Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones campaigned as one of many greatest skeptics of Undertaking Marvel, however efforts to sluggish it down simply after taking workplace resulted in a high-profile defeat, with town supervisor and a majority of the council going round her to maintain it transferring.
Now with extra expertise underneath her belt, Jones is making ready to take one other swing on the challenge when negotiations return to Metropolis Corridor.
“We have now this generational alternative earlier than us when it comes to how we take into consideration a revitalized downtown,” she mentioned in a Dec. 19 interview at her workplace. “So we’re not simply trying and judging what primarily based on what individuals provide us.”
That method is giving some supporters of the undertaking heartburn, after plans for the roughly $1.3 billion downtown Spurs area and surrounding growth regarded locked up simply weeks in the past.
The council voted 7-4 to approve the framework for a $489 million metropolis contribution to the world in August, and Bexar County voters adopted it up by approving one other $311 million on the Nov. 4 poll.
However particulars of town’s non-binding settlement should nonetheless come again earlier than the council within the new 12 months, in the meantime, Jones says she’s actively working to purchase time for town to see what different monetary hurdles come its manner earlier than finalizing a cope with the Spurs.
Throughout an array of points at Metropolis Corridor, disagreements with the council proceed to canine Jones’ agenda, significantly with regards to the progressives she ought to theoretically have on her aspect.
However she ends the 12 months with a primary massive win underneath her belt on transferring town’s elections — and a brand new method to a few of her outdated concepts.
The San Antonio Report sat down with Jones to speak about what’s subsequent on Undertaking Marvel, her efforts to arrange town for federal cuts, and a victory on her plan to maneuver metropolis elections to November that appeared ripped from the jaws of defeat.
The dialog has been calmly edited for readability and size.
Metropolis Supervisor Erik Walsh mentioned at our CityFest occasion in October that the council will want nonetheless must finalize its cope with the Spurs in January, and we noticed just lately noticed that town is now searching for a guide to review the Spurs’ downtown sports activities and leisure district, its potential burden on metropolis providers, like hearth and emergency medical providers, in addition to what the undertaking is anticipated to generate in gross sales tax, and different potential income sources.
Does this newest examine make good on the impartial financial evaluation you’ve been asking for? And what do you see coming down the pipeline subsequent for Undertaking Marvel?
There’s a pair issues. One, it’s a serious undertaking. We definitely are going to want any person to handle the day-to-day. You’re not going to have any person right here with the capability to do all of that, so that you want some form of “undertaking honcho.”
Individually, there’s the price of service evaluation. How a lot does it add to the final fund? How a lot does it value to do X, Y and Z in there? Which is a bit of bit totally different [from an independent economic analysis].
Once we do a price of service evaluation, it’s important to know what service you’re trying to present, proper? That’s why I believe it’s actually necessary that we’ve a broader dialog about what we wish downtown … not not like what we did a pair months in the past with the put out an RFP for the strategic plan for the River Stroll, the place we are saying we wish these sorts of components in there, now what do bidders assume that would appear to be?
I believe [city staff] wished to have some numbers, that small piece of it [from the cost of services analysis], however I believe for me, there’s a broader dialog we’ve the chance to have, and, frankly, duty to have.
We’re going to see a metropolis the scale of Austin be part of us [in terms of population growth] by 2050, so now’s the time to be considerate about planning for not 1,200 inexpensive housing models, however what does 40,000 models of housing appear to be downtown? What does public transit appear to be to assist fundamental providers downtown, et cetera.
Then as soon as we’ve a greater concept of what we wish/want, I believe that’s a greater strategy to choose what we’re being provided, both by the [Missions Minor League Baseball team] or by the basketball people.
Does that imply you’re nonetheless pushing for a separate monetary examine?
I believe you continue to want numbers. I believe you continue to appear to want some evaluation. The [Project Finance Zone] cash, for instance, is [expected to provide] $2.5 billion over 30 years. I believe you want some evaluation that helps you perceive what the correct, greatest allocation is of that cash. What goes towards the world? What goes towards the conference heart? What goes towards the Alamodome?
There are alternatives about how we spend that cash. [Statute says] you are able to do the factor itself, in addition to the linked infrastructure, so we must always have a dialog about, do we actually must have a [city] bond that pays for [arena district infrastructure], once we can use among the PFZ cash as an alternative?
We’d like some evaluation that helps us try this. I believe we additionally want some evaluation about what total invoice for the infrastructure for all of this stuff. So I believe it might nonetheless be very useful for us to get an impartial take a look at the numbers that have been offered by the Spurs.
The town and the Spurs agreed to a non-binding time period sheet in August that outlines their respective commitments to this undertaking. Simply after voters authorised the county’s portion of the funding on the Nov. 4 poll, you mentioned on the Texas Tribune Competition that you’ll proceed to push for a income sharing settlement with the Spurs, and that the $75 million neighborhood advantages settlement the crew agreed to is “higher than what we had,” however that town will “proceed to barter for extra.”
Some council members consider the window for such negotiations have closed. What are you asking for and when are the subsequent alternatives to get it?
To me, non-binding means non-binding, and which means you’ve obtained room to barter. And plenty of of them really, that was the precise cause they voted for it, as a result of they mentioned, ‘Effectively, it’s non-binding.’”
Within the time period sheet, for those who take a look at the record of undertaking agreements, there’s seven of them. As soon as these are finalized, then we are going to vote on all of these collectively, and so that’s when the [deal with the Spurs] can be last … [likely sometime in] 2026.
