The San Antonio Missions' plans for a new $160 million ballpark and entertainment district picked up serious headwinds during a tense and, at times, rowdy City Council hearing Thursday afternoon.
The San Antonio Missions' plans for a new $160 million ballpark and entertainment district picked up serious headwinds during a tense and, at times, rowdy City Council hearing Thursday afternoon.
The majority of the discussion centered around the proposed demolition of the primarily low-income Soap Factory Apartments to make way for the sports facility and surrounding development. As part of the proposal, the Soap Factory Apartments, where rents start as low as $667 monthly, would be demolished in two phases. Some residents affected by Phase I of the project will have the option to relocate to other existing Soap Factory Apartment units. However, only 145 units are being reserved for displaced residents.
"No one should feel tricked out of their housing by the end of this," McKee-Rodriguez told Smith."There are a lot of ways that this can set us back and harm hundreds of people in the process, and that may be too much risk to place in the hopes of what a stadium can do when we have very little evidence that these positive outcomes are coming, especially with Wolff Stadium, the Alamodome and Frost Bank Center never fulfilling the promises that a stadium or arena should.
Despite that opposition, termed-out mayor Ron Nirneberg remained adamant that the developer's proposal is solid, adding that the north-of-downtown area around the proposed ballpark needs development. Nirenberg's unflinching support could stem from concern that the Missions could lose their MLB affiliation if a deal doesn't come together. In a letter to the team's ownership this year, MLB officials warned that the franchise would lose its minor-league status if a new stadium plan isn't finalized by Opening Day 2025.
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