The Era of Big Has Arrived in San Antonio
Growing up, I didn’t think big. I think a lot of us in San Antonio carry that, whether we realize it or not. I grew up in an inner-city neighborhood where most of my world existed within about a five-block radius. I didn’t get on a plane until I was 18. My life felt small, […]
Where San Antonio Is Watching the Spurs Right Now
As the Urban Nerd, I normally spend most of my time talking about downtown, walkability, urban districts, and the city core. But I wanted to break from that a little for this article because one of the things I love most about the Spurs is that they are one of the rare things in San […]
A Vote for San Antonio’s Future—Go Spurs Go
As we enter the final days of early voting, San Antonio stands at a crossroads that will define our downtown for generations to come. From the vantage of the Market Street Bridge, you’re able to look down on a simple yet stirring message painted atop our umbrellas: “Go Spurs Go.” It’s a statement of solidarity […]
This Isn’t About An Arena. It’s About A Mindset
Disclaimer: Dax has served for 6 years as a board member of Spurs Give, the non-profit of the San Antonio Spurs. This November, San Antonio faces a defining choice: whether to extend hotel and rental-car taxes to help fund a new Sports & Entertainment District downtown. It’s a decision about more than a venue; it’s […]
Give Us Room: How the San Antonio Rodeo Is Building for the Next Generation
When Joe and Harry Freeman donated this land to Bexar County in 1949, they did it with a purpose: to grow agriculture and give young Texans a platform to dream bigger. That promise still echoes through these grounds today. The San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo began right here in the Freeman Coliseum, the same […]
The John H. Wood Jr. Event Center: SA Sports District Project 2 of 7
This article is part of a 12-part series by the Urban Nerd (Lorenzo Gomez), exploring the seven projects that make up the San Antonio Sports and Entertainment District. The last article is where we started breaking down each of the seven projects that make up the San Antonio Sports and Entertainment District, also known as […]
The Convention Center Expansion: SA Sports District Project 1 of 7
Article 6 of a 12-part series by the Urban Nerd (Lorenzo Gomez) The first five articles in this series were all about cutting through the confusion. We talked about who’s really paying for what, why the city’s deficit is a different problem entirely, and why so many people get lost in the Marvel Garble. And […]
A Love Letter from San Antonio, for San Antonio
San Antonio is standing at a crossroads, and I fear too few of us understand just how important and fragile this moment is. The decision we make on the future of our downtown arena is not just about basketball, and not just about billionaires—it is about who we are, how we see ourselves, and whether […]
Three Arenas, Three Purposes: Myths, Mistakes, & a District Future
(This is Part 5 in a 12-part series on San Antonio’s Sports & Entertainment District, aka Project Marvel.) Of all the issues people raise about Project Marvel, nothing sparks louder debate than the so-called “three arenas.” The comment threads light up, the arguments spiral, and the criticism is fierce. Beneath all that noise, though, are […]
The Billion Dollar Question: Who Really Pays for the Spurs Arena?
(It’s Not Your Pothole Fund.) This is Part 4 in a 12-part series on San Antonio’s Sports & Entertainment District, aka Project Marvel. In order to understand how the new Spurs arena will be funded, take a little ride with me. Meet two characters heading to the future San Antonio Sports & Entertainment District (aka […]