SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Conservation Association is calling for the halt of the demolition of the Texas Institute of Cultural Research, a critical part of Project Marvel’s real estate.
The 13.59 acres of land on the southeast corner of Hemisfair is a planned home at the Spurs NBA Arena, which could cost up to $1.5 billion. The land next to Interstate 37 is owned by the University of Texas system, but the city of San Antonio has an exclusive option to buy or lease it.
UTSA already has permission from the Texas Historical Commission to destroy the building. The building dates back to the 1968 World Fair and is the only downtown landmark designed by Mexican-American architects, according to the Conservation Association.
In a lawsuit filed against the UTSA and the city in state district court Wednesday morning, the association alleged that the city inappropriately used UTSA as a proxy to obtain demolition permits, and the plan went on without the necessary federal review process.
Society also argues that destroying the building is a violation of the 1967 act of relocating property from the city of San Antonio to Texas.
The association is asking judges to order dismantling until requirements relating to the Texas Natural Resources Act and the National Historical Preservation Act are complete.
Social Chairman Louis Wetter says the lawsuit is not just about jumping over the city and UTSA hoops. He believes the building can be reused for public use.
He says that while work on asbestos reduction within the building has already begun, society doesn’t know “how much work has been torn from that location.”
“We have to stop it and don’t let it demolish further,” he told KSAT.
Society says it doesn’t want to block Project Marvel, but believes there is still room for a brutal style 180,000 square feet.
“One of the over 13 acres (sites) won’t rule out the other because the stadium could still be there just like ITC,” Vetter says.
However, the city says the building needs to be removed.
Without a clear site to build, it is not clear what will happen to the plan for a new arena. A Spurs spokesman did not immediately respond to KSAT’s request for comment.
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The city, Spurs and Bexar counties need to hamper plans to fund new arenas, which are due to be presented by July.
In the meantime, the Texan Museum of Culture Research Institute has already been temporarily moved to Frost Tower.
UTSA and the city have emailed a brief statement in response to the lawsuit.
“The Conservation Association did not give us any courtesy to provide us with copies of the lawsuit, but we continue to work with UTSA on real estate acquisitions and fully support UTSA’s efforts to find the right place at the Texas Institute of Cultural Studies, taking into account the cultural and historical importance of the collection.”
San Antonio City Law Office
“It is UTSA’s policy to not comment on pending litigation. Efforts to redevelop Texas Pavilion property are in compliance with and continue to comply with applicable laws and regulations.”
UTSA spokesman Joe Izbrand
background
The city estimates the cost of about half the project in its vision for Project Marvel, which includes the arena.
Some listed projects don’t even have cost estimates, so the total price is currently above $2.75 billion, but the final cost could be high. Alamodome’s “revised” plan, the new land bridge on IH-37, the acquisition of a former federal court, and the associated infrastructure needed to support the district.
City staff laid out both public and private sources of funding for each part of the project. However, the exact breakdown of projects that withdraw money from multiple locations, especially those from other locations, remains unknown.
The city and Spurs began quietly debating downtown’s moves in early 2023, but the city did not announce its “Project Marvel” plan until November 2024.
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