the district analysis, I see that the convention center hotel is still on there.

I'd like for I don't know if it's already going to be included in that, but I think we need to take a look at whether or not that needs to be included in this first phase of work if we need a new convention center hotel.

Um, just because the we already hear from some of our hotelliers that we have enough uh beds and we need to make sure we're filling those beds before building a new one.

So if there is some component of that, I think we should make sure we include that.

Um that's it for now.

Thanks, Mayor.

Councilman Galvan.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you to the team for putting this presentation together uh presenting today.

Uh couple quick things I wanted to just uh ask about on the definitive document slide, I think slide 11.

Um I wanted to ask Eric, I know overall the whole uh presentation has a lot of follow-ups in September, a little things in between there uh for RFQ or RF uh P consultation uh with the council.

Um we get into some of the more detailed pieces here, or would city council have any oversight on these or conversation on these pieces?

Because I have some questions on development agreement, on community benefits agreement by the specific times that we're looking at for the council to discuss those pieces.

Your question is about timing of those when the council would give feedback on any of those pieces.

And you want to talk about that?

Because there's a process, it it the preliminary schedule is when we're anticipating being done.

So some of those issues, for example, um some of those some of those agreements.

We would want the district study in our hand before we get too far before we even start to be honest with you.

So some of these will develop over time.

Um this probably uh lends itself to what I said earlier about those executive sessions and keeping you up to speed on some of the negotiation points and getting feedback from you all.

Um but those could those could happen as soon as what are your thoughts, Ben.

So uh councilman, we we have not begun negotiation of any of these definitive agreements yet.

I mean, we plan to commence that soon.

Um as Eric said, depending on which document or agreement you're talking about, some we're gonna move at a different pace than others.

Some we're gonna need other information like that district study.

But I would anticipate I don't know, mid-spring uh probably in that time frame.

Uh as Eric said, I think that this process, I think some of the updates will be an exec session as we start talking executive session, sorry, as we talk about um kind of where we're at, where things are headed, um, some of the things that that we're negotiating, I think those are part of those updates.

And and we won't have we won't start on any of these agreements until we've done that.

Okay.

And I guess that's the big question I have because what I don't want to have happen is that we come back in September and say, you know, now we can talk about how we want to include small businesses within these agreements, or how now we can talk about how we can include local hiring or whatever it is, right, for each of these components.

Um and there's a too strict of a timeline between September and December to actually approve it, right?

Get the actual preliminary uh or the negotiations completed.

So just trying to identify my own head a little bit about when can we make sure that we're giving all those questions are that feedback out uh the exec, that's great.

Otherwise, I also like to see ways that for community engagement to also be a part of that, right?

If communities looking for specific focuses on ground leasing, I don't know, maybe there's people out there who want to talk about that.

Um that they have the opportunity to do so without it being after negotiations already set.

Um okay, so I'm keeping in my head early spring or spring-ish.

Um depends on each one.

March time frame is kind of what I would target for that.

Got it.

Okay, thank you.

Um, kind of mirror a little uh a lot of what uh Council Record mentioned about the kind of downtown uh overview.

I think you know what I heard from a lot of my residents uh when we had these kind of conversations back in July of last year about what this district could look like.

The questions were not always solely about the stadiums themselves or about how they would all function, but more so how do we get there, how do we make sure that's enjoyable for everybody?

How do we make sure that uh they're working for everybody in some form, whether it's with housing or workforce or small business, etc.

And so I really think we need to have some structures in place, uh, or at least working to create those structures to then uh deliver on these these goals.

So I think we talk about housing.

I think housing trust is the key player in all of this, right?

I think if there's a way that we can make sure that with the next housing bond personally, I think it was a good way to find a way.

Sorry, it's a good thing to look at how to find a way to make sure that uh make sure that the housing trust is able to provide any kind of loans uh in our own kind of way that are locally administered here uh to create affordable housing as well as any other kind of housing, but primarily affordable, um that we have a bit more control on versus kind of waiting to see if the market can produce, waiting to see if the someone gets a light tech uh tax credit, waiting to see if someone gets this incentive.

Rather, I think it's important for us to look at cities and counties that are doing a more direct action here that is a revolving fund as well.

That can be also we get some support back to continue our housing developments not only in downtown but throughout our city, um, similar to the ones in Chicago, I think about the residential investment corporation, Montgomery, Maryland as well, with their kind of work there to guess again, kind of get that that focus there and to keep it there, and we have a structure versus saying we need X amount of housing, how do we get it?

I'd rather have the how worked into this, whether it's through this year or later on, but I prefer sooner than later so that we can really deliver on this and not say this is our goal, but we have no means to actually get to it.

Um that's what I think on on the housing piece on the transportation, parking and such, uh, right there with all of it.

I want to make sure that we're able to have enough parking that we need, but I really I think the parking piece has to come around with via park and ride, any kind of similar efforts that can align with via transportation rapid or otherwise.

Um I what I don't want to have happen is that the infrastructure events investments we're making downtown become just more ways for cars to get through a lot faster, and then it just becomes the same traffic level or more, right?

If it's parking garage on the edges of something of that sort, if it's uh parking rides across the area that we can maybe focus in on, I think that'll be really helpful for Central Plaza for Ellis um alley, um, ways that we can make sure that those are activated more often.

Uh so that way our downtown is more focused on infrastructure that's more complete streets, right?

So where we can get to council course point, how do we get people from the inner surrounding areas and even external areas to downtown without having to use a car as often?

Um I think that's just the only way that we can really get mass transit through the downtown if we're trying to really focus in on TOD and just larger density in the area.

Um I'm curious to see what ways downtown specifically can generate.

It's like I have specific funding for this infrastructure work.

I know, of course, the pit does different things with Centro, the tours have their own kind of focuses, but I just I wonder if there's any way to kind of focus in this effort that way it doesn't eat up too much into the larger infrastructure bond planning for the rest of the city.

I don't have a full detailed thought on that one, but I think that's just what I'm I'm stuck at is there's a way that we can find funding specifically for this work, whether for complete street activation for bus stop active, whatever it is, um, those infrastructure needs.

I want to figure out a way that we can do that in a good balance without it impacting the rest of the city for my district, right?

Who's looking at yes, I want to be able to go downtown, but also my streets are still under severe damage, or we have big bridges that we need to fix to for our drainage.

Just trying to balance that out.

I would be interested to see what other cities have done to create um maybe specific infrastructure funds of some kind for the area.

Um I think overall too.

I really appreciate, of course, the trying to remember the exact name, executive program manager uh for the district uh component.

But I also think I I really would like to see a way that uh I mean when I think about downtown and the kind of different developments going on, even whether I talk with residents, people ask about the river walk, right?

That's OHP.

We talk about Market Square, that's C C DO.

We talk about uh the different funding mechanisms, midtown, hemisphere, et cetera, are all different tours that are all doing different kind of planning while coordinating still are different entities that can always have a bit uh I don't know if they have trouble, but just I would like to see more bit more coordinated.

Um so it's just a lot of different entities here that are overseeing this work.

And while I appreciate the EPM focusing on the district, I'd be interested to see what ways that we can kind of have um rather than well, a larger kind of downtown um department or focus that is just strictly kind of focused on this kind of entire vision and administering that vision with the structures in place for housing, with the structures in place for transportation and parking, with the structure in place for for parks, all those things I think have to come together, or else we're gonna be, I think, stepping on each other's toes when it comes to hemisphere's master plan, air concept uh via as master planning that it just doesn't seem to fully flow the way we need to.

Um that's just uh I think a good way to kind of focus this this effort on inner city slash downtown development, whether it's with um the private development arms, but mostly the public parts.

How can we make sure that we're doing delivering on this?

Especially as we go into, I think building neighborhoods downtown, whether it's with trying to find ways to get grocery stores more downtown, trying to find ways to get pharmacies and healthcare access.

At some point, I think there has to be some kind of lead there, uh, versus hoping that something just comes in.

Um so that I mean, those are just some of the big things for me is that again, I think the structures are really gonna need to be in place.

Um I would like to see if we can do it internally, whether it's with our planning department or other relevant departments.

Um those are just some of the big things I think are are crucial there.

Um same thing for small business inclusion too, and even workforce development.

I think finding ways that uh we create some kind of policies within these development agreements or within ground leases or within any kind of other actions that we oversee to ensure that there's um you know capital funds for brick and mortar spaces, especially for rehaving historic uh buildings, any kind of focus on affordable leasing space and co-leasing space, street pricing conversations, and even you know, making sure that there's not um union busting activities within some of the things that we're funding.

So all those things I think again, I think need some kind of central location of some form to really just coordinate between all these other pieces.

Um I'll pause there.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mayor.

Mayor Mayor Warren.

Go ahead, go ahead.

One one one issue I was just gonna respond to the councilman um on your your first point around housing.

Um you're absolutely right.

I mean, we we are we are we were we did not know what was going to occur with the housing bond when we when we started that when the last council started that.

Um and it has and we've learned a lot from it.

And and I think and you I think you described this, but in in my head, it's also like the last uh pre-solicitation that we had here, where uh the mayor and councilwoman core were talking about how are we how are we judging these things?

And I the mayor's point was, and I think it's a at that time was why are we incentivizing somebody who's three blocks off or I remember what it was off the the via line?

We know what we can achieve with that housing bond.

So we should set different rules or parameters for um if you if you're on the via line, then great.

If you're three blocks off, then good luck.

And and and we know more, and I think we've evolved, and so it's kind of taking that conversation and thinking through um not just for the core area of downtown but broadly what we can do because we know a lot more now, and we were able to efficiently get that that money into production, but I think we can set some parameters and it should be tied to it could be tied to uh TOD corridors, right?

And it could be to via line and the green and silver.

That could be a priority of the cities because we went through that effort to establish TODs so that it would it made it easier for development along those areas so that people will use the mass transit.

And if we don't do it, then are they gonna use the mass transit?

And and so it is uh I um a hundred percent agree that there's a there's an alignment that we should take a position on as a city and the council to to be able to set that framework in your second round.

Follow up, go ahead and just really quick.

I just wanted to also fully agree on that.

One quick note I want to make on it is that what I want to make sure to is that again that structure piece that I keep mentioning is just because what I don't want to see with housing, especially for downtown and inner city and this kind of whole focus here for trying to deliver affordable housing.

I don't want to happen the same thing we're happening here where our housing bond, and again, it was our first one, so we figure out these things as we work, but I I don't want to see is that the housing bond dollars run out and we go, well, nothing can happen, but we still have everything else going on.

I'd rather find a way to keep that fund moving forward throughout this entire uh this entire work over the next 10 plus years, but also for the entire city related to that, um Andy, in case it helps anybody with either this presentation or the next, considering both term sheets are non-binding.

Uh, can you provide an explanation definition for non-binding that would be helpful uh for this discussion?

Thank you.

Yeah, yes, Mayor.

Um the uh term sheets are non-binding.

What that means is that while it sets a framework for further discussions and envisions coming to definitive agreements, it means that if the parties um don't accomplish that in other words, if if if what is envisioned isn't accomplished, there's not gonna be any lawsuits stemming from that.

Um but it does set a framework for continuing negotiations.

There's not that hammer of a potential lawsuit if something doesn't occur that is expected to occur.

Um, and so that's what a term sheet does, assess that framework.

Thank you.

Uh Councilman uh Viegeran.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you for the presentation.

Uh ensuring that we have a vibrant downtown, we tell our story uh has been a focus of mine, whether it's because I'm a daughter of a employee, a city of San Antonio employee, uh, someone who went to high school downtown at Providence, or because of the history with uh a descendant of the Alamo, or my time at Visit San Antonio, this has been important to me.

And so I think when we talk about this, and uh, you know, I'll call it the San Antonio Sports and Entertainment, sports, culture, and entertainment district, or we can call it the San Antonio Sports, Culture and Entertainment District as we move forward.

If we want to if we are looking at that, there are going to be other sports, culture, and entertainment districts within the city of San Antonio, and I believe that there will, as I look at the frost bank center, uh that sits at the east, and I look at the quality facilities we have to the north.

So I'm glad that we have this presentation, and we are we are having um kind of this kind of layout as we come here.

I I want to start with the first slide, district two.

Um again, I think an I'm in agreement with uh Dr.

Core is that we need to look at the current hotel space and how we're filling it before we even begin putting a new hotel here, uh a new hotel in the um in the phase.

Um, in terms of the um reimagining with the uh Alamo Dome, I think it's important that we start that conversation with the public early on, uh, because that term reimagined we tried with the Alamo, and that was very uh that gave some people some heartburn, not me, but my previous counsel, the previous person that sat on this seat.

Uh excited about the land bridge.

Uh I do think in terms of the event venue that is the wood center, we do need a true cost in terms of what that's gonna look uh at sustainability-wise.

Um so this again, I just want to reiterate is the story, and I want to address the specific questions.

This is the layout of the framework of how we're going to move forward.

Um, my top priorities again, I'm going to uh state them once more is the arena, the land bridge, and and the expansion on what you've given to the map.

The other thing that we discussed is the traffic, uh, and I do believe there are things that we can do now.

I I am interested in any online technology service, but you know this, Eric, and I'll tell you again.

I want to be I want to begin with the garages we have downtown, and the fact that they need to tell us when how many empty spaces we have because if I go into that convention center garage across the street from the Hyatt one more time, and we I see it empty when I know it's a night that it can be filled.

You're gonna you're gonna keep hearing from me about that because I was like, we could fill this.

I was like, why aren't we?

Why isn't this filled?

Why don't we advertise that that is so that is um I think we need to look at the dollars we could possibly be losing if we do not upgrade that and we do and we find some sort of solution um as we move forward.

Uh the other thing I want to take into as we talk traffic wise is that we talk about um walkability and we keep that aspect as a priority whenever traffic or garages we talk as we understand that we we are still known for our walkability and the fact that people can get to their hotel and on a good weather day uh walk to the um convention center or even the Alamo Dome.

So I think we need to take that in there uh into consideration.

The other, in terms of I do agree with the input for the time frame and the tempo, and I'm very excited about that.

However, we have got projects in different districts around the city, and I do not want this to become the only show we discuss in B sessions and executive sessions.

Eight, nine, and ten have projects, seven has projects, I have projects deep south.

We need to be able to make this more equitable because I felt like the first part of this this um or the last part of this budget session is it was it was this it was downtown all the time, and I do I do not want to see that as we move forward.

Um, in terms of the land bridge, I know the effort that was put in uh because I sit on the committees about putting that out.

I would like to see if the team could go and discuss what we what we have there, what sort of percentage they're looking at.

I'm assuming it's an increase, and if the team warrants, we just need to send it back out for another one.

But I I do want to have the conversation with the efforts that we put that there.

Um executive programming manager is key.

I I appreciate uh appreciate that timeline.

The feasibility study key, appreciate that timeline.

On slide number eight, I would like to see that.

Um if we can bring that up.

I I'm I'm going to say right now, I need this timeline moved up.

This this is gonna take me too long.

If I have the program manager and um we have the feasibility study, I I believe this can be moved up.

And um I think we need to do that.

Uh slide number nine.

Uh I'm in agreement with councilman core.

Uh, we're we are the biggest consumers right now, so and I don't see a hotel coming, so I think we need to um that that is something that it isn't going to be necessary for a while.

And then on slide number 10.

Um again, I'm gonna restress the parking feasibility and and I think the technology is out there, and we need to we need to look at that.

Um when we talk about this project, and we know downtown bel is a citywide when it comes to bond, and we do this, and I appreciate the efforts to put it on the calendar for B sessions and executive sessions.

I think the one thing I want to make clear and share with my colleagues is that at any point in time, as your role as a council member, is you can speak with your liaison or you can request a meeting with Ben or Eric to discuss the negotiations.

I am fully confident in the last um four years that I've sat on this dais, and in the last 20 odd years I've been paying attention to the meetings, is that this team is fully equipped in going into negotiations.

But we do need to express our priorities as we go into these negate negotiations clearly and concisely, whether that is um what we do with small business and and what we do with housing and what we expect to affordability.

But I think who we express those opinions to, of course, is through our um what we've been doing and and how we prioritize, and uh people will know, you know, I want whatever comes downtown, it needs to take into consideration seniors because that's been my priority for the last year, those living with disabilities, but in terms of specifics, I want us to stress that that is the conversation we have with ourselves what with with each other and with our negotiators, which is Eric and Ben as they go in to that.

So I want to stress that we've got the time.

I don't think we need to wait um to to continue to have those meetings and express what we want to see focused on.

I think there's a way we do that as we interact with the community, but I I don't want it to be all consuming where it is meeting after meeting, B session after B session where we're expressing this.

So I I want to make it clear right now that my priorities are the land bridge, the expansion, and the arena, and then I think from that where we move forward and where we have the term sheets, and I think both term sheets are fine frameworks that we have.

I think anything from this point forward, um any of those, any people watching understand that we as a council have expressed it through our votes over the last four years.

I would say I would even go back to uh um Mayor Costro for the last um 16 years about where we want to move this city, and I think the one thing is we want to move this city together and in consideration of all the people and all the districts, and that we're all fully committed around this table that downtown belongs to the entire city of San Antonio, and we want to help our councilwoman as she deals with the neighborhoods day to day.

Um, because I I have had neighborhoods from you want to be like, Oh, you want to come talk?

And I'm like, talk to your councilwoman first.

So um, I want to thank I want to thank you for the presentation and and look forward to getting more updates.

Councilwoman Aldertegavito.

Thank you.

Thanks, Ben, uh, for the presentation.

Um, I'm gonna start off with the bottom line up front, and that's Eric, that um this looks good, and I want to move forward with with um with this all all this with all of the the slides on here.

I think that this is all important work, it's a lot of work, and uh we need to keep moving forward.

Really quick, some feedback on the slides.

Uh the EPM.

Ben, I like what you said.

I mean, the PMP in me is going crazy because I'm like, this there's gonna be a lot to track, but I do think it's important work to see how we can find cost savings with all of the with everything that's going on.

I did have a question.

Who in the city or what department or what person would the EPM kind of report to Ben's gonna let me answer that question?

So um and and we talked a little bit about this in December as a group.

Um you know we're gonna have to have a designated individual or small group of individuals to oversee this effort.

And um so we'll need to have that person in and we'll have that person and that group established before uh this item gets solidified.

Um so we've we started working on that um at the end of the last year, and um it's still in development.

Okay, but um I I think I think what's also important to stress is that it it also isn't just one person's job.

I mean, there's a governance structure and and I don't mean a governance structure like like the city council.

I'm talking about internally in terms of how you manage projects of this size.

Um you have elements of uh capital housing, downtown, public works, the convention center.