It’s clear we’d like a way more outlined timeline [of next steps]. I think about we’ll get that [from city staff] within the new 12 months. A part of that’s serving to us perceive, when do sure choices must be made? How a lot time do we’ve to try this, in order that we are able to appropriately embody public enter and public engagement on this stuff?
You’ve talked about wanting to carry off on last agreements for Undertaking Marvel till San Antonio has a greater sense of its monetary scenario, each when it comes to the fiscal 12 months 2027 finances deficit, but additionally federal cuts, with a selected emphasis on well being care.
There are the tax credit for Obamacare plans that expire on the finish of the 12 months, a seamless decision funding the federal authorities by means of March 14, and the One, Huge, Stunning Invoice’s SNAP and Medicaid eligibility restrictions and work necessities, which take impact incrementally over the approaching years.
What do you assume is an inexpensive timeframe to say, OK, the mud has settled sufficient for us to know what sort of monetary scenario we’re in?
I don’t know if there’s going to be a time when the mud settles. All the things’s form of in flux with the federal authorities. I’m most involved in regards to the implementation of the cuts to Social Safety and Medicare.
States have some leeway when it comes to after they implement [aspects of the One, Big, Beautiful Bill], so might we see a few of these earlier than anticipated, perhaps not the top of 2026, however perhaps nearer to love, the spring. It’s actually powerful to say.
Even when we don’t know what’s coming, I believe taking steps to assist cut back uncertainty is necessary. That’s why we had a tabletop [exercise] final Friday.
It was actually about serving to us assume by means of, okay, if we misplaced 50% of our housing funding, if we misplaced 50% of our testing funding or public well being funding, what would that appear to be? So 40 neighborhood companions got here collectively, psychological well being, [school districts], utilities, and, offered enter on what that may imply for them.
[Staff is] going to supply a readout across the finish of January … Then we are able to have a dialogue as a council on, if we have been to see that reduce come down, would we be comfy with that degree of threat? And if not, what would it not take to fill that hole? Then we are able to have a extra fulsome dialog as we’re some actually powerful selections within the finances.
For all of us making an attempt to learn the tea leaves on the dynamics of this new council and your management, what ought to we take away from the 6-5 vote to maneuver San Antonio’s municipal election to November of odd-numbered years?
Some progressives who one may need anticipated to assist it have been crucial, like Councilwoman Teri Castillo (D5), who voted no. Then one of many council’s extra conservative members, Councilwoman Misty Spears (D9), ended up serving to carry it over the road.
The neighborhood obtained a win.
I believe for lots of parents, it’s in regards to the challenge, and for others, perhaps it’s about one thing else. You’ll should go ask them. However I used to be very grateful that there have been six votes on the dais that noticed the clear profit to the neighborhood, that have been keen to hearken to the suggestions that was there within the room from leaders that work on this voting rights challenge, and have finished so for many years.
I’m grateful that there have been six that weighed all of that, after which took the time, as Misty Spears did, to go survey their fast district about what they wished and the way they felt about this challenge, after which acted accordingly.
Did you will have any concept Councilwoman Spears would possibly vote that manner going into that assembly?
We had had a dialog, but it surely was personal, so I’m not going to share it.
Many council members in that assembly expressed a want to maintain working towards transferring San Antonio’s metropolis elections to November of even-numbered years, when turnout is far larger, and they might be on the poll with state legislative and congressional races, in addition to maybe Texas’ statewide positions or the presidential race, relying on the way it’s timed. Is that one thing you additionally plan to maintain pushing for?
I believe we wish to take each step to verify we’re at all times listening to from as many citizens as potential. As we all know, although, [our ability to do that] is absolutely decided by the state and what they’ll permit. We’ll see if that’s one thing that they find yourself permitting. I’m not tremendous optimistic about that, to be sincere, although.
What do you make of the threats in opposition to Councilwoman Spears’ workplace, made by a Metropolis Corridor staffer, which appear to be considerably partisan in nature?
It’s actually unlucky. Months in the past, [when threats had been made] in opposition to me, I had [City Manager Erik Walsh] herald workers … simply assist individuals perceive, what are steps you’ll be able to take in-person and on-line to guard your self and your loved ones. … Not solely what to [watch for], but additionally find out how to report it.
At the moment, we can’t low cost any of these issues. All the things’s obtained to be reported. All the things’s going to be taken severely. We’re simply residing in a unique time.
It was unlucky that [Spears’] workers didn’t really feel protected, and that it feels like there have been some points there, even previous to that [incident], that have been shaping these engagements. Everyone deserves to work and reside in a spot the place they really feel protected.
This final metropolis election ushered in a a lot bigger bloc of progressive-minded members who might actually flex their muscle in the event that they caught collectively, but we haven’t actually seen it occur up to now. Do you foresee that group working extra carefully within the coming 12 months, and if that’s the case, the place?
Frankly, I assumed we might have had extra votes on this one [the ordinance to move city elections from May to November], proper? Voting shouldn’t have been that arduous.
However I believe — I do hope — that there are different areas during which we are able to proceed to work collectively. Definitely inexpensive housing, definitely how we navigate priorities within the finances to shore up communities which can be going to be impacted by a few of these federal cuts, in addition to even how we take into consideration what goes within the [city’s next bond program], balancing that between downtown revitalization, but additionally flood infrastructure, for instance.
So I believe we go case-by-case. And I believe in every of those, you construct belief, you display how one can work collectively.
