Some Skeptical Of Value Of Proposed AT&T Center Improvements
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AT&T Center Fails To Stimulate Economic
Growth In Areas Near Arena |
The AT&T Center, which opened in '02 for $175M, “has failed to accomplish everything voters were once promised" by Bexar County officials, according to John Tedesco of the SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS. Voters approved the project in ’99 and were promised that it would “spark ‘economic development opportunities’ for the neglected East Side” of San Antonio, but “sluggish growth” near the venue “has troubled those who argued against the location.” The Spurs are seeking voter approval for arena upgrades, a $164M “wish list” that the county said needed to be cut to $75M. Former San Antonio Mayor Howard Peak, who “tried unsuccessfully to have the arena built downtown,” said, “It’s been disappointing to me that there hasn’t been more development in that area.” But County Commissioner Tommy Adkisson said that if the venue had been built downtown next to the Alamodome, "as Peak proposed, it would have cost taxpayers more money, and it would have created nightmarish traffic jams.” Adkisson added that “the arena clearly improved the East Side, despite the lack of visible growth.” Spurs VP/Public Affairs & Corporate Administration Leo Gomez said that the team “never proposed a new arena would bring [its neighbors] an economic boom.” Gomez: “We know better than that. It hasn’t worked in any other community in the country. And it’s not going to happen here.” He added that the question facing voters “is simple: Should the AT&T Center continue to be a top-notch facility for San Antonio? If so, it needs more tax dollars to keep it that way” (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 11/4).
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