So um it it'll be it'll be part of a of a structure that we will replicate, and it's the same structure we utilize that at the airport.

Um but that person, that group of individuals will be responsible for that day to day.

Right.

And and um, yeah, again, you know, the project manager in me is like, oh my god, there are so many moving parts.

We're I and I'm fully confident that we're gonna find the right uh EPM partner, but I definitely want that coordination with the city because I don't know if it was Councilman Galvan or Councilwoman Corps who mentioned it.

Um there's gonna be a lot going on downtown, but there, but there's also a lot going on, or you know, with Councilwoman Viegran, as she just mentioned too, there's a lot going on in the rest of the city, and so that will take some coordination as well.

And so I just want to make sure that while the focus is a lot of downtown, um, the left hand knows what the right hand is doing um with all of this.

Yeah, um, so I I look forward to hearing more about that because um and that is gonna be that person or team is gonna have to be in lockstep with with us as well from the city side, um, so that we um oh I hate to say this line, but you know, that we have our throat to choke, but you know, the the person in charge.

Um the the parking feasibility study, I I know that we've heard a lot um on this from from Councilman Galvan and Councilwoman Corps.

Um you know, I I kind of cringe that it's called parking feasibility study because I do think that we need to be finding other ways other than parking to get people downtown, you know, through multimodal transportation, obviously um the green line and and via a critical partner, but um when when uh and even councilwoman via grand mentioned walkability, when all of us are walking in downtown city blocks, walking past a block with a parking garage, it's just such a waste of space to me.

You know, I mean, we we could be utilizing and activating those blocks in in ten times more effective ways.

True, we need to have it uh it easy for our residents to access downtown, but I do think that this is also um a good time for us to look at other ways we move people downtown other than being so reliant on cars.

I get it that it's Texas, I get it that we we are reliant on our cars, but um, but we should use this as an opportunity to think differently about moving people in and around downtown, and to me, um, encouraging parking and cars, um we could do better.

I'll just leave it there.

Um Eric, you asked about how to engage in the community.

You know, I think coming to, you know, I I was thinking even attending like one of our coffees with the councilwoman.

I know that a lot of our residents, district seven residents are extremely um they want they're they're excited about this.

They saw the vote, um, they're excited about this and they want to know more.

Obviously, if there's district wide uh uh town halls that we need to have, um, we're always welcome to do that in District 7.

I also wanted to um give kudos to Councilwoman Castillo and Councilwoman White on that dashboard CCR.

I think that that is um that's exciting.

One of the things, and and Councilwoman Corps talked about what we can do now.

Uh we also talked about how construction is so horrible.

One of the nagging problems since I've been on council, and I know Councilman White and Councilwoman Corps have have tried to tackle this is the construction impacts on our small businesses, and it's only gonna get worse.

And so I think that this is also an opportune time on going back to what we can do now on saying how are we gonna prevent these negative impacts to our small businesses as we're as we're moving forward um on this on this project plan.

I I think that what we've done in the past hasn't worked clearly, so now is the time to think differently, and I and I feel that our small businesses would appreciate it.

I don't have a solution right now, but I do think it's worth us talking through learning from the mistakes in the in the in recent past and and seeing uh how we do things differently.

Um and finally, you know, I Andy, I'm I'm glad you mentioned the um the net definition of non-binding.

I think what what's important is that while there is no legal implications, it shows our intent.

And you know, parties came together to make a deal, the Spurs, the county, the city, um, and we took that deal to the voters, and so I think it's incumbent on us to honor that uh to each other, to the parties involved, and and to the residents of San Antonio.

Thank you.

If I could, councilwoman to add on that, yet yes, while there's no as you point out, while there's no legal risk, if we don't follow the term sheet, there's reputational opportunity risk, other risk associated with that as well.

Absolutely, thanks.

Councilwoman Spears.

Mayor, may I make just one comment on on the parking feasibility study on to go back to that?

Um so when we talked about that, it wasn't um our intention isn't really to just focus on the parking as the solution, but part of the solution.

So we want to go back and look at you know, our existing lots, our existing assets, surface lots, private lots, everything that already exists to your point, and can we through a platform technology can we better utilize that?

And do we need to build additional parking?

And if so, how much?

But maybe the answer is we don't need additional parking, maybe it's the other solution.

So that's kind of what we want to step back and take a look at too.

Um that was part of that um initial estimate that we gave you last year on the the infrastructure, it had some parking in there, and so that's part of what we're gonna go retest, relook at.

But all those things you mentioned, we want to look at things councilman uh councilman core mentioned.

We kind of want to look at that broad perspective to see how it fits in, maybe as part of the answer, but is not the answer.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um thank you, Ben.

That was a good presentation.

Um I'm I'm excited to move forward on all of this engagement as well.

And I I want to echo what what you were saying, Eric, about the community engagement.

I do want to engage my community and my constituents as much as possible.

Um I completely agree with Councilwoman Via Gran about making sure we don't hyper focus on this only and make sure we're looking at all the district needs as we enter into the bond.

Um I would ask I visually it would help me if we could integrate flow charts and actual timelines because there's so many pieces here that would help me to see um in a snapshot what we're what we're looking at doing here and and the fluidity of it.

Um I do have a couple of questions about are are any of these studies ready to go, like start tomorrow, or the assessments rather, that's probably quicker, right?

No, I think the ones that I covered today most um are in the procurement stage.

So there's a couple that will get released this Friday.

Uh the parking one, I believe goes to audit in February, so it'll get released mid-February.

So most of those are in the procurement stage, would start the study stage probably um late spring.

So I'm glad I'm glad we're engaging experts because these are so many things.

We clearly can't be the knowledge base for all of these these different components here, but I have concerns about the timing of this.

If you if you look at it, a lot of these are going to end in September or the end of the year, land purchasing in July, the EPM luckily is likely April, and we got budget and we got bond all hitting us at the same time.

And we are not well that'll stretch our capabilities individually and as a body to really hone in and give all of these things the attention they deserve.

So we've got to somehow.

I don't know what the answer is here because that just seems insurmountable to look at all that kind of information and do it well.

So I I'm just looking at the timeline, and it seems um and to that point, if we need to delay anything, what what are we gonna do?

What's our contingency plan, our fluidity, our ability to be flexible as things come up because we're gonna see a lot of crossover, and I hope we capitalize on that.

Um, and I'm assuming the EPM will be the one to make sure we are capitalizing on those crossover um opportunities that we'll have.

But um I am concerned about being able to really look at this, and I think that's my responsibility for my district and and the body as a whole.

So I can't have things arriving to me with a 24-hour window.

My team won't have time to look.

And and I know we're all gonna be concerned about our budget um and the bonds.

So um I would also just like to add, I would like to see us continue to engage Centro and Visit SA as we go along, because they're already in place and can help us out a lot.

Um let's see.

I want to applaud the audit committee too for adding the accountability component for the EPN.

I think incentivizing the EPM is an effective way, definitely carrot, not the stick.

So um I'm glad they're doing that.

Oh, also the chambers, you know, councilwoman um Aldre take a veto.

I think that might be a good way to engage small business too, if we make sure they're there's we're engaging them as well as we go through.

This just starts to sound like a lot of engagement.

I hope everyone feels as overwhelmed as I'm feeling about this, like big picture.

And um, I just really think we haven't we have a duty to execute this well.

I believe we can completely feel like we can.

Um, I just these are things that I'm seeing as we're going through this.

Um see if there is anything else.

How are how are we paying for these studies?

And then also, where is this 740,000 coming from for the grant planning grant match?

So the um grant match uh we accepted the grant, we use our hot redemption and capital fund as a match to that.

Um the district studies coming out of that same fund, the parking feasibility we're recommending taking out of the parking enterprise fund.

Um what am I missing?

The EPM, the uh executive program managers.

I mentioned the bulk of those costs will get charged back to the individual projects, kind of like a capital admin charge.

So as you're if they're working on a convention center work effort, that gets charged there.

If it's if it's infrastructure gets charged there.

Um I missing.

Um I see.

So then Alamadone go back to the Alamadone.

Yeah, there's no general fund no general.

There's no general fund dollars we're using here.

Okay, that's gonna be important to my district.

And the other one was the Alamo Dome assessment.

So we funded that one last year also out of the hot redemption fund.

Okay, good, because that is gonna be their first question.

Um and so then I guess maybe I do want to ask this a little more directly.

What if we start running behind or feel we need more time?

Do can we develop or look at our contingency plan, or do you already have one?

So uh councilwoman, um, I'm gonna go back to slide two, and I'm gonna clarify a couple things in answer to your question.

So we just so slide two.

Here's the the right-hand side was a district as it was presented before with all of those venues and all those work efforts.

Hotels come up a lot a couple of times.

The stuff listed on the left is what we're gonna focus on and work on.

It does not include the hotel.

So even if the Chill Water Plan, if it comes back, the drop study says relocation and expansion is not an option, it's not feasible.

We are not pivoting to go then find another location for the hotel.

The hotel is pushed out for us.

The dome major renovation is pushed out for us.

So that's not part of our work effort.

The rest of that is somewhat fluid, a little bit, but I couldn't tell you today if we get behind, we're gonna drop X or Y.

I think it's just gonna be a discussion we're gonna have to have at that point in time.

Um, you know, our goal is to keep these on track and to keep them moving.

Um, they're a little bit integrated and connected.

So we're just gonna have to like work through that if we get to that point.

Our goal is to stay on track.

Okay, that's fair.

Me too.

I want to stay on track too.

But yeah, no, okay.

That's good.

All right, thank you so much.

Councilman White.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, I just I want to congratulate Eric and and and his team.

I mean, this is sort of is a long time coming, right?

We we we've been at this now for um a year and a half or more.

Um would be remiss if I didn't recognize Lori Houston as well, who played such an integral role in in putting this all together.

Um, Judge Sakai and his folks over over at the county, um, and then of course, um Mayor Nuremberg, who is who was involved in this planning process as well over the last couple years.

It's it's an exciting moment that we're here.

Uh and now that we are here, we have to make sure that this is done right.

And I think at the very outset, we we need to understand and and remember why it is that we're doing this in the first place.

Yes, this I think is going to be a great thing for for the folks that live here in San Antonio that are um able to and desire to travel down to this district.

Um, everything that it offers, um, I mean, these are gonna be great great amenities for for the people of of San Antonio to to enjoy.

Uh but that's not the only reason we're doing this.

Um, and I was happy to hear uh the mayor mention earlier um what an what an economic engine, what an economic driver this could be for our city if it's done properly.

And to me, really, that's the number one reason to take on such a massive project like this.

The revenue that could be created if this district is done well, the revenue that it will create for the city of San Antonio to do all of the things that our citizens expect us to do, right?

On a day-to-day basis, number one, keep them safe, right?

Public safety dollars, and then number two, infrastructure, making sure we have an up-to-date infrastructure all around this city.

We know we need more money for streets and sidewalks.

We know we need more money for the drainage issues that we have in our city.

If this project is done properly, we can generate revenue that will help us do all of these things for our citizens.

And the number one question that I got during those two to three months before that vote in November was Mark, what is in this for me?

I I don't I'm not gonna go downtown a lot to this district.

What is in it for me?

And the answer to that question is the revenue that we create for this city can then be used for those issues that I just mentioned that affect everybody in this city, affect their day-to-day life, and that's why we have to get this right.

The terms of the deal really have been agreed to.

You know, talked about this deal.

We went back and forth.

We had a number of meetings about it here, uh and eventually we arrived at a at a term sheet that was voted on and approved by this council and that the county and and the Spurs, you know, agreed to as well in terms of the new arena.

People are relying on that term sheet.

Uh they were good faith negotiations.

And we then most importantly presented the terms of the deal to the people of San Antonio and said, take a look, review it, and then go and vote in November as to whether or not you want this thing uh to move forward.

And I might have said San Antonio, but I meant to the people of of Bear County.

And uh we posted the terms of the deal on the city's website.

All of us held multiple town hall meetings in our district and walked through uh the terms of the agreement with our citizens.

Uh and then everybody went to the polls and voted and it passed.

And so Andy's done a great job of laying out, you know, what what these term sheets really mean from a legal perspective.

But as we move forward as a city, we do not want to be looked at.

We do not want to have business partners in our community, businesses outside of the city, around the state and the country, look at our city and say, well, you can't really take their word for granted.

You can't get into a deal with them because you never know whether or not they're gonna change their mind or attempt to retrade the deal.

That would be extremely bad business for the city.

And so again, I I'm pleased, I congratulate this council for working through it for approving the term sheet.

I'm happy that we're here today.

Uh, and now it's about uh the attorneys, I think, filling in uh the details and and and the specifics in these contracts so that we get it on paper, everybody signs on the dotted line, and we can move forward.

The EPM that we've talked about, um I want to thank um Chair Um Via Gran yesterday and audit um give it giving me the opportunity, and I think we all uh Councilwoman Mesa Gonzalez as well, we got a chance to talk about what that contract should look like.

And I told the story yesterday, and and I'll mention it briefly again today.

I had an opportunity uh to talk with a a program manager who wants to be involved in this project, and he was telling me about what they do uh and how they get paid, and I stopped him and I said, Well, um I understand that's how that's how you get paid, you know, most of the time, but is it possible uh that we can build in you know carrots and sticks to this agreement this agreement because the most important thing we're looking at here is we got to have this project finish on time and on budget.

And the way I understand it, this executive program manager is going to be responsible for for a lot of that.

Um and I think Ben said during his presentation that one of the roles of the executive program manager was to make sure everything's moving on schedule.

Well, we shouldn't just hand over a bunch of money to this EPM and say go do the job.

I mean, if these things get done on time and on schedule, you know, they should make a certain amount.

And if they don't, if they run behind, and if things are getting out of control on the on the spending front, um, if it is part of their job to make sure that these things um again go on time and finish on budget, they should get penalized or they shouldn't make as much money if this isn't running smoothly.

So again, Ben, I know you and I have have already talked about it, but I would encourage our staff, and and I don't know how to do it from a from a legal perspective, Andy, but but I'm sure there's ways because again, this project manager I spoke to when I brought this up to him, he smiled and says, Yes, you can do it like that.

So it is possible to build these things into a contract with the EPM, um, and I certainly would like to see that.

Um, other than that, uh I'm supportive of the project.

A lot of great work is done, been done by our city staff.

I'm looking forward to seeing this move forward.

I won't reiterate a bunch of the points uh that my colleagues have made, uh, other than to say we do need to uh we do need this dashboard, uh, an accountability dashboard so that the citizens of San Antonio can see who's getting hired, how many jobs are being created, when these projects um are gonna start, who's gonna be doing doing the projects.

We certainly need that.

I don't know that we need a bunch of B sessions.

I agree with councilwoman uh via Grand.

We're having one now.

Maybe we can have one again in the in the early fall to let us know where we are.

I do think it's incumbent upon us as council members to go into our districts, talk to our citizens uh about what's happening, and of course, we can always set up those one-on-one meetings with with Ben and staff to get to get updates as well.

That's um those those are really my thoughts.

Again, I'm excited.

We have to make sure that this project works for every citizen in San Antonio.

It's got to be done in a fiscally responsible manner, and it's got to be done in a way that it gives the most the most opportunity for our citizens to enjoy what's gonna go on downtown.

Thanks, Mayor.

Councilman Mesa Gonzalez.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um thank you for the presentation.

Uh I guess I'll I'll start with let's see on the on the inventory.

I think you brought this up earlier, Eric, for the district projects for slide two.

Um I think just uh what councilman Suk Core said earlier.

Um when we talk about hotels over the break, we saw that the JW, I think it was a JW, right?

Is gonna acquire some land with IBC.

I think IBC Bank is gonna form a partnership with JW.

So just kind of is that part of the inventory that you're talking about of what's already coming downtown versus what we're trying to do.

No, it wasn't, but it but it could be part because there are some things that are happening that we don't have any involvement in.

Right.

So we could compile that as well.

Okay.

And then uh that those bullet points of district projects, that's essentially what that EPM is overseeing, right?

This slide two?

Yes, everyone.

Yes, this is the work that they would oversee.

Okay.

Um the acquisition of the federal property.

Does the city have any liability on the earnest money if the deal falls through?

No, so the Spurs are actually providing that earnest money deposit to us as part of that 30 million dollar contribution.

So we'll get that um mid-next week.

Okay.

And then use that if you all approve that offer tomorrow with that item, then we would get that earnest money uh dollars from the Spurs next week.

We would then use that to make the earnest money deposit to with the offer.

Okay.

And is there a deed restriction that keeps this the federal building historic?

Is there a deed restriction that requires that?

Yes, there are some restrictive covenants on the building.

Um the building uh must remain the facade, uh, the first floor lobby, and then there's some spaces in the building that also are protected.

And there is also a covenant on a piece of art that is outside the building.

Uh it's in the front part of the building, kind of in the plaza, uh, closer to Cesar Chavez.

There's a small art piece there.

There's a covenant on that as well.

Okay.

Thank you.

As uh for slide six on the district study, the cost of services for the proposed district, the projection of related general fund revenues.

Is that through the life of the the project, those projections?

Yeah, so we'd like to do is get something like a 30, 40 year projection on those revenues, much like we did on our hotel occupancy taxes on our uh project finance zone state revenues.

I mean, at some point, those consultants when they're looking at it, it becomes more what do you think a linear growth compound annual growth rate looks like?

Did you get further out?

But the front end is really that important work.

What's the basis for that?

How much is it going to change based on the district?

That's what kind of what we're looking for.

Okay.

And and the new revenue opportunities, do we have kind of an idea of what that looks like, or is that really the job of the consultant?

Is there a lot of people?

I mean, we have a few ideas based on the conversations we've had with the folks, but we really want them to help us identify those, look at what other districts have done, come to us with ideas, um, look at what we're doing, the venues we have, um, help us be creative, thoughtful about what we could do.

And what districts are similar to what we're doing in other cities?

You could look at Deer Park and um Milwaukee, you could look at the the uh Atlanta one.

Um there's a number of districts that are pretty successful in terms of of generating a lot of people attending them, a lot of uh development.

So we just kind of want to look at those and and kind of understand what those opportunities might look like, but we also want them to look at what we're doing, and then does anything come out of that conversation?

Okay.

Um as far as the executive program manager, like for the airport, who do they report to?

Hasus or Jeff or who did uh they report to uh Timble Cronley and Jesus out there?

Okay.

Do we ever see do they ever come in front of council?

Yeah, they're always here.

Okay.

They don't they don't uh necessarily make the presentation, but they're they're here as part of the overall project.

And then I I don't know, I think you asked this, but who who would the EPM report to for this?

Uh it would report to that individual that that I'll appoint for pointing out.

That individual report to me.

