Bexar County (Texas) Commissioners have given Spurs Sports & Entertainment "the green light to begin work" on up to $101.5M in improvements and renovations to the county-owned AT&T Center, according to W. Scott Bailey of the SAN ANTONIO BUSINESS JOURNAL. Work on the arena makeover "is slated to begin this summer." Planned changes "include improvements to seating and entrances... and an expanded Fan Shop." In addition, concourses in the charter level of the building "will be expanded, and suite areas will be updated." County officials added that new seating options "will be created on the balcony level, and the plaza level Whataburger restaurant will be expanded so that it is accessible by the general public on non-event days." A number of tech changes "are also planned, including the installation of a new high-definition center-hung scoreboard and wrap-around LED boards on the northeast, southeast and southwest stairwell towers" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 12/10). Spurs Senior VP, General Counsel & Corporate Relations Bobby Perez said that the work "could be completed" before next season, and "no events will be planned" at AT&T Center during that time. In San Antonio, Vianna Davila notes the WNBA Stars "will play 17 games in the Freeman Coliseum while the upgrades are underway." Most of the $101.5M for the improvements "will come from the Bexar County visitors’ tax," which was extended in '08. The Spurs "kicked in" $16.5M (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 12/10).
