How proposed Spurs arena funding compares to other recent NBA arenas, Texas cities

Before plans for a proposed Spurs arena downtown were announced, a piece of legislation was filed by Texas Sen. Jose Menendez (D-San Antonio).

In 2023, Menendez authored Senate Bill 2220, which gave cities like San Antonio the ability to capture state tourism and hotel tax dollars and reinvest the revenue in the city.

In an interview with KSAT, Menendez stated that the move was necessary as other Texas cities are building new arenas and attractions. Menendez pointed to projects in Fort Worth, Dallas and Houston as evidence that cities across the state are competing aggressively for conventions, concerts and sporting events.

“This is not about the Spurs, in my opinion. This is about us bringing new conventions, new events, new meetings to San Antonio,” Menendez said.

Menendez said the b