Okay.

Uh as far as a chilled water plant, how much revenue is collected or how much revenue does SAS collect?

I'm gonna have to I'm gonna have to go back and look, councilman.

I can't remember off the top of my head.

Uh and I don't want to guess too far off.

Okay.

And is it completely necessary?

What was that?

No worries.

So that was like a SAWS thing.

Um so the I essentially we're trying to increase the amount of revenue, correct?

Is that the purpose of that study?

No, the the study is really well.

First it started with let's try to what does it look like and is it feasible to relocate the plant that's across the street from the convention center and market street, the the original plant that was built in 68?

Can we relocate that one to a location nearby and expand it so that we can get additional cooling capacity for the expanded convention center, for the arena, for some of the mixed use development.

Um I think early indications are that's probably not gonna be feasible in terms of something that we're gonna be able to do.

And remember that site was one we were targeting for the the convention center hotel.

Another reason we've kind of pushed that off.

But as we look at other options and we work with SAWs on that, you know, what does it look like if are we able to expand the plant over on Cherry Street over there on the on lot B?

Is that an option?

Is the infrastructure there to support that?

If not, can we look at a satellite location within or nearby the district?

Does that then allow us?

We're trying to create that a district that additional cooling capacity within the system to serve those buildings.

That's a more efficient way to deliver um cooling of those facilities, like our expanding conventions, or that's what we would want to do there.

The other option is you get even more satellite, they're even could be smaller components.

I mean, there's other ways to do it.

That's what we need to continue to work on.

But the goal is really just uh how do we come up with that additional cooling capacity in a cost-effective way?

Can we do that?

Okay.

And just to just to clarify when when Ben says that we need to do that, the we is the city and saws, because SAWS is responsible for that uh utility and that facility.

Um, and um they have we are their customers along with others in that area.

So as new customers come up, right, that want to tie in.

Um there's a cost to the expansion that that is borne by that expansion.

And so uh whether it is the Cherry Street or satellite capacity, that's something that we're gonna be working on with SAWS to make sure that they can provide okay.

And this is something it's necessary for us SAWs to own this.

Um I think that'd be the pref probably the preferred option.

Um otherwise, we're all building on our own, and then we're maintaining our own.

For example, then collecting our own well, like for the convention center, we'd have to.

I think what you're asking is like on the convention center expansion to cool that part of the building, you know, could we build chillers and do that ourselves for that piece?

Probably could, but then we're maintaining, we're in that business now.

I think SAWS has the team and the expertise to run the district cooling plant.

Um that's what I think it makes.

And we've long talked to them about before we had district conversations.

How do we expand this?

Right because we're like 70% of the load here.

Um, the more customers you have on that system, big customers that can use that efficiently, like uh works for us, the more you spread your fixed costs, usually the better rate you end up with.

And so that's what we're trying to get to as well.

And SAS has in history has also evaluated whether or not it made sense to outsource that operation.

Can you talk about that?

What well the so um other cities um have outsourced those central type of operations?

Um and um SAWS did that last Ben helped me four years ago.

Yeah, about four years ago.

They they so they periodically have looked at whether or not because it's not I mean their their core functions are sewer and water.

Right.

And and and so um there are there are other cities that have outsourced that.

There are companies that will operate it, they'll expand it, they'll go chase down additional con uh yeah, they'll they'll modernize it, they'll maintain it, they'll go chase down the the customers and and so um um and I know that was a process that they went through uh over at SAWS about four years ago last time.

Okay.

And what was that the conclusion was that they needed to that they the board uh decided that uh based on the results that they needed to make that they need one that that they should maintain it, grow it um and still and still run it.

Okay.

I think my last two really, I mean, if when I saw parking feasibility study, I was like, well, I bet I can tell you what it's gonna come back with, right?

That there's um that it's gonna stress the system essentially.

So I think knowing that we and I'm assuming we're all just prepared for what we know is gonna come out of a study like that, right?

So um not necessarily wait for the study to tell us what we I was assume already know.

Um so one thing I noticed here that's missing that I would like to see, and I've talked about this uh with Ben and with Ann uh with Eric is just the community engagement piece to all this, right?

Um I think it's missing in that first bullet in that first slide that talks about uh the focus areas, uh work effort focus.

Um I just want to make sure that the community engagement piece is there all the time um and not uh I would say how we handled the arena.

Let me if I can just finish this.

If how we handled the arena where that community engagement came at the end and folks felt that, and we could never um really come back from that as council members, it was really difficult to justify when it started and how it started, and so um I just think it's important that we start talking about that sooner than later.

I appreciate the dashboards, but if there's ways that we can get out in the community every quarter or something um to just share updates on what's happening.

Um and then also just quickly, if I could get uh a one-pager on that hot redemption fund, that would be helpful for us to circulate as well.

I'll come back for the other round.

Thank you.

Councilwoman Castillo.

Sorry, just on the parking feasibility study again, just uh Mayor, if I can just reiterate on that one.

You know, it's really just trying to take a comprehensive look at what we already have, understanding that the way it probably gets leverage today is stressed, but I don't know that we use it, and I'm not talking about just us, I'm talking about everything that's there in a very effective way or maybe in a very efficient way, right?

So I think some of the conversation has been can we find a way to create a common platform and app.

I want to go downtown.

You can see what's available.

It doesn't matter whether it's ours or somebody else's, but you can see that availability, or it comes up and there's just like nothing available downtown.

Maybe that'll drive in downtown, maybe I figure out a different way to get downtown.

We avoid the the let me drive until I can find somewhere place to park.

Um and then how do we move?

I forgot who mentioned earlier, how do we move people across downtown as well?

Um as we have big events, everybody kind of goes to that area, right?

How do we leverage all the assets we have?

So it's really looking at all of that and thinking about how we do that.

Not really um not really doing this with the intent like, hey, let's go build a bunch of parking garages or facilities.

We'd rather not build then you I'd rather spend our dollars on other stuff if we can and figure out other ways to deal with the transportation solution.

Um we don't have that solution today, but I think that's what we need to continue to work on.

Thank you, Mayor and thank you, Ben, for the presentation.

A couple of different moving pieces.

Uh, I'm supportive of the more frequent briefings on this item, for people to hear that that's what's being proposed.

I believe with such a large-scale investment, we owe it to the public to have these public conversations.

I understand that we can have individual briefings, um, but what I'm hearing from constituents is that they want to ensure that we're being public in terms of what's being discussed, what are the details of this deal.

Uh now I understand with the uh acquisition of the federal property within the MOU, uh, it's proposed to be primarily market rate.

But what I would like for us to explore is how can we potentially increase density to then accommodate and or subsidize uh affordable rents within that mixed use development.

I think there's opportunity to uh continue to have conversations with opportunity home or understand how an overlaying TERS can help subsidize affordable rents within the proposed uh mixed use development.

Uh now, within the presentation, Ben, you mentioned in a scenario in which the deal falls through, um, the city would have to either reimburse the Spurs uh and or pass the property to the Spurs.

Is that correct?

Right, in the event that we were not able to reach agreement and the arena project did not move forward on either side said, okay, we're done, we can't move forward.

We have the option to either reimburse them, their 30 million dollars plus carrying costs, or we can simply say we're we're not gonna reimburse you at that point the contingency deed would transfer title to that property over to the Spurs.

Okay, and well, I'm hopeful with this project, right?

My expectation is that public property remains public uh and that you know the city would uh take the necessary steps to retain ownership of the property if this deal is successful.

Uh in terms of the US uh Department of Transportation Planning Grant, are there any restrictions in which those funds can uh cannot be used, rather.

So my recollection on that grant is it's got to be um addressing kind of the connectivity issues, so that list of things that were on that slide that we talked about that they would study both smaller scale projects plus larger investments, that's really what it's geared towards, but also doing the community engagement around that and and looking at those solutions.

And I ask that because I I would like to understand if there's opportunity to support the city's planning department to help facilitate some of this work to build capacity and or to support a project uh within the planning department.

Uh they do such amazing work in terms of uh just different scenarios in which there's shared paths, uh, mid-block crossings, crosswalks, and I think we underutilize their expertise.

And if there's ways that these grant dollars can help support their work, uh I think there'd be a lot of value in that as well.

Uh, as folks have mentioned, right, there's a lot of consulting costs within uh this presentation, and I think that is why the dashboard's important.

Um, but I think there's also opportunity for us to do some of this in-house if the departments have the appropriate capacity, um, because there's just so much expertise which in within the economic development department, within the planning department, and then of course, um, within innovation as well.

Uh, and I want to see where is there opportunity for us to plug these departments in to do things uh in-house and of course ultimately save the taxpayer um dollars as well.

Um with the transportation planning grant, um, I I think there's opportunity, and I share with Ben uh a couple of experiences.

I like to do trial and error and ways to get to the Alamo Dome, and I've only been successful once, and that's just by walking, right?

Um I I've driven, you get diverted onto 37, you take via, you get diverted uh north onto 37.

Uh drove once, got in a car accident.

So I I think, right, how can we plug in the tab into that conversation, the transportation advisory board?

Uh, because there's uh taxi drivers on that board, uh, folks who work for Uber and Lyft, and then of course some of the petty cab folks that I think have a value of expertise and experience in terms of you know, where is their opportunity for uh park and ride for the petty cabs for drop-off or lift and Uber, so on and so forth.

So I think there's value in plugging uh the tab into this larger transportation conversation, and in terms of the the scope and scale of the district, I'm supportive of Dr.

Sukcore's uh recommendation of viewing downtown in the lens of the Crag.

Uh and I think it's important that we look in that scale because the San Antonio Housing Trust is doing a lot of great work in terms of land banking and redevelopment, which is right next to via central substation, right?

And from Central, you could take multiple buses to the ATT Center to the Alamo Dome.

So I think uh that's also an area that's being underutilized in terms of housing development uh and transportation opportunities.

Uh the question was asked in terms of the hot redemption uh uh expenses that we're we're using towards the consulting fees.

Can you share what is the total budget, the balance of the hot redemption fund?

Yeah, so the hot capital and redemption fund is um essentially something we created in the financial policy in 2012 when we did the last expansion.

Um, and it allows dollars to flow into the hot fund, the 7% hot that we use primarily for operations, a little bit for debt service, the 2% hot, which is only can be used for debt service on an expansion.

All of that flows in along with convention center revenues, um, Alamo Dome revenues, and then it flows into uh there.

Anything that's residual gets captured in this redemption fund.

It's kind of a contingency fund where we cash fund a lot of capital within the convention center of the Alamo Dome, try to avoid issuing debt on these kind of 10 or 50 million dollar projects.

It's also used and had been intended to be used to go defease debt.

So you all had approved um 2024 five, early five, maybe.

Um going in and redeeming and uh cash defeasing some debt.

We have not pulled the trigger on that, so there's about 40 million in there that's reserved for that that we took through prior council action.

Outside of that 40, there's about another 40 or 45 million that's available in that fund.

Okay, that's helpful.

I appreciate that clarification.

And the point was raised earlier in terms of like some of these consultants and the studies and feasibility studies is uh often what I found is some of these consultants just uh re-examine studies that we've already hired consultants to evaluate, right?

Uh, and essentially they give us the same recommendation.

So I just want to ensure, as uh councilwoman uh Mesa mentioned, particularly with the parking feasibility study, what are we going to see different, right?

Um I I understand now we have this proposed large scale development, uh, but I would be disappointed if we spend the proposed amount to get the same results that we've already put in the work and have been told uh are the recommendations.

So that's something that I hope that we can set those expectations.

And I understand the question was already asked in terms of the negotiation of definitive definitive definitive documents, uh, and I think that's the value in having larger public meetings, right?

Of course, within each of our council districts, as the council members see fit, uh, but as a body, because this is where we get into the weeds, right?

We know this project has an opportunity to be an economic driver for not just downtown but the entire city, but it's going to take ensuring that we get things right within these documents.

Um we owe it to the public to go dock by dock on what we're negotiating uh in terms of this project and each of these uh documents that will be negotiated and agreed.

Um, and I think there's opportunity again to negotiate and buy down rents within this larger scope project, um, and of course, taking that larger uh crag perspective of downtown to see what is the inventory, uh, not just what type of affordable housing we have, but also where do we have expiring affordability that we should have in the queue to prepare to continue to buy down those rents to ensure that uh we can keep downtown affordable.

Um, lastly, in terms of the SAWS chill plant, uh, what will the decision making process look like?

I understand if it's uh too excessive, uh, that staff, of course, won't recommend that.

Um, but as we go through scenarios, who will be the decision making body, uh, what be SAWs will be council, will it be done administratively on what expansion and or relocation um proposal gets approved?

You know, at the end of the day, it is a district cooling plant owned by SAWs, so ultimately it'll be their decision in terms of how they move forward.

I suspect they will lean heavily on what we are or what you all are as we make recommendations on what we think the most feasible option is.

I think it I think they will lean heavily on that.

Okay, I appreciate that.

And then uh lastly, right?

I think it's been said a couple of times uh in terms of uh downtown does belong to the entire city, but we need to ensure that we don't continue to leave the far south side of San Antonio uh out of the conversation and opportunity for infrastructure and housing developments.

Uh and there are a handful of plans that council has adopted, whether it's the strategic housing implementation plan, uh the transit oriented development uh priorities, but uh ensuring that while we are trying to move these projects along, uh that we don't continue to leave uh districts and parts of the city behind.

Thank you, Mary.

So, councilman, I should add also on the district cooling thing that um while it's owned by SAWs, we own ZAWS, you all have rate authority, you have debt issuance authority.

Um I suspect we'll be in lockstep sync with whatever plan moves forward because of that.

I mean, that that that'll be part of the planning process and part of the the process as we move forward.

Um, on the parking feasibility study, two things I'll highlight that are different than what we've seen in previous studies.

One is if if we do nothing we've done has like looked at a particular location and said, We think this garage can generate X.

That's important because part of that garage could be paid for from whatever it can generate.

We showed you the one that is in the dome south parking lot A, would have the spooey tied into it, but there was no um pro forma built for that.

That could nobody went as far as to say if that's built, what does that generate?

What does that look like?

Not saying we're gonna build that, but as we go back and look at this thing across the board, if we decide to build one, then part of that consultant's work will be okay.

Then tell me what this thing generates.

Can it pay for itself or most of itself?

The second part is um we really do want to try to figure out from a technology perspective this platform issue of this concept of having an app beyond just our own facilities.

What does that look like?

Is that even possible?

How do you integrate something like that?

So those are the two things that are a little bit different than what we've done in the past.

Uh Councilman McKee Rodriguez.

Thank you, Mayor, and happy new year.

Um thank you for the update and presentation.

Um, I'll start off with the acquisition of federal property tomorrow.

You know, I understand it's necessary as a tool to repay debt for cost of the arena via the ground link, and I'm not a lack ground lease, and I'm not inherently opposed to this.

The Spurs are paying for it, we'll own it and receive the ground lease payment.

So I don't see it as a losing deal unless all hell breaks loose, the deal with the Spurs falls through, and then we decide to own a property that we ultimately can't develop or maintain long term.

Um I am still a little confused as to why us buying the property it becoming non-taxable and then collecting ground lease payments is a better deal than the Spurs, purchasing the property outright, and then us collecting the property taxes.

How is that more advantageous for us?

And why would they agree to that?

Why why is it also advantageous to them?

So the the UV to buy it really comes about because of the disposition process that GSA is using.

They're not using a competitive bid process at this point.

They're gonna they're gonna do a direct negotiation um sale with us uh as a public body.

So we're eligible to do that.

The Spurs could not do that as a private entity.

The why is it beneficial?

Is it's part of the Spurs, it's part of the financing mechanism for the arena.

So the ground lease and us owning the property generates that annual ground lease revenue that flows in to that arena pro forma that then supports the debt that we issue for the project.

Um so that's part of that whole financing mechanism we talked about last year.

Gotcha.

The property itself that was going to get built on the big seas development, that will be taxable either way.

Uh even with the ground lease with us owning the property and ground lease, it's still taxable property.

Gotcha.

Okay.

Um, regarding the land bridge or other connectivity problems.

Were you asking in particular, though, if the Spurs had an opportunity to purchase it themselves, potentially at a different price than what they would pay via an agreement with the city?

Is that what you're asking?

Um that's not exactly what I was asking.

I'm asking why that hadn't been considered, and it sounds like just through the disposal process process, it's prioritized for cities and municipalities and public entities.

Um regarding the US Dot grant, the land bridge or other connectivity project, I would say we need to it sounds like we need to expend all the money by December 31st of this year.

Um we do need to very quickly engage government hill, dignity hill, and Denver Heights is their likely to be most impact in addition to some of those district one neighborhoods.

Um what I'm concerned about is what happens in the event that TechStot decides they don't want the project as we've designed it, and we see something similar to what happened with Broadway.

Um, and how do we get them on board and to hold some sort of stake in whatever happens there fairly early on?

Because I would hate for us to you know find hundreds of millions of dollars to build a land bridge and then we start working on it, and then Text Dot says, Oh no, well, we don't like that you've done this, and so we're going to take back money, and now we have to we have a yeah, I think that's very valid input.

Um, we've connected with TechSot on the grant, obviously they're aware, and we're gonna stay connected to them through the process to make sure that we uh work to a place where they can be open to what we want to do.

And I think we're there at this point, to be honest with you.

There's open dialogue, and and we'll continue that.

If I may add though, councilman, as we saw with the Broadway project, which you brought up, that we have very limited, limited legal recourse against Textile.

Ugh.

I would like to, as quickly as possible, as I said, engage the community on what they would like to see because we've discussed a land bridge, uh, and that could be cute, but the community may prefer something else or have even more creative ideas, and the idea that a rainbow crosswalk could cause us to lose all of the funding associated with a project like this brings me great pause because it won't stop at rainbow crosswalks.

It will absolutely be something else in the future.

And so I worry about this major project that is meant to impact both my district and district one.

Um saying that we've been working on a railroad crossing elimination in my district for I don't even know how many years at this point, and that's gotten us nowhere but design.

So it's gonna take so much more to coordinate with Text Dot and fund and build a whole land bridge, and where do we even get that money from?

And so I'm saying all that to say that again, quickly as possible, engage community, see if this is even the path that we're gonna take.

But connectivity is the primary goal.

Um regarding the executive program manager, I was looking at the slide uh with SOC uh for yesterday's audit and accountability meeting, and it looks like we're hiring them for a non-renewable one-year contract.

Are we not planning to work with this person or entity throughout the entirety of this project?

Because I don't even think we'll get the start of construction in a year, does let alone anything that impact, you know.

So, guys, what we presented to audit committee was a two-year contract with three one-year renewals, so it's a five-year term.

