San Antonio Bond Measure: Voters to Decide on Hemisfair Plan
City Council approved a $442 million package that includes $35 million for Hemisfair infrastructure, setting the stage for a May 2027 vote.
By Naomi Whitaker ·
San Antonio voters will decide in May 2027 whether to approve a $442 million bond package tied to Project Marvel, a multibillion-dollar sports and entertainment complex planned for Hemisfair.
City Council members unanimously agreed on Thursday to place the measure on the ballot. The proposal includes $35 million for specific infrastructure upgrades at Hemisfair that city staff consider necessary for the project to proceed.
Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones proposed an amendment to redirect that $35 million toward other city improvements. She argued the city could find other funding sources for the Project Marvel work. Jones stated, “There are many, many expenses to which this $35 million can go.”
The mayor’s amendment failed on a 6-4 vote. Council members kept the original allocation, linking the funds directly to the Hemisfair site.
The bond is the city’s smallest in more than two decades. Keeping the total under the $442 million threshold means taxpayers will not face a near-term property tax rate increase. A larger bond would have required a rate hike.
Negotiations between the city and Spurs Sports & Entertainment continue. No date has been set for arena construction to begin, and recent scaling back of project aspects leaves key details unresolved.
Source: San Antonio Current
