Northeast Neighborhood Alliance

Northeast Neighborhood Alliance general meeting minutes

February 17, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. at the Northeast Senior Center

The meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m. by President Mike Gallagher.

Boy Scout Troop 398 presented the U.S. and Texas flags.

Board elections: Elections were held for three positions on the NNA Board.

President Mike Gallagher, Treasurer Ray Cacace and Membership Secretary

Kendra Meadows were unanimously re-elected.

Briefings:

◼ Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai spoke about the new Spurs arena that is proposed for downtown as part of a larger sports district. He said he has serious reservations about the project, and has three conditions for the county to proceed with its involvement with it:

1. Sakai wants to make sure that the Frost Bank Center and the Freeman Coliseum are not neglected if a new arena is built. He wants to make sure that their funding and upkeep will not be affected.

2. There needs to be significant investment in the project by the Spurs organization.

3. Public financing: He doesn’t want the financing to be “on the backs of homeowners” by using property taxes for the project.

“We cannot allow the Frost Bank Center to become the next Astrodome,” he said, noting that the Houston sports facility is still sitting vacant many years after its sports teams moved elsewhere. “I have to protect the Frost Bank Center. It’s 20 years old and needs to be updated. The Freeman Coliseum is the second tenant on that site, and it also comes into play.”

Sakai said he wants a promise that the East Side area around that facility will be redeveloped. That was promised years ago, but nothing has happened so far, he said. He noted that the nearby Willow Springs Golf Course could be redeveloped with a hotel. If gambling is legalized in the state, perhaps a casino could be located there. He said he is talking with the San Antonio Rodeo about coming up with a business plan for the FBC.

Right now, he said, information on who is going to pay for the new arena is unclear. The only funding the county could contribute would be proceeds from the Hotel Occupancy Tax, which annually generates from $325 million to $450 million. “And the Frost Bank Center renovation comes first,” he said.

Sakai said he wants to make sure that, if the new arena is built, it will not compete with the Frost Bank Center for certain events. “I have to protect the county’s investment,” he said. He wants to make sure the best deal possible is negotiated, and he wants to keep the Spurs in San Antonio for the good they do for the community.

◼ Update on the Near Northeast Community Area Plan, by Heather Yost, senior planner for community development with the city of San Antonio:

Ms. Yost outlined the need for a comprehensive plan for the fast- growing near Northeast Side. It will include transportation, land use, and city sustainability. Smaller, sub-area plans are also being developed, and public input is being sought.

A public meeting will be held at 5:30-7:30 p.m. March 6 at the Pre-K 4 SA East Education Center, 5230 Eisenhauer Road. She noted that the Northeast Side is mostly residential neighborhoods, but there are also businesses. The area is approximately seven miles east-west and seven miles north-south and includes parts of City Council Districts 10 and 2.

To learn more about the project, go to www.nearnortheast.sacompplan.com.

◼ District 10 update, by Councilman Marc Whyte: The councilman said he is in favor of the vision of what Project Marvel — the proposed downtown sports complex — could be, and he believes we need to keep the Spurs in San Antonio. But he said he will not vote for any part of the plan that will cost local taxpayer dollars.

He said no details have been released on how the project will be funded. A memorandum about the project is “two pages about absolutely nothing.” More transparency is needed, he said.

He said the San Antonio Migrant Center has been closed, which is good news because operating it was costing the city $20,000 a day. “The flow of migrants has drastically gone down since November,” he noted. “That money should be spent addressing other issues.”

He said redevelopment of the Northeast Corridor along Nacogdoches Road has been under discussion for years. Economic development is needed there, he said, as well as a safer environment so businesses will want to locate there. He said he hopes to see improvements in the next two years.

The councilman said housing needs to be made more affordable, but contractors are required to take out so many permits and follow so many rules that it costs them more. “We need to get rid of some fees,” he said.

Announcements:

Basura Bash: The annual cleanup effort will start at 9 a.m. February 22 along creeks all over the city. For more information, go to www.basurabash.org.

District 10 meeting: The next one is set for 6:30 p.m. March 17 at the Northeast Senior Center.

NNA general meeting: The next meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. April 21 at the Northeast Senior Center. It will be a candidate introduction for those running for mayor and the District 10 City Council seat.

City elections are set for May 3, with early voting on April 22-29.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:26 p.m.