The expectation is that they would be with us through the duration of this first wave of projects.

Um, but we'll reset that once we have them on board.

We kind of go through the task and the scope, and then we'll reset that.

But I mean, the expectation is that they would be there at least through this first wave of projects.

Okay, I'm happy to hear that.

That's not in the slides that I saw for that either of us saw for that for that meeting.

It could have been wrong on the slide.

Uh, regarding acquisition of ITC property.

I want to focus here on, you know, one of the reasons that we restructured the midtown tours was because we have a number of city assets, including the zoo, Witty Museum, Brackenridge Park, and the Botanical Gardens, that are city-owned facilities that have been in disrepair, have deferred maintenance, and those needed to be taken care of, and that they were coming to us uh for bond dollars.

And it was largely done to allow for more district-specific properties to be funded through the bond and remove some of the competition that these four really large projects and uh properties pose.

And so by acquiring this property through the midtown tours, are we again redefining the purpose and scope of that tours?

And do we have any indication that the property acquisition will reduce the capacity needed for future projects for these city-owned properties?

But we're we're gonna have to work through that issue.

There are potentials impacts.

But Ben said in his presentation, um, there may be other things that we can do as we work through the that negotiation issue with UTSA to include um lands land exchanges to be part of that.

Um, and I know that that was uh that's a sensitive issue.

What do you mean, land exchanges?

With UTSA?

But like I don't know.

I'm just saying that there's there's more there may be more things other than money in order to get to that sixty million dollar, but but to begin that negotiation and conversation with them, then we can run down those paths.

And and frankly, that would so that would be something that we would keep you all updated in an executive session briefing because it includes because it it's it's it's regarding land acquisition.

We want to get some feedback from you guys in terms of of how we do that.

I dislike this, largely because what I'm hearing from this body today and what I've heard in other uh scenarios is that everything is a done deal, we've promised all of this, and if we go back on it, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

So we have to do this in this way.

And so I don't even if we do have to restructure the midtown tours or redefine what it what its scope of work is, what we're opening ourselves up to is that these four properties which ask for tens of millions of dollars for their projects, and we find it places, we found it in this tours.

They're now gonna be competing for very limited bond dollars alongside our fire stations, our police substations, libraries, parks, community centers.

And so, where do we draw the line and how how many times are we gonna keep restructuring all of these different systems to accommodate for the sports and entertainment district?

Because it's not just this, right?

But uh, you I appreciate it.

I wonder, is there another funding mechanism?

I appreciate that you'll be looking at means to reduce the cost, but the funding mechanism, I think for me is the biggest concern because those are also properties that are in my district.

Um the Chilled Water Plant Feasibility Study.

I'm glad to see that you've heard feedback on the costs associated with the relocated relocation of the chilled water plant.

I look forward to more information on what's realistic.

I agree with Councilman Corr.

I don't think uh I think relocation would be uh fairly silly with all of the needs that that exist.

Um skip through parking feasibility study.

I do hate when I travel somewhere and have to park and walk miles to get to a venue.

I think we all value convenient parking options.

Um that we do need to prepare for the world that we want, which would be a world that relied more heavily on public transit, bikes, walking, and some of our micro mobility options, while also ignor uh acknowledging and navigating the existing conditions that are driven by a world that has centered and made cars mandatory and absolutely necessary.

Uh I agree with Councilman uh Aldera Covito.

I hate to see a usable space become a parking lot or a garage.

So I would hope that the RFP includes efforts to encourage park and ride services of the district, potential expansion to uh added levels to existing garages, whatever it is, as little additional concrete as possible uh horizontally.

Um it sounds good that you're not necessarily looking for new new lots or garages, but more so I guess how do we better work with the with what exists today?

Um I would say that as a part of this, we should be looking at cities that have revitalized their downtown and how they manage the need for parking while making other forms of transit as easy and intuitive as possible.

I think that's what stops people most of the time is if something doesn't feel natural or feel intuitive and that they will easily be able to get back to their car to get home, they're gonna avoid it at uh whatever cost.

I certainly will.

Um I'd also ask, is it possible for the arena to have parking above or below?

And can we add solar panels on our lots and garages so they have purpose and value beyond concrete and car storage?

I think that's what you'll you'll hear a bunch.

Is parking for the sake of parking is uh not necessarily what we're looking for.

And I'll get to the definitive doc uh documents later, and that'll be much more fun.

Councilman Mungia.

Thank you, Mayor.

I think um one thing I'd certainly like to see on this website that we'll have the dashboard and all that is definitely a one or two-pager timeline.

I think that's extremely important to communicate to folks, and we saw a little bit of that in this presentation on each slideshow, but I think it needs to be comprehensive so that if if residents are you know interested in a very specific portion of this project, they kind of know more or less what timeline they're looking at for approval and all that kind of stuff.

So I think that's important for transparency's sake to let folks know when things are coming up.

Um, and I think for just about every single item or most items, we definitely should have public input opportunities.

And I don't think it has to be an actual you know in-person town hall every single time hosted by the city, but there are some things I think can lend themselves to you know, WebEx's online meetings.

We did that during the pandemic.

You can allow for a QA during those opportunities and have people from across the city access that from their home.

So if people are very interested in the Saul's chiller plant situation, I think we could just do an online meeting, right, and get folks logged in to kind of give their input or ask questions.

Uh I think especially the parking in particular needs a lot of public input.

I was at a uh, and if you remember the Able City meetings concluded with parking being the number one issue across all of our districts.

I was at a Hispanic Chamber governance meeting, and somebody said, Well, you know, I'm not involved in parking, but I work downtown and I have a lot of thoughts about how we can improve parking.

And so I think we have to make sure not only like the tab, for example, which people service this area also, but you know, our average residents are people that may not be in that field but know a lot about downtown and how that works.

Um, I think that's important.

Also important to make sure that our existing private parking lots uh you know don't start to increase cost uh charges based on the demand.

I think I can see that happening also, unfortunately.

Micro mobility, extremely important downtown uh in the parameters you kind of mentioned around the highways downtown.

I think if people can get to Lone Star or get to the near east and west and south sides of downtown, uh being able to park safely there and then take micro mobility all around downtown is extremely important.

And I think I don't know what the I never remember the names of them, but those little cars that Via does and Centro does, that needs to be a primary vehicle of transportation downtown.

I think the fewer cars we have here the better, and that'll increase pedestrian uh mobility also.

I think we also have to always consider again our small business presence.

Um a lot of small businesses had reached out and felt that they were not connected to this process, and I'm talking about you know 10 or less employees, not other small businesses that are quite large that maybe labeled themselves as small, and so I think that's extremely important.

Also, you know, been reached out to by a lot of labor groups, right?

They want to know if they're gonna have uh specific labor carve outs and jobs for these types of developments, which I think is important uh as far as the protections that they have and the things that they'll be doing.

And I haven't heard anything yet about what the final design will be of the stadium or even some of the additions to uh the convention center.

I know we have this picture that's been up for a very long time, and I think that's just an initial rendering, but what's the architecture gonna look like, right?

Uh, there's other cities in Texas and across the US, you go to their downtown space, and it's somewhat soulless of a place.

And I think downtown is very uh special when people come here and visit, they feel something when they're when they're in our downtown.

I think that has to do with the architecture, the nature, um, and the you know, Latino culture that we emphasize here.

I think the convention center is a good example.

We have a huge mural back there, and we kind of added some things uh of a cultural touch, and I think that's extremely important.

How will basically this stadium shouldn't be plotted anywhere else in the United States, right?

If you see this solely in a picture, you should say that's a San Antonio Spurs stadium.

And I think we have to have a lot of public input uh to get that right, also.

And I'm hearing a lot of interest, and I agree, of course, to have multifamily affordable housing in and around the district.

I think the trick is with the footprint for the taxable value, we need to make sure that that is taxable, right?

To pay back the loan and all that.

But also, how do we do carve-outs for affordable housing even if it's a taxable property?

So, again, right, the housing trust, they're non-taxable, but how do we partner with a private development to put some set asides, right?

That could even mean, you know, the housing trust, we've discussed even doing our own voucher system there, which would basically buy down rent for certain AMI levels.

That is a way to maintain a taxable market rate development and include specific carve-outs for affordable housing.

And I think that's certainly worth looking into within the footprint, of course, you know, non-taxable multifamily around the footprint, also is very important.

And you know, something uh a few of us folks have said, I think it's is it it's worth noting, especially for me and where I'm at.

We're approaching now, I would say probably we're closer to two decades of downtown versus the decade of downtown.

Uh, and I don't know if that was the intention at first, but the ball's been rolling, right?

We're 2026 and we're in the middle of it.

And we're talking about more plans for that, and I think downtown is vital to the city, of course, it's very important.

A lot of residents go there.

When I was a kid, I thought it was a different town when we would come from Valley High to downtown, it was so different and great.

But we're getting to a point where you know the downtown corridor, but the space between downtown to 410, right?

Is some of our oldest housing stock across the city, and we haven't really ever developed a plan for that donut, if you will, right, of the city.

We haven't taken a look at the parks, the libraries, you know, we're doing a lot of master planning for downtown, and that's great.

But what about the rest of the inside of 410 that is pretty uh is an older community?

This first year of my term has certainly been dominated by downtown, and that's not what my residents really voted for me to do, right?

Uh, this really didn't come up in block walking, right?

This is something we have to deal with, and we're here, and it's important, but we need to have a focus on other things, right?

So I would say most of the city knows more about one mile of Alamo Street versus the five of Zarzomora in my district in District 5 that has to be reconstructed.

I mean, it is a failing street.

And you have Palo Alto College, you have AM San Antonio, you have Toyota, you have JCB, you have a UHS coming up, you have a lot of multifamily over there, a lot of private development all along Zarzomora.

You have South Park Mall, 35, 410.

Uh it has not garnered any attention, right?

To the mat to the level that Alamo has gotten for sure.

Uh I do agree we need to be on top of this, and you have B sessions and briefings, but you know, since I've been here, we haven't had a briefing on Port San Antonio, which is in districts four and five, and that's very important to the city of San Antonio and to the United States uh government, really, right?

And so we haven't had conversations about these other parts of the city that contributed a lot and maybe not get a lot of attention from the rest of the city.

So I think that's important to keep in mind, and uh I don't know that I would have another in any time soon town hall in district four about the Spurs Entertainment District.

I think at this point they're they're tired of hearing about it in my district, right?

They're like, what about the dogs?

What about ACS?

What about you know, Ray Ellison?

Uh 410 has a lot of issues.

There's literally an access road where cars are running off the road into people's houses in my district in the neighborhood I grew up in, right?

And I don't think we've even approached TechStot to tell them there are people crashing out of your right-of-way into people's houses.

And it's a miracle that no one has died in any of those actions that I'm talking about, but the luck's gonna run out.

And so I think we have to get this together right, have some good standards for development.

And then we need to have uh development by right when it comes to downtown.

We have to we have four-year terms, and we're treating this like we're gonna be out of here every single year.

Looking at every single project.

We have to allow some development standards to exist that we all agree on, of course, that we we believe in.

But we need to have one or two years of just this, these are the parameters, do the development downtown, right?

We have the housing trust, we're gonna approve projects, no doubt about it, but we have to let the development kind of go, right, at some point with what we believe are our values for that, and then start to focus on some of these other parts of town that have, to be honest, been neglected in our city.

I know next year we're gonna have a really good conversation about the bond that uh also worries me about the investment from the bond that we will make in just in the downtown core.

Um, so I've talked to some of my colleagues about that, and we'll have a good discussion about that next uh week.

But I think the rest of the city's watching it and they're asking for for their needs to be met, also.

So we have to work on this, we have to get it done correctly and right, and then we've got to focus on our other districts also.

So thank you very much.

Uh Councilman Gothan.

Thank you, Mary.

Just wanted to wrap up a couple quick points.

Um I think one of the big things on community engagement.

Um I definitely want to see ways that we can continue to kind of come back to our districts in some form.

Um I do hear the conversation though about making sure that we're not harpening too much on this for our residents, or that everything else is pushed aside.

And so I'm trying to balance that too in my own head, just because district six, of course, doesn't connect to downtown at all.

But I think the biggest thing for my residents that I hear is how is this going to impact the rest of our community, right?

For the folks who are engaged in this and who are invested in it, I think have opportunities still to continue to be engaged in the downtown development, it's gonna be very important for them, um, especially for folks who are concerned about ways that our tax dollars are being used in some form or fashion to develop a downtown that works for everybody.

And so I think just the the scale investments important to think about here.

Of course, the impact it'll have on our larger infrastructure work will also be important.

And so I think that's something that's still is important to me to figure out how we can have conversations in our different areas, or at least even if it's downtown, uh open houses in some form for residents to plug into.

I think that's just important to continue to have for people who are interested, just because I think otherwise we are doing a disservice by calling this a generational transformative citywide engine of some kind and yet pulling back from the community conversation on it.

Um that's where I was my my thoughts are on that one.

Uh, I do think it's important to still come back around for that community engagement.

I also think so too with CBA, if there's any kind of conversations we can have there about the community engagement in that piece of whether it's direct oversight in some form of city with ordinary residents or some kind of representation for residents to be a part of it.

Um I don't know what that would look like.

Maybe it's an advisory board of some kind, just something I think is there to again create that um that trust, hopefully, by that by going forward on this project.

Um, we are doing right by our city.

Um again, I mean, I think my district, I do my best to represent my community, and what they said was they were not interested in funding this.

However, if there are elements that are good for it, then let's figure out ways that we can make it work for everybody.

I think that's what my district residents have been asking for.

I'm wanting to see, even if it is a lot of out of the focus from the district, I think that's the key concern there is that okay, well then if it's gonna be the main focus of the city, if it's gonna be the main focus for our tax dollars or a significant portion of our investments, then let's make it work.

Otherwise, we are gonna let it kind of go on in its own form, and then still have to figure out okay, how do we fund this bridge on Pin Road without the funding maybe necessary if infrastructure funding becomes a competition here?

So I just think there's some transparency level that needs to be there as you go forward on this.

Um I don't know if that means also the continued council presentations.

I mean, to me, I think it still kind of fits that of how do we make sure that some of the negotiation points, the design elements are still there that we can talk about, uh, that we can again maybe just kind of create that shared vision on and let it go, um, versus saying, okay, hopefully it just comes back around and we can approve it'll be good.

Um, I'd rather just have a little bit more intentionality with some of not just design, but uh community benefits, not really the community benefits, but within the actual project itself.

Um I think are just crucial to have conversations here at council about uh that way this is a shared goal there.

I just would prefer that versus anything else, I think.

Um I want to echo Council Member Spears' point about remaining flexible as much as possible.

Um, I think as we hit snags, I mean we'll of course get updated as Eric and everyone said, so I think that'll be helpful.

Um, but just being flexible on if there are things that come up, how can we adjust and pivot and make sure that the city is moving on a good pace with this?

Um our investment really does is impactful and meaningful.

Last thing I wanted to to note um was on the studies and all the kind of other pieces there related to the kind of well, I think on the study portion, seeing what we can do in house is always crucial to me.

I think if we can save any kind of costs there as we're looking at continued cost struggles, um finding ways to utilize the experience we have in our city is important.

So I don't think Helena Castillo for raising that point.

I also think just being cognizant of the cost that we're looking at here, whether it's for studies and/or for the tours uh contribution for the acquisition and/or for infrastructure.

We're looking at 60 plus million dollars more and more, a million dollars for studies alone.

And I just want to keep a price tag on that.

It's something my residents were always ask asking for too is that is this really at the end all be all forged 89 million or is there more?

And so just keeping that in context, I think is important for the public to view and understand maybe that's part of the dashboard conversation.

Um but those are just the main points I wanted to lay out there.

Thank you, uh Councilman McKee Rodriguez.

Thank you.

Now the fun, right?

Is what has irritated me the most about this about today's meetings.

Uh I've had uh no interest in coming to the diet today and rehashing the debate of the arena itself.

None of us were not here doing that.

Uh and we're many of us are also not saying that we need to throw out every single one of the terms on the term sheet, and we can all understand how that would be harmful.

Uh but I also don't want to see us as a body being disingenuous and the terms in the term sheet were non-binding, and we all said that at our town halls, implying quite explicitly that they can be amended.

And so if you don't want to change those terms, I would much rather you just say that, but don't try to absolve yourself of the responsibility to get the best deal for our constituents by now acting like they were the ones who approved the contract by saying that oh, we took this to the voters when we didn't.

We did not take that agreement or the term sheet to the voters, and none of the terms in the term sheet were included in the ballot language because then they'd become binding terms.

There is still room for give and take.

I understand that if we're asking for something additional, the expectation is that we'd be having having to give a little bit uh to come to a final agreement that may be better than what we originally uh thought possible when approving the term sheet.

Remind yourselves that 47.86% of voters voted against county funding.

We have a responsibility to bring those voters along and disregarding that fact over and over again is not gonna help us as we move forward over the next several years on this project on this district.

I am, of course, uh most interested in the community benefits agreement and the development agreement, uh, which includes 75 million dollars over 30 years.

I am wondering how we'll handle that.

Will each council decide each year the two million dollars as a part of the budget process, and it will it basically just go back to covering the impending deficit?

Uh, or could we allocate it in advance for a much larger single initiative?

And with that, what what kind of mechanism would that require?

Um the development agreement, we're gonna own the land that the development takes place on.

We're essentially co-signing the projects that happen on the sites that we will own.

And much like Grand Hyatt, we could be at a point at one uh somewhere long, long down the line, whether it's 50, 60, 70, 100 years from now, where we operate a hotel.

And is that you know, we're setting ourselves up for that possibility by allowing whatever development takes place on this city-owned property.

And so I think that I get into a little bit of what I think uh community engagement needs to look like on that, but I would like to convey publicly as it relates to the final negotiations.

The value of naming rights of the Spurs Arena will not come from the fact that the arena exists in isolation.

We see that right now at the Frost Bank Center.

The value comes from the fact that we are building and investing nearly a billion dollars ourselves uh in a larger sports district that makes the name of the facility much more visible.

If no other element of revenue sharing is possible, I think that's where we need to draw the line.

We may be able to find something give and take somewhere else, but I do think there's a large value that's going to come from that alone.

I'd also like to express the need for affordable housing in this footprint, and we need to be creative in how we lay out our expectations uh and in our final agreement with the Spurs.

So, in summary, you're asking for feedback on what community engagement should look like.

My response is that we need to engage the community early on on the land bridge and connectivity grant, deciding if that's even the lane that we want to go into.

Um I expect that we have a meaningful discussion with the community about the community benefits agreement to include hopefully more than the 75 million dollar contribution from the Spurs and maybe to include other opportunities the community may benefit from the development.

