The John H. Wood Jr. Event Center: SA Sports District Project 2 of 7

October 8, 2025

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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 Project Marvel. And I cannot stress this enough: so many people still think this is just about a new Spurs stadium.

But the word “district” isn’t branding fluff. It’s literal. What’s being built here is a full entertainment ecosystem made up of seven different projects that, together, will redefine what downtown San Antonio can do.

Today’s project is a perfect example of that bigger picture. We’re talking about the renovation of the old John H. Wood Jr. Courthouse, the round building at Hemisfair, into a brand-new live event venue. It’s a project that connects San Antonio’s past, present, and future all in one space.

And it comes with one of the wildest backstories in the city.

The building is named after Judge John H. Wood Jr., known as “Maximum John” for his notoriously tough sentences on drug cases. In 1979, he was assassinated outside his San Antonio home by a hitman later revealed to be Charles Harrelson, father of actor Woody Harrelson. It was the first killing of a federal judge in the 20th century, a crime that shocked the country.

The irony couldn’t be stronger. A place tied to a dark moment in San Antonio history could soon be reborn as a hub of joy, concerts, festivals, and events creating thousands of memories. If the plan comes to life, this round, unmistakable building will become a 5,000-seat event center right in the middle of Hemisfair.

So let’s break it down: What exactly is this project? Who’s going to pay for it? And how does it fit into the bigger picture of the Sports District?

What is the Project?

The John H. Wood Jr. Courthouse started life as the Confluence Theatre for HemisFair ’68. Decades later, it was converted into a federal courthouse. Now the city owns the building and is planning a third act: turning it into a mid-sized event venue.

Here’s what that means in practice:

Seating for roughly 4,000 to 6,000 people, filling a critical gap between theaters like the Majestic and large arenas like the Alamodome.
A flexible stage and interior build-out to support concerts, comedy tours, and large-scale community events.
Preservation of the building’s iconic circular exterior, thanks to historic covenants, with a complete reimagining of the inside.
Integration into the broader Hemisfair and Sports District ecosystem, alongside new hotels, public spaces, and improved infrastructure.

For instance, events like the Texas Music Educators Conference could use the space for performances or keynote sessions, the kind of programming that adds cultural weight to San Antonio’s convention portfolio.

In other words, it’s about creating the “missing middle” in San Antonio’s live event scene.

Who’s Going to Pay for It?

Like the other Marvel projects, this conversion is not designed to dip into the city’s strained general fund. The price tag is expected to land in the $100 to $150 million range, with costs covered through a mix of:

City HOT — the local hotel occupancy tax paid primarily by visitors staying in San Antonio hotels.
Private investment from a future venue operator or development partner who will run the space. The City has not yet announced a private partner, which is typical for this stage of planning. Once architectural and feasibility studies are complete, an operator will likely be selected through a public process that ensures long-term sustainability and community use.

Important distinction: Unlike the Convention Center, Alamodome, and the new Arena, the Wood Courthouse does not use PFZ revenues. Its public component comes from the City’s HOT paired with private dollars.

The message to locals is the same as the Convention Center expansion: visitors pay, locals benefit. Every hotel night sold downtown helps fund this.

How Does This Fit Into the Bigger Picture?

Picture it: the Alamodome hosting a mega-event, imagine Taylor Swift lighting up the stage, the new Spurs arena buzzing, a convention drawing thousands next door, and at the same time, a sold-out show in the Wood Event Center. That’s the density of energy downtown San Antonio has been missing. That’s the future this project points to.

San Antonio has been stuck in a frustrating spot when it comes to live music. Big shows skip us for Austin. Smaller venues can’t capture mid-tier touring acts. The result: fans drive up I-35, and money follows them.

A venue like this changes the equation.

It keeps concerts and their dollars in San Antonio.
It helps free the Alamodome and future Spurs arena for the largest events.
It complements the Convention Center by offering a space for entertainment programming tied to conventions.
It strengthens downtown’s entertainment density: restaurants, hotels, rideshares, and nightlife all benefit when multiple venues are active at once.

Some critics worry about market overlap and too many venues chasing the same acts. It’s a fair question, but that’s where the “district” model matters. Each space in Project Marvel serves a distinct scale and purpose: the Alamodome for stadium events, the future arena for major sports and concerts, and the Wood Event Center for the mid-sized shows that don’t fit anywhere else. In that way, the projects complement each other instead of competing.

Conclusion

It’s fitting that a building once linked to San Antonio’s darkest headlines may one day host its brightest nights. It’s proof that San Antonio’s best chapters are still being written.

And that’s the larger point of Project Marvel: it’s not about one stadium. It’s about seven interconnected pieces, each one adding a layer of vibrancy to downtown.

The John H. Wood Jr. Event Center isn’t just a venue. It’s a symbol of what happens when you take what you already have, reimagine it, and fold it into a bigger vision, a past of tragedy turned into a future of possibility.

When all seven projects are up and running, San Antonio won’t just be hosting events. We’ll be living in a downtown where energy is the norm, not the exception.