I also didn't mention um, you know, how do we say that we expect livable wages and good benefits?

And I I worry how do we prevent a workaround that could end up with most of the jobs created being contract employees making poor wages with no benefits?

How do we address that early on?

Um I also I guess last piece we didn't we do need to not last piece.

We do need to figure out a realistic way to handle the community engagement for the development agreements when we're doing a zoning change to turn a single property into a duplex, we've required community meetings and town halls and neighborhood buy-in and support, so we can't have hotels and housing complexes and retail pop up on city-owned property without engaging the community first on what they expect and then find the we can't do we can't do that first.

I think we do need to find the balance between what's realistic, profitable, and desirable for our residents and tourists alike as well as the Spurs and ourselves, how do we achieve our goals through uh through these developments?

And lastly, this is the last one.

I also don't know that it makes sense to do one bond for the sports entertainment district and then come back in a year with reduced bond capacity to do a bunch of community projects, significantly less than we would do currently, but we didn't talk about the infrastructure bond too much today, and I worry that sometimes y'all don't hear me or trust my political wherewithal until it's too late.

But I don't think voters who supported the county's portion of funding have the understanding that they will also be asked to come back to approve hundreds of millions of more dollars for funding concentrated within the footprint of this district for infrastructure, sacrificing potential funding for their neighborhood streets when they've been waiting for street improvements for 20 plus years.

When we give voters an opportunity to vote for something like a bond, we have to understand that we're giving them the right to say yes or no, and we have to navigate that and really think about all of the effort that went into narrowly passing the county's funding, ask yourself will a bond for this district pass without community input and buy-in.

The community's understanding is that the Spurs are saved, spurs are saved.

So I don't know what message will win or excite voters for this vote, but it's our responsibility that if we need this infrastructure funding passed through a bond, we need to find some way to make that appealing.

Thank you, Mayor.

Councilman Messa Gonzalez.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh, just a quick point on the community benefits agreement on slide 11.

I saw it here, so just want to uh ask the city to really think about how we structure that community benefits agreement so it doesn't, you know, the Spurs already have a foundation that they dole money out of, and so I don't want this just to be like another kind of foundation in a sense that just doles out two million dollars a year over the next 30 years with I think community, I think community members need to be present, but if we also talk to those larger nonprofits that we have in the city, whether it's LIF Fund, NALCAB, who have uh better understanding of the nonprofit needs and the community needs, the levers to pull.

I just I want to make sure that we engage with folks like that that um I I spoke to NALCAB actually about three or four months ago.

Um I had a really good conversation.

I invited um Councilman Mungia.

UmCAP sat on a community benefits agreement uh board, and this was a MasterCard and Discover merger that had major funds coming through there, but it was NALCAP's ability to leverage those dollars, maximize them that was important to me, and so I just want to make sure that like we bring those folks in to help us navigate what a strong community uh benefits agreement would look like.

Um small committee, I just don't think it's gonna move as like it should or could.

I don't know if that I just want to make that point, so I did Councilman Vigadon.

Thank you.

In terms of community input, and and I hear and I understand that y'all want briefings.

Um in terms of where my community is and how this is going to impact my community, it is going to be different from from those that do not touch downtown.

And while I don't directly touch downtown, shallow district three is close enough to downtown that we are going to be impacted in their questions, is going to be different.

So, in terms, Eric and Ben of community engagement, that is where I want to team, and Lori did a great job of this of going into my neighborhood associations and talking with the neighbors within that district to address that.

And again, geographically, district three is the largest, so the concerns that happen in the Highland Park Highland Hills area is going to be different from the concerns that that happen in the Harland Del McCullum, Mission DeLago, uh Monte Viejo area.

So I really hope you understand that my conversation with that is I do not want to tell my residents they have to come to me downtown.

I want us to go to them and have these conversations.

And I want you to understand the communities that the staff to understand the communities they're going in.

So I want to go in with them, which is while I like these sessions a lot.

I mean, I have a neighborhood association on Wednesdays, but I'm here for public comment.

That this is this is not conducive for me being in the district to send the message.

So this is this is where we're going on the back and forth.

And Eric, can you clarify with me because I was a little concerned?

Are we having two bonds this year, or is everything going in one bond for 20?

Because that that's what I don't it when have we had when did we talk about that and if we could get the timeline for when bond one and bond two are coming.

Councilman McKee Rodriguez's comments were um if the city decided to do that, right?

Uh uh but that decision hasn't been made.

That decision ultimately would be made by you all.

Um generally speaking, since um since at least the early 90s or mid-90s, municipal bonds have been uh proposition propositions of drainage and streets and everything at the same time to the voters.

But I think I think what the councilman was saying is is if the city ever considered to do that, that that's what he was describing, right?

Yeah.

Well, I hope that's so there's been no decision to do that.

Because I hope so, because if I knew I could do separate bonds for separate projects, I would have been doing that for the last four years with the projects and on district three.

So let's let's make sure that when we've got that presentation, it's laid out what it would look like if we separated it for for specific projects.

Because in that case, I think you'd have uh at least 10 people here saying, let's do different projects for my for my drainage project.

So please make sure that that is clarified in terms of how we're gonna move forward with that.

Part of next week's presentation is as much about what a municipal bond process is.

There are three council members on this council that have gone through that process.

It is it is designed to inspire and engage the the community along the way of project selection.

Um debate and policy debate uh at the council level.

And the selection in order to inspire.

And and I was one of the three.

I I was one of the three, Eric.

But what I'm telling you is this this is what happens.

Conversations start where where our community is being told there's gonna be a special bond, and we need to come back with and be clear that there is not going to be a special bond.

It is going to be one if it if it is, and if it is going to be a special bond, that would happen after our five-year 2027 bond.

So, councilwoman, uh I don't want I don't want to argue with you on this issue, but the it the city manager and the staff will not recommend to the council that we segregate out bond um processes or projects because it's not a best practice.

Um, and so but I think what the councilman was describing a what if scenario, we would not recommend that, nor will we next week or going forward in the future.

Okay, thank you.

I appreciate that.

Councilman McKee Rodriguez.

Yeah, go ahead.

Thank you.

And I just want to be clear, I'm only sharing information that has been shared publicly.

I'm looking at a June 4th, 2025 TPR story, up to 250 million dollars estimated cost for sports and entertainment district.

Infrastructure upgrades, getting that infrastructure funding is contingent on city voters approving an infrastructure bond, which San Antonio leaders said they hope to call for this November.

So it's something that we've previously decided not to do, but is very much still possible and has been discussed.

And so it's not some crazy out that hypothetical that Jalen made out.

Thank you.

Eric, did you want to say something?

Uh that was not the staff back then.

Yeah.

So what I think you're what what you may be talking about is the question I've continually asked is we've talked in previous presentations, I think May is when you initially laid it out, Eric, um, that the first bond, first infrastructure bond needed for downtown would be between 220 to 250.

And that's what um that's what Ben referenced today.

That would be, as you have described, potentially part of the infrastructure bond, correct?

Right?

Yes, ma'am.

Okay.

So it's not a separate, it's a it's a piece of it, but I think where the rub is is that's the first bond related to infrastructure downtown, and a second one would be forthcoming to be determined in terms of size and and scope.

Yes, ma'am.

Correct?

Okay, okay.

And the only other added piece of this that is it has been laid out here that we we laid out the 220 to 250 last summer.

Um obviously a lot of that needs to be re-looked at and reexamined and refined given what we've what we know now and based on the conversation.

Councilman McKee Rodriguez, you can correct me if I'm wrong.

What I think you are though is is channeling some of the feedback that we have received, which is so some folks would in fact like to vote on um specific projects that are related to infrastructure downtown.

That is that has been communicated several town halls that I have been at.

So I think that's correct me if I'm wrong if that's something else.

I think what I'm getting at is that if we know that this is going to happen, we know that we need to invest in infrastructure.

We know that parking is a concern, the infrastructure is going to be a concern, the public transit options, all of that is going to be a concern.

We do have stake in making sure that this succeeds if and when it does happen, that requires that is going to require voter approval, and we have every obligation to make that as appealing so that it does pass.

And I'm concerned that we have not done that and that we're not going to do that.

Okay.

Um, has everybody spoken on this topic that would like to speak on this?

Okay.

Um Eric, can you confirm that the timeline that was or Ben, uh, whoever, uh, the timeline that was shared in August regarding um the way forward, it it looks like construction wouldn't begin until uh calendar year 2029.

Is that still the the for the arena?

Is that still the correct timeline?

Mayor, I don't I don't recall the specific construction timing.

The the arena would be complete in 20 the summer of 2032, based on the timeline we were working off of last summer, but I don't remember the detailed design to construction piece.

I thought construction was like 36, 48.

So probably 28, 29 would be somewhere on that time frame.

The chart that was presented in August was calendar 26 included four items, negotiating project agreements, league uh league approvals, stakeholder engagement, calendar, and community learnings.

Calendar year 27 was pre-work programming, design continues.

Calendar year 28, design continues.

Calendar 29, design complete, construction begins.

And I say all that because um as we are trying to navigate a very difficult um economic environment.

Uh the the timing that you have laid out is is important, I think, for us to kind of wrap our heads around.

What I want to make sure though is that we are affording ourselves as much time as possible uh so we can make good decisions as the environment is changing.

So there is kind of what's been laid out in the presentation, um, but what and you'll have to confirm each of these things, what actually is required uh so that we can take into account changes in the economic environment, whether that affect our bond capacity um or some of the other things we may we may ask for.

So if you would though, then please um in writing uh reconfirm that the timeline to uh to the council.

Again, this is us just being you know as fiscally responsible as we as we can be, um, not only as rates are changing, but um as the economic environment is changing.

Reiterate, as you've heard here, uh a consolidated timeline, not only this project, but as well as the uh the the baseball uh the baseball project.

So we're all very clear in terms of when action is going to be required and how we can uh uh incorporate sufficient public engagement.

I've got a couple of questions on the um on the financing piece.

Um frankly, it it touches on some of the comments that have been made here and really gets to this point of balancing our infrastructure needs across the city with the infrastructure that we know we need for a revitalized downtown.

Um so certainly again the call for a master plan for what would be downtown, right?

Tens of thousands of housing units, not just uh a couple of thousand.

And so, how um do you anticipate helping us understand uh the best distribution of the PFZ dollars so the project finance zone, the state money that we're getting as we went through those efforts last year to develop um financial plans to potentially fund a convention center expansion and a arena as well as some of the dome uh operational capital requirements.

We built those financial plans and have allocated those dollars as part of that.

So part of that is the structure.

The arena deal is a revenue bond structure, so we are using that P of Z dollars to help pay for debt service, but also be coverage as it meets coverage, it then flows over into a financing plan for the convention center in the dome that we then utilize in a um a different debt structure that doesn't require coverage necessarily that allows us to do that.

So we're really using the dollars to uh build plans that allow us to fund those projects in the near term.

Yeah, and and I understand that we're um there has been there is a uh a proposed way ahead in how we would distribute those dollars.

Um but an economic analysis that helps us understand that that is in fact the best ROI for those dollars is is I think what is still absent from the conversation.

So as has been described here, there's lots of infrastructure needs.

We know the PFC can cover those infrastructure needs.

Um so to the extent we can take those if off the books, if you will, right, for uh for uh for residents because we can cover them out of the PFC, I think would be you know very very helpful.

So um we need some analysis that helps us understand that you know the ROI the the uh proposed uh contribution toward the convention center expansion, for example, that that the ROI is there versus, for example, covering some of the infrastructure related to either that first or that second bond.

Does that make sense?

So a couple of things, and we'll get you something that that more definitively describes the the PFZ statute and the use of those dollars for infrastructure.

It's got to be tied to one of our venues.

There's a little bit of latitude probably there, but not a lot.

So a lot of what we talked about that would go into our bond program wouldn't probably qualify for that.

But we'll go pull that and we'll get you some additional information on that.

The other part in terms of trying to tie the PFZ and to allocate it differently based on an economic ROI, the economic ROIs, other things, it's economic output, it's jobs, it's things that don't come to us in terms of dollars.

The the way we're using the PFZ is to solve for how do we pay for these buildings and how do we pay for this debt?

Those two may not align.

And yeah, but let me just let me stop you because the only reason we would pay for those things is because we understand there's an ROI, right?

We wouldn't pay for something that we didn't see some benefit from.

And so, however, that whatever the the model that you're using helps us understand what that is, that's what I'm looking for.

Um, not just a distributed right, you wouldn't just divvy it up based on not understanding that that is in fact the best use of that money.

So whatever in you can answer it later if you need some time to think about that.

So I I think the the I guess like from my standpoint the the PFZ was set on a complex.

We went back to the state said we want to to have the flexibility to spend dollars in this complex.

All three projects at different levels contribute an economic ROI.

So the goal was to get all three of them done over some duration of time.

Yeah.

The dome became more challenging just because of the other two and because of the size of the dome uh renovation.

So that one pushed out.

But the goal has been always to try to get all three of them done, the first two being the arena and the convention center.

Yes, the ROI that you're describing though hasn't been shown to this body.

So it'd be it'd be helpful to lay out the anticipated ROI that you are expecting based on the distribution from the PFCO.

So, Mayor, we'll uh we'll put something together.

Thanks.

I know just part of the challenge with the PFC as well is our wanting to utilize that uh um uh uh 2.5 billion over 30 years, and that some of that is not easily available, right?

Um I'd welcome also understanding uh you know, to the extent that we have to um pay for things maybe initially that would be covered by the PF that could be covered by the PFC, but is not just because that money is not there yet.

I'd welcome understanding if there's any way in which we could potentially be reimbursed uh um on that in that when the money does come become available uh if we could we could utilize that later on.

Okay on slide eight.

Um and it I forg I'm apologies, I forget which council uh colleague mentioned it.

Um but can you um we have had the discussion about the you know not only uh recognizing where we can um save money in terms of cost savings, uh, but I've also recognized the need to relook strategically the money that we forego, and one of those is the TERS.

Um so I'd welcome understanding if you to the extent you can now, what are the options other options you're exploring as part of the uh ITC acquisition?

So at this point, we don't have specific other options we will explore options.

Eric mentioned one of them that that had come up informally before, and that was whether there was any opportunity to swap land or assets that could be part of that conversation.

Um I think we will engage UTSA early um, you know, within the next month or two, and really begin those conversations and explore with them what are the some of the other things maybe they're looking for, where can we help, and is there opportunity to change how we approach this.

Okay, thank you.

The the chilled water, uh, the chilled water plant.

Um, what uh percentage of the needed capacity downtown would would come from this, uh would come from this facility.

The the expanded portion?

Correct.

The expanded portion is being sized to uh cover the arena, the expanded convention center, um, I believe most of the mixed use development.

Um those are the primary drivers of that, plus some additional capacity, assuming that because um there could be additional mixed use development kind of in a subsequent phase around the Alamo Dome.

So it's building in some additional future capacity for additional customers to come online at a later date.

If our master plan though that we had for downtown, for example, accounted for potentially you know, 25,000, 30,000 housing units downtown, would it be reliant on this chilled water uh facility?

No, not necessarily.

And so the chill water plan or the district cooling plan as it lays out today, is really on that eastern edge of downtown.

So it it reaches um its loop goes down South Alamo and then goes back towards the dome.

Um and there's kind of a loop in there.

There's a finger that comes off of uh commerce, but it doesn't reach beyond that.

One of the challenges with the district cooling is if we were to do it on this side of downtown, more to the west, you'd probably build a separate plant because you'd need separate lines, separate infrastructure, which becomes the challenge.

They're very large, it's a large amount of infrastructure.

So this one is really dedicated to that area that's really just slightly bigger than the district.

Okay.

So housing that's there we could potentially connect to, but if it's beyond that, it becomes a little more challenging because you're having to extend infrastructure to get there.

Okay.

Um and that's helpful because I think that that frankly only reiterates the need for something like a master plan when we're thinking about all of the utility needs that would be needed to support not just this, but the other things that we're accounting for.

I cannot um support enough the calls for uh no new parking downtown.

I mean, 26% of our downtown is street level parking.

It's one of the highest in the country, um, and not necessarily um kind of the best the highest and best use of uh potential property taxes.

So uh support the other comments that have been made um about being much more innovative about walkability, public transit, etc.

Um Eric, just to confirm you said the uh the first or the bond amounts related to downtown infrastructure that would be part of next week's bond uh debt management plan or uh no ma'am.

We're gonna we're gonna talk about overall the debt manager plan.

We're gonna give you an update based on you and the council an update based on those change and assumptions we talked about in in August.

Um we we will not have an updated downtown number or anything else, but we're gonna talk broadly about what our capacity could be based on changing some of our financial assumptions.

Okay.

Um so the going back to the first number then 220 to 250, that still being potentially what the first bond number is.

It is likely that number will go down, Mary.

But we that's we need to work with Techstone and we need to relook as Ben said in the presentation.

The um parking garage, the parking garage that was included in the 220 assumed no revenue.

It was it was just a it was an initial estimate, but it assumed no revenue would be utilized to offset the cost for construction.

Most times, if not every time, the city has built a parking garage, we build it based off the revenue generated.

We don't build it out of a general obligation bond.

Okay.

Um, what would be the timeline then based on uh when we could understand what the the second the second bond infrastructure bond would need to be for the uh for downtown development?

The second infrastructure bond of the case.

Yeah, there's always been a in the May presentation there was the first bond of 227.

I think as we update the first phase by September, as part of that, we can then look at and give you an update on what we think that subsequent phase looks like.

We can roll that in there as well.

September.

Okay, thank you.

Got it.

Um the executive program manager um understanding that their work may commence um in in April.

If the term sheet project agreements aren't to be final until the end of the year, what is that person going to be working on?

So they're already going to be working on looking at all of our plans around the expansion of the convention center, the infrastructure projects, the sequencing of those projects, um, looking at the utilities, looking at all of those elements that we need to do to move all of this work forward.

They're gonna they're gonna develop very detailed um plans around those projects so that we can look at and identify any gaps and make sure we create appropriate schedules for those projects.

And that's absent, you know, the arenas there to be plugged in, but there's all that other work that that still needs to happen as well.

Okay, I appreciate the uh that piece of it as well.

And let me also just reiterate the uh um my call my colleagues' comments about the the CBA um and the opportunity to certainly improve that.

Okay.

Can you talk a little bit about some of the historic preservation efforts?

Um, if that's something you need to come back to us with, that's that's fine.

But if you can speak generally to um where that is in in relation to this work the historic preservation on the office building that we're acquiring?

Is that anywhere in this anywhere in the area?

Um I can talk about the office building.

I don't know if I can talk about the broader.

I think you're you're asking broader than just the federal building, right?

Oh, correct.

Right, right, right.

Yeah.

Yep, yeah.

Sure.

Good afternoon.

Shannon Miller, director of the Office of Historic Preservation.

Um, so generally the whole district falls within the hemisphere historic district, which is obviously has local protection, it's public property, it also has national register protection.

So there's a lot of different levels of review that'll all have to take place throughout for buildings that are existing, designated historic currently, and or just because they're public property.

So by virtue of both, will there'll be um design review requirements throughout the process.

Uh those are all of my questions on this topic.

Let's take a um a 10 minute recess before we go to the second topic.

Thanks.

Okay, the time is 4 24 p.m.

Um, and we have reconvened.

Um, Eric, over to you for the next topic.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, Ben will go through the next part of the presentation.

Um, this project um was uh uh is a little bit further along, um, but there are still a lot of work efforts that need to be done this year to include the definitive agreements uh uh with uh baseball and uh Western urban the developer.

Then counsel, in the interest of time, I'll try to be expeditious here and try to get through this uh fairly quickly.

So uh beginning of the presentation is a little bit of background on what was approved in um in September of 2024.

So a little bit on the summary of the project again.

Um this is a new downtown ballpark that would have about 4500 fixed seats total capacity for about 7500 attendees.

The estimated cost at that point in time was 160 million dollars inclusive of land, and it's gonna get paid for from team equity, team revenue, tax assessment revenues from new taxable development that I'll talk about in a second.

Um it would include new private development, hospitality, and multifamily that would be constructed in four phases, and that projected taxable value would have would be about one billion dollars.

Um the timeline we have been working on is to have the ballpark open in time for the season beginning in 2028, which would be around uh early 2028, the ballpark would open April of 2028.

Here's the proposed uh development that I mentioned, mixed use development.

There are four phases listed there.

Phases one and two are guaranteed at 575 million dollars uh combined.

Um the remaining phases three and four are not guaranteed, but as part of their development plan around the ballpark.

You can see the ballpark uh site there highlighted in um I guess orange uh at the intersection of North Flare Flores and Kingsbury, and then the four phases of mixed use development are color-coded there.

Um, and you can see those uh outlined there uh on the graphic.

Um, one of the things I'll mentioned in in the term sheet is that phases one and two are guaranteed, but phase one, not in addition to being guaranteed, it must be ready to proceed before we would do a bond financing, meaning it's got to be designed, it's gotta be financed, it's got to be ready to move forward at the same time as we would issue bonds, otherwise we don't move forward.

Phase two design has to have commenced.

That's another condition of us moving forward with the bond issuance.

That has to have begun before we would move forward with a bond financing.

Okay.

Just again on the summary here.

Um we created a new special purpose entity, the San Pedro Develop uh San Pedro Creek Development Authority, which would own the ballpark.

It's a local government corporation.

Um, and uh that has been created.

The ballpark is located inside of the Houston Street tax increment reinvestment zone at TURS.

Uh again, these estimates are based on what we looked at two years ago, but funding of approximately 160 million dollars for the ballpark.

Sorry, Ben, who's here from legal?

You are okay, thank you.

Uh funding of approximately 160 million dollars in total.

That was a preliminary estimate at that point.

Um that would be funded from a team equity contribution of 34 million dollars, bonds to be issued by the authority or through the authority.

Um, what we would look at that as we get closer to the issuance of bonds.

It has a pledge of revenues from the use and street TERS.

Uh that bond issuance would generate 126 million dollars for the project combined is that that's the 160 million dollar total.

Once we get to guaranteed maximum price on design, team is responsible for any construction uh overruns over that guaranteed maximum price for GMP.

This is just kind of a graphic looking at the ballpark funding again and how we get to the 126 million dollars.

Uh again, these are numbers are preliminary.

But the team payments, there's a million dollars of annual rent for the bull ballpark over the ballpark term over the turn over the lease term.

Apologize.

Um there's a two-dollar ticket fee that also goes into repayment of debt.

There's a guaranteed new development phases one and two that would uh generate incremental property tax revenue in the Houston Street tours that would also be guaranteed, as well as uh assessments that would come through a municipal management district that's been created.

Um that boundaries of that municipal management district or MMD are essentially those four phases of development that I showed you.

So it just circles the developments that are part of this project.

There is a smaller portion that comes out of our existing um city and county Houston Street tours capacity.

All of those combined sources generate that uh bond proceeds of 126 million.

When we ran this two years ago, essentially the split between the first two boxes on top, which is all new revenue, about 86, 85, 86 percent of the debt service coming from that, about 14 percent coming from us in the county out of existing use and street tours capacity.

I mentioned the guarantees, so there'll be guarantees on um phases one and two.

Um, in addition to the guarantees, we have security behind the guarantee.

So the two team, uh the missions baseball team will provide a two-year line of credit that's got a value based on the upcoming two-year period, the value of the risk that will be defined in the agreements.

There's a subset of team owners that are gonna provide an additional line of credit as security to that guarantee, and then that level of security or guarantee decreases and adjusts as that development happens, and as that taxable value is realized, those requirements to maintain guarantees or in this case liquidity or security for the guarantee decreases over time.

Uh the local government corporation that was created again, um, it's gonna own the ballpark.

It has no resources or assets on its own.

Everything it's gonna get is gonna come through the agreements that are negotiated and put in place.

So it's largely uh procedural administrative.

It'll be controlled again through these definitive agreements that we will negotiate.

It's big responsibilities are it will own the it will own the ballpark.

The team is gonna be required to submit an annual maintenance budget to the to the board to talk about how to maintain and upkeep the uh the the ballpark facility, they will be required to do that.

Um it will consent or approve a bond financing.

If it issues the bond, it's bond if we issue the bonds from the LGC, it'll be approved by the LGC.

If we use another entity uh to do it, it'll just consent to that bond issue happening.

But that's one of its um, it'll also have to approve the documents or many of the agreements because it'll be a party to the agreement.

The staffing for the LGC, like we do many of them, it'll be uh our staff actually staffing the LGC and and doing some of the compliance and other work that'll happen on an annual basis.

Um this is also included in the term sheet.

There was a relocation plan that was developed.

While the ballpark itself does not impact um any housing or any or any um residential units, the development does.

So Western Urban owns these properties.

Um there's three phases here that align with the four phases of taxable taxable.

I'm sorry, four phases of mixed-use development.

I showed you on a previous slide.

This lines up with that.

Phase one you see highlighted, there are buildings one through ten.

It's at 500 North St.

Mary's.

Some of the other provisions in the term sheet include that the team will contribute to the ballpark maintenance and capital improvement fund, 250,000 annually.

And one of the definitive agreements will include that.

Local participation and Sabata plan.

So they've agreed to uh primary vendors, if not located in Bear County for design and engineering, will be encouraged to joint venture with a local partner.

They're gonna do community outreach for local small and veteran subcontractors.

They've agreed to put their construction packages through our Sabata process so that we can assign goals as we typically would on one of our procurements.

They'll have that as goals uh going forward.

Some of the other uh benefits, public uh amenities and green space will be made available to the public.

Um they committed to developing a youth program to include a number of free tickets per year to disadvantaged youth and youth groups.

Stakeholder days, so uh the both the city and county will have access to the facility for five days per year as long as it doesn't conflict with another event.

Stakeholder advertising, um, we'd be able to do public service announcements, us and the county using some of their uh signage and some of their digital signage, we'd be able to push out public service announcements there.

They also have created the 1888 baseball foundation, which is going to contribute at least 200,000 annually to support local initiatives regarding children and homeless veterans.

Um they at um they've committed to working with SAISD on a program to include to potentially include internships, access to facility, and stakeholder days, much like the city and county have.

Uh they committed to a wage commitment to be equal to the minute the city's minimum entry weight, so as it changes, theirs would change.

Um, and then veterans they're gonna make an effort to hire veterans for game day operations.

So, just an update in terms of some of the stuff that has happened since the term sheet was approved in September of 24.

One of the things we needed to do was um align some of the boundaries in the Houston Street Tours and the West Side Tours.

That was done in December of 2024.

The term was extended to 2060 for both, and the participation rate for the um West Side Tours was increased from 90 percent to 100 percent.

The San Pedro Creek Development Authority was created in April of 2025.

Uh we consented the city consented to the creation of the municipal management district.

It's actually done by TCEQ, but we consented back in April of 2025.

Um the relocation plan.

Um, it was put in place.

There are 381 units in those um three phases that I showed on the prior slide.

Um they could get up to residents that were relocating, could get up to 2500 for eligible families.

Um, all the phase one tenants, as I mentioned, have been relocated.

That was 189 units.

Weston Urban distributed 152,000 dollars of um the funding that they set aside for relocation.

Out of the city's funding that were set aside, we've only distributed about 74,000, and there were 43 of the tenants that chose to um uh relocate to one or the other soap factory properties that um uh are in phases two or three a total of two hundred and seventy four thousand remains for relocation assistance for those phase two and three tenants.

Um, kind of going back to the work plan for uh this project for 2026.

One of the things that we'll need to do is a baseball feasibility study.

So this is a revenue bond issue.

Um sometimes in revenue bond issues, we need to do feasibility studies like we're doing at the airport.

We're doing one there as well.

Um the missions with input from us will engage a consultant that will conduct a bond feasibility study.

This document gets attached to our offering document.

So once that bond issue is ready to go to market and we have our um offering document together.

This study becomes part of that.

This one is I'd say a little more straightforward from the standpoint that it's really looking at the use and stretters.

They're going to look at the history of the use and returs, how taxable values have grown, what that value growth looks like.

They're going to hone in on the phase one taxable value projection because it's guaranteed.

Phase two will be under design, but phase one will be breaking ground, so that'll be an important element for them to include.

They look at all that, they derive a 35 to 40 year revenue projection.

That's again going to be a component of the bond offering document.

The teams are going to contract this consultant with our input.

They're going to pay for it, and then if a bond issue and this project moves forward, they can reimburse themselves from bond proceeds.

Becomes like a cost of issuance because it's something that we need as part of the bond issuance.

Make sure it's consistent.

Again, as I mentioned, we're kind of staffing the LGC, so we'll be doing a lot of that work.

Expect a draft feasibility report in April, final report in the June time frame.

Traffic security plan.

So I mentioned 4,500 fixed seats, total attendees about 750 in that north uh west corner of downtown.

Um as we kind of look at the parking availability around there.

So there's an existing garage that is in place that can help support the ballpark.

There's an additional garage that the bear the county is going to be building for SASD that will be near here.

Um and then there's a number of other garages that are in pretty close proximity to the ballpark.

So we'll be looking at that and looking at how traffic moves in and out of that corridor around the ballpark and uh developing a traffic plan security plan around that and um also looking at our public transit options.

We expect that that analysis and partner engagement will become uh some of that work's already been done, but we'll begin a deeper dive on that in January, February to April.

We'll develop the plans, and then that'll be part of the negotiation of those relevant provisions in some of the definitive agreements that um we're gonna need to put in place.

Um intersection improvements.

So that area there that goes from West Martin to North Flores on West Pacan.

Um, some people refer to it as the swoop as part of one of the developments.

Uh, we're proposing to close that section of street to make that all one development pad for the mixed use development.

Um we do that.

If you're traveling east on West Martin, the way you get to Florida today is you take that swoop on West Pacan so you can take that right because it dead ends right there.

We're proposing to improve that intersection at West Martin and North Flores so that that traffic can continue to North Flores on West Martin, and you can go right or left.

Um that project is funded in the adopt in the capital budget has been in there for the last year or two, so that funding's in place.

Um we anticipate issuing an RFQ for a design consultant in July, uh bringing that design consultant back for your consideration in September.

Design would commence in October, designs complete in April 27, then they would begin construction after that.

Uh displacement impact assessment on this one as well.

Um, our tourist policy again requires that we do one for uh so the neighborhood housing services department has already begun that work.

Uh, there's no direct displacement for the ballpark project, but as I mentioned, those four phases of um uh development uh due.

So they're gonna be doing that work again, probably similar timeline around spring of 2026.

Negotiation of definitive documents again.

The parties here, San Antonio Missions, Weston Urban as a developer, Bear County, and some others for the baseball project.

Um we've included some examples here again of documents ranging from the bond indenture and financing agreement to the lease and development agreement, economic development agreement, the guarantee agreement.

Some of this again through negotiations will determine what form they take, whether they're separate agreements or whether we combine some of these.

This is not the full exhaustive list, but just wanted to give you an idea again, some of the documents that we'll be working through.

Um there's a lot of work still going on in terms of um the mixed use development, ballpark design, um, we're looking at the financing plan, all of those things.

That work will continue over the next couple months, but then I expect in March we'll start to get into more negotiation of the actual agreements and documents.

We plan to get that done by May 31st, and then have for your consideration approval of the definitive agreements in June, along with an authorization to move forward with the financing for the ballpark.

The bond financing, so some of the work that we're continuing to do is on a project like this, you're gonna have tax exempt debt and taxable debt.

We have to work through those allocations and what that looks like.

It does affect things because taxable debt is more expensive than tax exempt debt as a higher rate.

Um so we want to minimize as much taxable debt as we can within the RS rules so that allocation and that work continues.

I mentioned the feasibility study that needs to get done so that it can be part of the offering document.

Uh financial analysis and modeling will continue.

Um finalizing the bond structure in terms of what this revenue bond structure looks like going forward.

That work will probably happen closer to actual the actual time we're going to market because of the financial market conditions will drive a lot of that as well.

Um we're gonna look at potentially bond insurance.

We're close enough in the window where we can start engaging with the bond insurer.

That helps because if we can get the right kind of premium at the right kind of credit, then we're not having to fund a debt service reserve with cash, meaning you're not having to issue debt for that, so that helps us lower the cost.

Um, and then we will have to obtain at least one bond rating on this financing.

Um, couple of quick updates on I mentioned that the bond financing cannot move forward unless phase one is ready to move forward with construction, and phase two is in design based on um uh our discussions with Wes and Urban that is on track to hit that May-June time frame.

Um he still has a lot of work to do to get to that point, but it is on schedule to get to that point.

Again, we would not issue unless we were unless we had confirmation that those two things had been achieved.

The ballpark is the other one that is under design.

Um I'll share that there's work to do there.

Um they're working on uh design, they're working on updating costs.

I'll say early indications are that it's probably outside of the estimates that I just went over from two years ago.

So I don't have anything else to share because they need to do a little bit more work on that, and what does that look like?

What does that mean?

Um so that'll be part of one of our future updates that we'll come back and talk to you about.

So again, the again the time frame here is really January through May.

All of this work around the mixed use development design, the design of the ballpark, it's got to get to a uh closer to a GMP, and then we've got to negotiate the definitive documents to put it in a position where we've got all of that aligned and ready for uh possible approval in June.

Um that keeps it on track to then hit that opening date that I mentioned in the spring of 2028, uh the ballpark.

Uh if it if the documents are approved in June, probably within 30 days, we'd be out in the market uh doing a bond issuance to fund the project.

Um, I want one more.

On I wanted to touch on real quick the Nelson Wolf um stadium site redevelopment.

So we'd also talked about what do we do with the the current stadium.

Um if this ballpark is built and they in fact relocate downtown.

What do we do with that site?

And there's a couple things highlighted on this slide, and maybe a little hard to see on that map, but on the lower right-hand corner, that is for the most part our property.

So Levi Strauss Park is there, the Ron Darner Community Center is there.

Um just to the west of that is really some vacant land right now that's gonna become a phase one 2022 bond project that I think is around a seven million dollar project.

It's a first phase of a park master plan.

So kind of what's listed on that slide uh or shown on that slide is the bigger marshmallow bigger master plan for this regional park.

Um that 2022 bond allocation will fund the first phase of that.

So we've got a park master plan and a park development happening there next to the community center and the Levi Strauss Park.

At the same time, in that upper left-hand corner, Rodriguez Park, the county's making a lot of park improvements in that area as well.

Um not all of that is funded that is shown there, but they've got subsequent allocations coming there, and then that little square there on the far upper right hand or upper left hand part of that is actually city-owned property that we could make available that's in a floodplain that um you could put field on as well.

So that could be something we coordinate with the county, not funded, but from a planning perspective, there's a lot of park amenities in this area, a lot of investment going in.

So there's a lot of opportunity there.

When you look at our site between the Levi Strauss, the Ron Darner Center, and the Park Master Plan, then you have Nelson Wolf Stadium, the surrounding parking lots.

You have that footprint that we have to work with in the um where it says flash for equipment, our private equity firm owns that property, leases it to them.

What we're proposing is that we engage with them to kind of see what are your plans, how might it fit in with what we're talking about here.

But what we would like to do as we move forward with this redevelopment opportunity is to engage a consultant to help us work on a concept plan, working with Councilman Galbon's office, engaging the community, really talking about what are the possibilities look like for this area and for the ballpark and a repurposing of the ballpark and come up with um a proposed um plan in terms of how to address that.

This one would move fairly quickly as well, because we'd like to get it in a position where we understand what that might look like, and if there's something that maybe we need to do or contribute to it to help it make it be successful, we want to know that sooner than later.

Uh, rather than waiting till the team leaves, we'd rather do this work up front.

So we're gonna draft an RFQ, get that to their to the audit committee in March.

Um, we would expect to have the consultant hired by June uh or in June, and then about a six to twelve week process of working through that.

Um again, all preliminary schedules, once we get responses, we'll we'll um we'll adjust that as we need to, but then getting a draft report from them in the September October time frame.

So just a quick update on the Nilf the current Nelson Wolf Stadium site and a potential redevelopment opportunity there.

So that concludes my presentation.

Hopefully, I didn't blow through that too quickly, but um happy to answer questions.

Thank you.

Uh Council McCorr.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Ben, for the update.

I just wanted to um start off and share just a uh kudos to the team at uh NHSD and to the team that's been managing the soap factory apartments because we worked really diligently over the summer to make sure that all of the residents that were eligible got the the benefit that they were supposed to receive with their displacement uh funding that we provided, and so um we have folks that still call me to to this day to talk about what their plans are, and it was from that that we actually really realized that how many of folks were living in small units and actually really need the there is a need for small affordable units in downtown, and so um we had that discussion with the housing trust as well.

So I just wanted to say thank you.

And the other thing that's I think is a really good benefit that we didn't expect is that there is still over 250,000.

I think it's 274 available for phase two and phase three, and initially we didn't even think there was going to be that much funding available for them.

So there is still opportunity for those folks that are still staying to receive their transition funding as well.

Um the other thing that I wanted to just mention is just because the funding is coming from Houston Street Tours money that this Ben, can you just clarify that this money does not um affect our bond dollars, our GNO bond dollars that we're gonna be talking about next week?

That's correct.

This doesn't affect our um general obligation bond capacity.

Okay.

So I just wanted to make sure the community itself knows that that although it's debt that it's not coming from that uh same um same space.

Um I also wanted to highlight the partnership with Bear County and SAISD on this deal.

We when we first started trying to work together, there was some contention on who was going to do what, but Bear County is very graciously paying for the new parking structure for SAISD, which is a huge equity contribution from their from their side.

So grateful that the judge and commissioners court was willing to support them in that matter.

Also, SAISD was able to receive a land swap for the advanced learning academy.

It's one of their highest rated elementary schools in the district, and it's on Euclid.

It's actually one of the reasons why 425 San Pedro, which by the way is built and having its grand opening next Tuesday, um, 10 a.m.

Hope everybody will be there.

But it's one of the big reasons why that uh affordable housing development was able to get its nine percent deal, and it's because they are um close to a high performing elementary school.

So because their school is high performing and they wanted to grow capacity with their bond, they needed more land.

So they have actually transitioned over to the west side right now as they are growing LA Euclid.

Um, and our public works department has been working with us to get them a crosswalk too.

Um, and our public works department has been working with us to get them a crosswalk too, so they're gonna be able to cross safely with the Hawk across both sides.

So we're excited about the benefit that SEISD is getting in that elementary school, but also their partnership at their high school.

The other component that y'all will remember was SEIC really wanted to be involved in the affordable housing conversation, and so one of their board members is dedicated as a uh member of the housing trust as well.

But more so than that, I think we had a big push in our last RFP for our housing bond to include two and three bedroom units in all of our deals, and I think we need to continue to focus on that because we had this conversation a little bit earlier with downtown and what that means for downtown housing.

And while we know it's easy to build one bedroom, we have to continue to deeply incentivize two and three because it's it's very apparent that families are moving further out where there's easier access, and we want to make sure families can stay in the urban core in the crag and still be able to attend our inner city schools.

And so um I wanted to also uh think the one more update that we've been working on is the five points underpass.

So y'all remember the five points neighborhood is actually really excited for the ballpark and they're the neighborhood that's just north of it.

They're excited because they feel like they're the often forgotten one.

And if we go back to the conversation that we're just having of what our downtown boundaries are, sometimes when you're in the peripheries of downtown and you're right outside, you feel like oh, everything just goes and it doesn't actually help connect and benefit us.

So actually, Councilmember McKee Rodriguez had started this project to work on the underpasses, and he was working on the east side ones, and y'all will know that there's a Crayola uh underpass on the east side, there's the commerce street that's beautifully lit.

So we are working on the fine silver underpass.

It's the one that connects floras across to five points.

And um the baseball team as well as some of the other downtown stakeholders have agreed to help co-fund an arts project underneath the bridge.

So we've held a couple of community engagement sessions for what that would look like.

And the community wants to show how that was like the initial passageway to downtown.

They're gonna do a little homage to baseball and the missions, of course.

Um, and then we're gonna try to light that up as well.

So I'm excited about that partnership coming forward to show the entryway to San Pedro Creek because that area is uh very high heavily walked as well.

Um, and continuing to support our in-house population around there.

We just implemented a Sharp's disposal area with Corazon there because we wanted folks to be able to safely dispose their their needles that are walking up and down.

So, all of that to say um there's some work that's already been done since this deal has passed, but I do think there's more work that we need to do with community stakeholders and engagement.

And I know um the team is committed to continue to working with all of our offices to see who is really engaged to doing that work.

The last meeting they just told me they had was a universal design session, which is something the housing trust also uses to make sure that the stadium is being accessible.

So I'm excited for the work to come forward.

I know there's a lot in the timelines, and uh the last thing I just want to re-emphasize is until phase one goes to market, we won't be taking out uh debt from the Houston Street Tours to pay for the stadium.

So uh just wanted to re-emphasize that too.

Um that's all I have, Mayor.

Councilman Galvan.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you, Steph, for the presentation, Ben.

Uh, I really appreciate the conversations we've been having around Wolf State and redevelopment um efforts.

I know it was one of the first things that I came into office talking about with Lori and Maria and Eric as well as uh Ben Homer recently to figure out ways that we can continue to push uh forward on the state and redevelopment, as we know, of course, uh with the moving downtown.

Uh, want to make sure that District 6 and the West Side of San Antonio is not left behind in this conversation.

We know the impacts have happened uh from this development.

Um, the kind of promises that were made, similar to the conversation around the east side.

Um, and we've seen the impact since where we've seen a school close nearby, we've seen continued struggles uh of economic disparities in the area.

Um, and so it's important that we continue to focus in on ways that we can uh support the growth of this community and support the benefits that are needed there in true economic development fashion.

We talk about grocery stores, healthcare, et cetera, that are missing from the community.

And so eager to work on that.

I really appreciate the conversation I had today with Randy as well, uh, where the team is all in on the continuing that work.

So appreciate that as well.

So that's really excited to make sure that we are moving forward on this.

Um I do want to make clear just to my council colleagues, I know I've talked to Eric and Ben about this already, um, but that I don't feel consultant would be the best use of this effort.

Uh my team and I have already discussed making sure that our team is front and center and leading this community engagement efforts.

Uh, we have a block walking plan ready to go, as well as making sure that we have the vending space needed uh at our field office at Darner.

And so there's a lot of things that we are gonna work on to make sure that this goes through in a way that's productive for the community and brings the community along every step of the way.

So, you know, I think we can continue talking about a consultant uh in any other kind of ways, but I think in terms of the leading the community engagement and having the conversation, uh it'll be my office to make sure that we are delivering.

Um and also make sure we're rebuilding trust in that community regarding this conversation.

So just want to be clear on that and we'll discuss that further in the back end.

Um had a couple of quick questions um around the the stadium.

Um do we have the cost estimates for the feasibility study, traffic security study, intersection studies.

So the traffic security, there we're not hiring a consultant, we're just gonna we're gonna work with the team and our departments will take the lead on that and we'll we'll work on that internally.

Um what was your other one?

Uh the feasibility study.

Oh, the the bond feasibility study.

If I had to guess, probably in the 75 to 100 range, somewhere in there.

Got it.

And then the intersection.

Oh no, we talked about that one.

The intersection is uh funded in the adopted capital budget.

Um I'll have to pull the dollar amount for you.

I think five to six million somewhere in that range, but I'll get you the exact number.

I'll follow up with you.

Okay, got it.

Again, just want to make sure that I'm to keep in note and it's transparent to residents about what things are coming out of our our budget and/or similar funds uh for this efforts.

Um appreciate that.

I think generally around this particular project, uh similar thoughts on the downtown development overall, making sure that we are investing in housing solutions that uh work for the community and uh are affordable, uh finding ways to make those structures available to maintain this or to administer this and deliver this is important to me.

Um the inclusion and focus of local hiring and good quality paying jobs at this site is gonna be critical, I think.

So excited to see how those negotiations go forward within the development agreements.

Um I think those are the biggest points for that one.

Of course, transportation continues to be a key point there, and so that'll still be the same conversation around larger via conversations, parking ride conversations, parking, etc.

Um, and complete street needs as well in the area.

Um I had a couple questions around the relocation uh components.

One of the big ones I wanted to just ask about was uh do we know how many residents received relocation dollars?

I know I saw the 43 moving into the phase two and three, but how many tenants received relocation dollars out of the total number of phase one?

Council, we have that breakout.

We'll uh we'll email you and the rest of the council.

I think Veronica had to step out, so unless Ben can find that sheet here in a second, but we have an accounting for each of the each of the individuals.

Okay, great.

Does that accounting also include uh where they moved to since of course we don't need this physical address?

Only the ones that we know that moved uh to uh the other parts of the of the development.

Those that went out, okay.

We don't know where they're at specifically.

Okay, I see.

Well, that's helpful to know.

Um I mean, I think it's just something that stays in my mind about as we're talking about developing downtown to be for everybody that if we are facilitating, and I understand the displacement study says we did not displace directly, but that we are facilitating uh pushing people out of downtown for different developments.

Uh, I wonder where if they're still in our city and if they're still within the crack still within the 410 loop uh or where they're at in general in our city, are they in places that are just as affordable as that one?

Of course, understanding the issues that were going on in Sofactory in terms of the maintenance, all those things are important to me to just make sure that we are as a city staying committed to our goals of making our downtown um and our inner city a place for everyone to afford to live in, enjoy and prosper and raise a family.

And if we're not doing that, then that's just something for us to keep in mind.

Um also think on relocation services.

I know we mentioned the 2004,000, the remaining amount.

Is that uh the team contribution, or is that city relocation funds that are still available?

It's a combination.

A combination.

The majority of that is city.

Okay.

Sounds good.

Do we know how much exactly?

Uh pull up that slide.

Hello.

So out of uh Western Urban's allocation, they distributed 152,000 out of our allocation 74,000 for phase one.

Um there's 274,000 remaining for phases two and three.

And then out of that 274, do we know how much of that is a city relocation funds?

I can also get that later.

Our total was 200 or 250.

Was it 250?

So we actually Western Urban actually had to give more because some of them didn't income qualified.

So the city part city portion required income qualified.

Right.

Western urban did not.

That's why they actually okay.

And so we'll do when we send you the I couldn't find the breakdown.

I'll include kind of a reconciliation of what was put in initially by the city and Western Urban.

Um had some income eligibility pieces on it, theirs that did not.

So we'll kind of reconcile that for you and then show you how that was applied to the um tenants that were in that phase one piece.

So we'll just break all that out.

Thank you.

That'd be helpful.

It's about 176,000 dollars the city of the 274.

Got it.

Okay.

That's helpful.

Uh only last comment I wanted to make on this uh point was I want to think how core's kind of overview of the community benefits that have been provided beyond what was displayed today, uh the work SISD put in.

I want to specifically shout out my chief of staff, sir.

On behalf of SASD along with other uh trustees to make sure that this effort was going forward uh to support uh the school districts, the needs that they have, as well as the families in the area as much as possible.

Um yeah, thank you so much.

Councilwoman Viegran.

Thanks, but uh uh I'm gonna make this as brief as possible in terms of the um our days, uh the community days, uh, as soon as we can, and I know it's a ways off, but if we could get what our stakeholder days will what we are thinking about using them for, if we need to designate them for a festival or something like that, um, because I know what I don't want them used for.

Um the other thing is programming when we get go into these um agreements.

I know part of the appeal of of going downtown is when it was off season that they could program in and around the ballpark, and I want to make sure that the programming aligns with what our um priorities are is to bring our community from the the west side out to do something affordable, something outdoors, something that activates them, and not just the west side, but all of San Antonio, but in particular the west side and that walkability aspect.

Um I would like a and I don't know if this presentation need should go to PCDC or EWDC first, but uh the Wolf Stadium redevelopment in terms of what we're looking at there and how we can um take that out to our business partners if it is going to be some um multi-use uh and then uh with PD PCDC, if we need to go vertical in some of our housing that we're thinking about in that area, uh presenting to them in more in depth on just the WEF stadium.

In terms of the community assets, what I think the ballpark can help with, and I I've talked to the owner group in owners in particular, is that safety security uh technology piece.

Um you know, of course, if we activate the space, people will go out there and it becomes safer and be and becomes something where people feel more secure, and then if they have the technology, whether it's free Wi-Fi, um lights that come on at dusk, because they're um they're solar powered, uh, that tends to kind of be helpful too.

So I want to make sure that we stress with them that that's our expectations.

Thank you.

Um councilwoman, all that I think of you.

Thank you, Ben, for this presentation.

Just a few quick points on slide three.

I I think one of the the things that I appreciated most about this deal when we were all voting on it, or when many of us were voting on it, was Ben, which you mentioned that how the conditions need to be met before the issuance of ballpark uh bonds and how phase one must be done before we can even start phase two.

I thought that that was um a really smart play um in our negotiations, and so I'm glad to see uh that that all came to life.

I do want to commend Western Urban on hearing the needs of the community and providing relocation assistance.

Uh that's not something they had to do.

Um, so I'm I'm glad that they went above and beyond for the community to do that.

Um the other thing was really quick.

This kind of tied it ties into our previous conversation on why transportation and getting people into downtown is gonna be so important and really finding different ways to do that other than continuing parking garages.

So I'll just say that quickly because I I want us to make sure that we're looking at it for everything that we're we're discussing downtown.

And then I I do want to um echo Councilman Galvan's comments on not necessarily needing a consultant because I think that our council offices know our residents and our resident needs the best, and so I have full faith um in him and his team to to block walk, understand the residents' needs, and um and get something productive for the Nelson Wolf Stadium.

Thank you.

Councilman White.

Thanks, Mayor.

Um I'll start back to front what where uh the councilwoman left off.

Um I know Councilman Galvan has been working hard on on what's going to be there where the Nelson Wolf Stadium was, and and uh he and his office are the right folks to uh to lead that discussion and uh uh conduct the community engagement necessary, and so I I fully support his efforts there and and uh you know what he wants to do out there.

I think I think we should all um have confidence is gonna work and follow there.

Um with respect to uh the financing, I'll echo Councilwoman Aljete Govito's statements uh as well.

The f I I call this it was sort of a unicorn uh of a project.

This one.

The financial structure that that Ben and his folks were were were able to put together on that on this one was um was really solid, and and that's why I supported it and and why I believe this council did.

Big picture.

We have such an opportunity here when you think about uh the district that's gonna be on one half of downtown uh and then this minor league stadium uh on on the other side of downtown.

Uh of course we know about the airport, uh the new terminal that that's coming as well.

I mean, our city over the next six to seven years uh has such an opportunity to progress and and grow into something where where the economic development that we see here um becomes much much more substantial.

Uh and again, the purpose of that is to create uh a revenue stream for our city that then we can use to enhance folks um day-to-day lives to get those feet streets fixed to make those neighborhoods safer to take care of those drainage problems.

And so I'm really excited um about this project.

Um I think city staff has done a great job here.

Thank you to all of our our partners.

I mean, this is a great example of a of a public-private um partnership that that's gonna end up really working out um for our citizens.

Thanks, Mayor.

Councilman Mugia.

I'll also compliment my colleague for doing public engagement without needing a million-dollar consultant.

I think we should all take a listen out of that.

Um I also uh you know, with regards to Nelson Wolf Stadium, I would also challenge us, and of course, you know, the community input's gonna be very valuable there, to also look at the regional connectivity of Leon Creek.

I mean, that's one of the few places of Leon Creek in the entire city that's not actually really well developed.

Uh and of course, I'm right across the highway on Highway 90.

I have Camargo Park in my district.

That is a Leon Creek connection.

The Leon Creek connection from Camargo Park to Pearsall Park where Leon Creek continues.

There has been a design project that we talked about in the last bond.

Um so I think as far as the creek goes, I would say look at that more regionally and connectivity to you could eventually get from uh you know Tom Slick all the way to Pearsall Park.

Uh right now that that connection doesn't exist and it really should considering the rest of Leon Creek and how it's been developed over time.

I would also appreciate I know you're gonna send us an email on the uh folks that are relocated and took advantage of the um funds.

I would also be interested to know why maybe some folks may have applied and not received money if there was any data regarding that or why they couldn't be helped.

Um I'm also curious why on slide 16 it says that there's no direct displacement from the ballpark project.

Um so we just talked about relocation and and now we're saying that there's no displacement.

So I don't understand why that is saying that.

Can someone clarify as I mentioned earlier, the ballpark site itself did not cause the displacement.

The plan did.

Because it has mixed use development impacting it.

So when you look at the tourist policy on the way it's worded, that's where that comes from.

Yeah, I think and I appreciate that.

I think we're splitting hairs with that, and I think that by maybe by technicality, that's correct.

And I think that by maybe by technicality, that's correct.

Um, but I think the spirit of the tours changes that were made was trying to get at this.

And so I understand that the actual physical project didn't displace, but the plan that it encompasses did.

Uh and so we went through a long pro I was on staff, but we went through a very long process with the TURS, you know, uh policies.

Uh, and so to see that it technically didn't fit, but yet we have a whole fund for relocation because of the project kind of gets to the spirit of it.

So I guess we'll have to refine that at PCDC or something because that should have said yes, there was displacement.

Yep, and and councilman, you you're exactly right that that displacement analysis will be done in the spring.

Um if you go to that slide, uh we are splitting hairs to a degree, but that report is not done.

So this is good feedback uh to take into consideration because the final report will take into account the entire um development.

Yeah, we'll lay that out.

I appreciate that.

And and I suspect that the project will say there was displacement, so I don't think putting this slide here today was helpful.

Well if it's not the finished it it it it's to lay out what still needs to be done and the preliminary schedule for finalizing that analysis back to the council and the public is in spring of 2026.

So we we we could have maybe done that second bullet a little bit differently for sure.

Yeah, I think you could have omitted that because that is not helpful and it doesn't it makes a trust issue there with that bullet point there.

So we're not trying to create a trust issue, but I certainly understand that we we we shouldn't be splitting hairs like that.

Um and understand that we'll make sure that that displacement study it takes into account the whole thing.

Thank you.

If I may add though, because I I I want to get to the trust issue.

We use the definition that's in the TURS document.

So we're not trying to mislead anyone, councilman.

If the council wants to change that language, we can change it to make sure we don't have a situation like that.

But we're not splitting hairs or misinterpreting or anything.

We're following the definition that's in the tourist document.

Okay, then if that's the document, then we will change that uh at PCD.

So I'm looking at you, John, to help me with that.

Thank you.

Councilman, the other part I should have said because I I kind of went through this quickly on the front end, was much like um the district, the back half of this presentation was really meant to talk about what's our work plan for 26.

What are the things you're gonna see coming in the next in this case really gonna be more next six months, not 12 months, because a lot of this is on a more accelerated timeline.

But this is one of those work efforts, so that's why that slide is in there.

So I should have highlighted it a little bit different because we talked about the term sheet a little bit on the front end because we hadn't had that conversation with you all as a group.

That term sheet was approved in September of um 24.

Um, I think we were going to do it a couple times last fall, we just didn't get there, but that's part of why that's this one is structured a little bit different than the previous presentation, but meant to get to the same goal.

Councilwoman Mesa Gonzalez.

Uh quick just wanted to um acknowledge the site redevelopment plan.

Uh just supporting councilmember Galvan's um community engagement plan with his community.

I mean, I think this is kind of that slide that you can't unsee and that you know the stadium is is going away.

So making sure that we um just spend all our really time and and resources to make sure that community doesn't feel that longer than they have to, honestly.

So uh however it can be helpful.

Um let me know.

Thank you.

So maybe if I could just touch on that point real quick because I know it's come up a couple of times.

So that um slide 18, if you would bring that up.

Um we can certainly work with your office, Council Galvan to work on the scope of this.

It really wasn't to be just community engagement.

We want to give you a resource that you got that as you engage the community, and we certainly will take your lead on the community engagement side, but as you engage them, giving you a resource that can help us um vision that a little bit.

So put it on paper.

What does it look like?

What are some options look like?

Explore options with you, look at that, but then be able to show the community this is what it could look like.

So it's a little bit of an additional resource, but happy to work with you on the scope of of what that looks like Councilwoman Castillo.

Uh thank you, Mayor.

To vote upon the point of Councilman Monguy, I believe it's the strategic housing implementation plan that defines direct residential displacement as defined by the city of San Antonio to include any occupied inhabitable household located on the proposed project site that will be required to permanently move for the proposed development.

And I understand within the presentation it's focusing on uh I believe the the tourist policy, but I think there's opportunity when it gets amended in PCDC to adopt the ship definition of displacement.

Um the Nelson Wolf Stadium site redevelopment.

I'm pleased to see that there is a robust preliminary schedule.

I think oftentimes whether it's the South Side, the Harlandale community or Edgewood, uh oftentimes uh those are some of our communities that get left out of economic development.

Uh and the concern that I've heard from uh abutting property owners, small business owners in particular, is they're concerned about what the relocation of the stadium is going to mean for their small businesses.

Many of the employees go to the nearby tacarillas and shops around Wolf Stadium, and they're concerned about uh how they're going to see a decrease in revenue uh as there's changes.

So I'm pleased to see that um staff and the council member intend to get ahead of that relocation to make sure that uh the community members and the business owners alike have the support necessary.

Uh in terms of the structure for the development authority, um can you remind me of what that makeup looks like I'm sorry, councilwoman, your your question was on the on the LGC?

Yes, and what the the uh like the board makeup?

Yes, the board makeup.

So the uh the board is nine members, um three from the city, three from the county, um, and three from the team.

Ours are the mayor, uh, the city manager, the chief financial officer for the city, um, the counties is the county judge, the county manager, and one of the and uh one of the commissioners.

And then there are three reps from the team.

Yeah, thank you for that clarification on the makeup because often what I hear from district five residents is in terms of accountability, right?

And uh who do they hold accountable if there's questions or concerns in terms that they have control over to who to hire and fire, right?

Um so I think having elected representation from both the city and county uh is important for accountability purposes.

Uh and then just wanted to ensure that as development and community input evolves around the traffic and security and cleanliness plan.

I know uh Gardendale Neighborhood Association in my district, they had came out in public comment in support of this project, uh, but their expectation is that they are included in that public input process.

So just wanted to uh remind and flag that the Gardendale community uh would like to continue to be part of that uh engagement process.

Um, but also just wanted to be sure to thank uh councilmember Dr.

Sickor in terms of a lot of the benefits that we see here.

Um the councilwoman um facilitated conversations, brought stakeholders together to ensure that there were community benefits extracted from this deal.

So I don't think without her leadership we would have had uh those um benefits that we're talking about today.

Uh similar to the data and details with the relocation fees, I would also uh like to see that data and how much has been dispersed, how many folks may have been uh denied support, um, but just to have an understanding of you know how we can learn from that proposed bucket.

Uh and then also I'd like to understand uh once we've once Western Urban rather relocates all the tenants and there is a remaining balance.

Does that balance go to the neighborhood and housing services department for the general relocation fund?

Uh, just understanding what happens to those dollars if they are not spent.

Ours or theirs.

Both.

Both, okay.

Yeah, and if uh Western urban leadership's here, I think it'd be great if you donate that to the city's relocation services fund.

Um then I I know during the negotiations uh Weston Urban committed to continue to uphold uh some of the fair hiring practices with Band the Box.

Just wanted to check to see that was something that they're still committed to.

Yes, I don't believe that's changed.

Okay, and then uh lastly, um their wage commitment again, grateful to see that they've um committed to to pay uh the city's entry wage.

Uh but my question is do we know if that also implies to those from contracted companies such as concessions or custodial contractors?

Um councilman, let me go back and look at that one.

My recollection, this is for the employees in the ballparks.

I think it's following kind of what we do in our uh with ours.

Um let me double check that.

I'm I'll make sure I'll get that right.

Okay.

Um, those are my comments and questions.

Is your question uh several back in December or November?

We were on another topic, and you were asking about a sub of uh of a contract.

That's what you're asking about here.

We'll we'll follow up on that.

All right, thank you, Eric.

Thank you.

Because that wasn't the intention.

Sounds good.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mary.

Just last quick point.

Uh I know there's a I'm happy to have the Wolf State and redevelopment uh conversation go to another committee, but I just want to be sure too that we are engaging the residents first to kind of further discuss what things they want to see and then what ways we can then make it feasible to make happen.

Um I'll just prefer that to have it first before we go to any uh other council conversation or committee.

Thank you.

Has everyone spoken on this issue that'd like to speak?

Okay.

Um Ben, can you give us a little bit of an update?

Some of us are obviously um catching up, right?

Uh to the story, and so um when you look at the term sheet, the bonds were supposed to have been initially uh initiated rather um issued, excuse me, initially issued, November of 2025.

Yes, obviously that did not happen.

Um my understanding is that it's pushed to as you described May or June due to challenges in the economy, challenges with meeting the um guaranteed revenue.

How can we how should we understand the delay?

So when we um approved the term sheet in September of 2024, the one piece that was still pending was the acquisition of some property with SASD.

And at that point in time, we thought that was gonna happen pretty quickly after that.

It didn't really uh occur that way.

I think it was my recollection was like February of 205 before that happened.

Um, and there was a lot that went into that.

I think Councilman Corps talked a little bit about that, but that includes the county agreeing to build the parking garage.

There was an acquisition of property by Weston Urban that was then swapped with the school district.

I mean, there was a lot that went into that, but that was about four or five months there that that changed it, and then the rest of it has been just continuing our due diligence, they've been working on design.

The ultimate goal has always been to try to get to spring of 2028 for opening day.

Um we're still on track to do that.

The um when we look at the guaranteed piece here, um, while it talks about a billion dollars, as you mentioned on the slide, it's only phase one and phase two, right?

That's that's guaranteed.

So 575 million is all that um they have to guarantee.

That's correct.

Okay.

So then the operating assumption is that once you get to 575 million in guaranteed revenue, that will somehow by 2031, if not after, get us to a billion dollars.

So this is the the projected taxable value, and then we're gonna generate property tax increment off of that.

The first two phases are guaranteed.

The next two phases will be in the development agreement, um, but it'll have language that they've got to use commercially reasonable estimates to try to achieve that, but it's not it's not guaranteed those subsequent two phases.

Yeah, well what are under go ahead.

Oh, and I was gonna say, but the the bond financing is predicated on the first two, and it doesn't include um the last two phases.

So then the last two are included.

Why exactly?

Because uh the developer in terms of showing their entire development plan, if you kind of look at that whole footprint, it's looking at what's gonna happen across those four phases in that area.

So not only showing here's the ballpark impact, here's what I plan to do from mixed, not we, the developer, uh, from a mixed use development perspective, and these are the phases of which I intend to do it.

Got it.

Okay, but just to be very clear, it's only one and two that are guaranteed three and four if they change their mind, the economy changes, what have you.

Um they don't need to actually in fact do phase three or four.

That's correct.

Got it.

Okay.

Um there's like 70 some odd games, and it sounds like the the owners would like to do another 120 events at the uh at the at the space, uh, if I'm looking at your term sheet correct at the term sheet correctly.

Um and it looks like we're on the hook for 500k every year um in terms of of maintenance.

That's correct.

Can you help me understand how we got to that very significant number?

Yeah, so especially if they again they're keeping all the revenue, right?

Yeah, so the team is putting in 250,000 in annual maintenance.

We're putting in 500,000.

We did that part um because the county was gonna help with the SISD acquisition, but that was based on relatively what we thought we needed to do in terms of annual maintenance to maintain the facility.

So that the the number came from that, and then we split it with the team 250 and then uh 500 from us out of the TERS.

I'd welcome it not unlike the question I asked previously, but I'd welcome some understanding of how what we are putting in at least at least gets us to breaking even, right?

Considering all the revenue that they are getting, what we are putting in, etc.

Because this one is moving faster than the than the uh sports and entertainment district, but it's essentially the same construct.

Um are there any lessons learned in terms of the incorporation of our phase of our feedback rather in terms of what's included in in phase one of the guaranteed development here?

Have we provided any feedback in terms of what we'd like to see other than the number, the value rather?

No, the the mixed use development was always going to be hospitality and and uh um and housing.

Uh we know the first two phases include a uh hotel and a number of housing units.

Um I don't have my notes in front of me to tell you what that total is approximately, but I can certainly I can certainly get that for you.

Okay.

I mean it gets to the point that my colleague, Councilman Mungia made in terms of making sure that we're reflective of local flair, if you will.

Um I would also like uh clarification in the um in the term sheet versus on the slide, it talks about um a wage commitment in the term sheet though, it says then current, right?

I.e.

if we changed our current our minimum wage, that might not necessarily be reflected in the agreements.

If we go to 21, for example, I want to make sure that that also would follow in the agreement.

I didn't want to assume, so please please confirm that.

Yes, I can confirm that that that is um something that that we amended the term sheet to include that language specifically, so that as our minimum entry wage went up, that requirement goes up as well, as well as what um uh councilwoman Castillo mentioned in terms of ban the box.

That I think was not on the slide if I remember correctly, but that is something that we added as well.

Got it.

And looking at the term sheet, and maybe it was a different version.

The only thing those the only folks that received um help with moving expenses were those that were moving to a another developer-owned property, correct?

No, it was anybody that was relocating out of phase one.

So the ones that, for example, that look relocated to phase two or three, um did not get the relocation assistance, but they'll get it with the we might be we might be using different terms.

So relocation assistance versus helping with moving expenses.

Did you define those differently?

Uh I don't remember the moving expenses being split out in that relocation plan.

Is Veronica they want?

And then you can use it if you want to do that payment or moving or whatever.

Okay.

So I'm looking at the term sheet from September 6, 2024, where it says developer will pay for moving expenses for on-site soap factory apartment relocations and for moves to other development developer-owned properties.

So welcome the clarification because I'd like to understand.

I mean, I'm I'm imagining um the cost of rent at so factory, much much different uh than the rent at some of the other developer-owned properties.

So, who actually took advantage of that to the extent it was actually a realistic benefit?

Um, I I'd like to understand as well, get a copy of the scope of work for the feasibility study.

Okay.

Thank you.

Do we have a cost yet uh for the intersection improvements?

Uh that you described there.

Uh ballpark was around five to six million dollars um the street work there.

Uh it's in our adopted capital budget.

I'll give you the exact number, but um that's what my recollection is it's somewhere in that range.

Okay.

Do you we know what may have been bumped uh to provide for that?

So prior to and I don't remember exactly what year this happened in uh mayor, but um initially um MLB made some changes in terms of requirements for minor league stadiums in terms of what needed to get done.

That drove the need to then look at can you improve Nelson Wolf, or do we need to locate somewhere else that led to this downtown ballpark um design and and project?

Prior to that, there were some scheduled improvements that were going to get made to Nelson Wolf that we didn't do because it changed and they weren't gonna satisfy the MLB requirements.

So we repurposed those dollars that had been set aside for that into these intersection improvements.

That's my best recollection.

I will confirm that.

Okay, thanks.

On the CVA on the slide, when you talk about 200K, is that is that actual money, or is that 200K worth of something that's donated to folks?

The foundation piece.

I think that's 200,000 of cash going into that foundation.

Is that correct?

Going out.

Or going out of the foundation to support these initiatives.

It's 200,000 of cash in the foundation that is being dispersed to groups that support children and homeless veterans issues.

Okay, thanks.

Great.

I do want to echo my colleagues' support.

For our colleague, uh, Councilman McRick Galvan, who is um uh already done a good job in in engaging his community to understand what they would like to see irrespective of of you know what committee looks at it, it needs to be guided by what uh Councilman Galvan and his community indicates is most important to them.

I also want to foot stomp the point that um Councilman Wungia made, which is um, you know, if we're gonna have these public discussions about what we're doing and how we're spending people's money, right, and their resources, um, we don't want to what's the technical term, uh, gaslight people, right?

You want to be um uh true to what a normal person would expect um when reading something.

And I'm not saying that's what you're doing, but I think you know, when folks watch this or they see some segment, right, on on KSAT or what have you, and and they then they hear that, they're gonna call councilman Mungia or they're gonna call any one of these council members and say, What what are you talking about?

Right?

Like that didn't make any sense.

So want to be sensitive to how this is explained to folks moving forward.

Thank you.

Um, last thing.

Um actually you said there was an updated cost already, uh an already an updated cost estimate for the um what was the what were you talking about?

So the the the ballpark reach up at the ballpark project piece.

So they're working on design, they're working on updating cost estimates.

Okay.

Some of the early indications look like it may be outside of the estimate we were talking about before, but I it's not far enough along where I could share anything at this point in time.

We'll continue to work with them when we get to that point.

We'll uh we'll we'll certainly provide that update to you.

Okay.

Um because if I understand, you don't you're gonna have to help us understand what is a what is a cost overrun versus what's a an exceeded or a higher than anticipated um estimate, right?

Because if I remember correctly, um any cost overruns, it says team is responsible for construction cost overruns, but per the term sheet, that's actually reimbursed from surplus revenues.

Right.

No, the the the so the there's two different things there.

So one is in this case in this term sheet, the team is responsible for cost overruns once we get to a guaranteed maximum price.

We're not there yet.

They've got to do more design before we get to that point.

So again, as they kind of go through their estimating design, looking at different options and scenarios, and we get to that point, we'll share that.

Um they don't get re and once we set the GMP, if there's an overage at that point, that's theirs.

There's no reimbursement.

I think the reimbursement you may be referring to is in some cases, if the taxable value and the development off of phases one and two don't generate the property tax increment and the manage um municipal management district revenues.

In some cases, if they pay, they can get reimbursed, but not in all cases.

It has to be something outside of their control.

If it's within their control, they have to eat it, they don't get reimbursed.

But that's that's more on the guarantee side, not the project budget side.

Okay.

Um, but do help us understand what is a uh a change in estimate of the work versus what is what would be considered a cost over on the case.

Sure, okay.

The um just a couple things left here.

The um the team is leading the bond feasibility study or the baseball feasibility study.

The team is going to engage the consultant.

We will be heavily involved, and it'll include our input.

Um again, that consultant report um and analysis is gonna look at the use and stretches, which we have all of that data.

Uh, we'll be working closely with that consultant reviewing all of the data, all of the assumptions.

Ultimately, we will be the staff working with the team's advisor to develop the bond offering document to include incorporation of that feasibility report.

So I'm I'm comfortable that we are gonna be heavily involved, and and um it'll get to the it'll get to the quality that we're looking for.

And I want to make sure I heard you correctly.

You said the LGC will approve the bond.

So the so there's going to be a couple of things.

The council will have to take action, the county, and also the LGC.

The LGC, one scenario could be that we uh put together a bond offering or the local government corporation is the entity issuing the bonds.

It's still supported by all the agreements and all the things we put in place.

We could, based on financial market conditions, if it makes sense to do it, we could go through a conduit issue.

We've done this on other things, a conduit issuers describe it, kind of a uh an entity that just issues debt, and there may be some um value to just doing that, and then that case the LGC will just consent to issuing through that entity.

But either way, everything that supports the repayment of bonds, the pledge of the security for the bonds, everything is the same, and it'll all be based on the definitive agreements that that you all consider as the as the council.

Okay.

I wanted to understand that the the piece in terms of who would issue the bond because on your previous slide, the LGC has no assets, right?

So that would be backed up by all of the documents, all of the agreements and everything that's put in place, yes.

Got it.

Okay.

Um maybe that Ben for you or or for Andy.

Um this is actually across the two um the two topics.

Are there any outstanding bills due to the city from either the the missions or the Spurs?

So nothing uh that I'm aware of from the missions.

Um looking at I don't think I don't think there's anything due from the missions.

We could double check on the Wolf Stadium agreement, Mayor.

Yeah.

Okay.

And you said nothing from the Spurs.

So the on the Spurs side, there is a and I'm not I'm not gonna be completely up to speed on this piece of it, but essentially when we did the soccer stadium agreement, there were some requirements in that agreement that the Spurs were to bring a uh or acquire a MLS major league soccer team within a certain time frame.

Okay.

That did not occur.

And there were what's the right word?

Um I don't know if it's additional rent or or uh additional payments that would become due.

That piece is unresolved and something we need to to work through.

It's increment it's incremental, Rand Mayor, from the uh lease agreement with uh for the stadium.

Okay.

Do we do we have an understanding of what the value of that is?

It's approximately what about two million dollars is what I understand, is that correct?

Two million dollars, okay.

Um I think that's combined to the PFC that oversees the the stadium, so it's not really to us or to the county, it's to the back to the PFC that acquired that we use to acquire that.

Um so it would be a payment not to the county to the city but into the PFC.

Yeah, because there's a um we could do a one-pager for the for you all also, Mary.

There's a it's either a PFC or an LGC that was created by the city and the county.

Uh okay.

When they jointly purchased um the uh soccer stadium okay in anticipation of an MLS.

Is your mic concert?

Yeah, I'm sorry.

So uh when the city and the county purchased the stadium, like in 2012 or 2013 or 2014.

Um and so there was a it's either PFC or an LGC that was created.

Um, much like we were talking about for the baseball, the the real the real purpose of the the long-term purpose of the LGC is to oversee a publicly owned asset and make sure that everybody's maintaining it.

So we have that out there with the county um out at the soccer field in D10.

Um and so the payments of lease or revenue go to maintaining or improving the facility.

So there is an outstanding credit because as Andy said, there was um there was a time frame beyond the original loss of the or we didn't get the MLS team.

Um it went to Austin, in fact.

Um there was there were another there was an obligation to try to secure the Spurs are supposed to secure another MLS team, and when that didn't happen, um then there was an incremental increase in the rent.

So that is an outstanding issue that we need to resolve.

Two million dollars you said-ish.

Okay.

I think so.

Yeah, appreciate just a quick one pager on how we're gonna resolve that.

Okay.

Okay, great.

Um appreciate the uh the the patience here and and up getting up everybody up on uh up to speed rather as we all weren't around uh when some of these things were were negotiated.

But now we are certainly all gonna be responsible and accountable to the people to make sure that these investments uh reflect uh the best ROI for our community.

So thank you.

Um it is 542 and this meeting is adjourned.