UTSA Requests $50 mil. for Athletics Park (Center, Trinity: rental car, rental, hotel)

[tgannaway89]

MySA.com: Metro | State (http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA092607.01B.athletics.32e01a3.html - broken link)

UTSA has made a pitch for $50 million from the hotel and rental car tax (same that built the AT&T Center). This is 2/3 of the $75 million in sports facilities that the Amateur Sports Committee will forward to the Commissioners Court which will make the decision on what makes the ballot in May. St. Mary's and Trinity have also put in requests.

I think it is great and the school is more than deserving of that money. I wanted to point out some key notes here:

- UTSA employees some 6,500 people
- conducts over $1 billion/yr. in business within the state
- is a public Not-for-profit university
- and has to date provided over 50,000 degrees

The city used this tax to contribute $175 million the AT&T Center. The main tenant of this facility is the Spurs. While I believe they are a great asset to the city, they are also a for-profit organization pulling in over $125 million/yr.

Of course the city has already awarded $7 million in previous bonds towards the UTSA athletics park. This will bring the total support to almost all of the needed $60 million for the athletics park. The UT System already pitched in $15 million (of the $20 million) for the land the park will be located on. It is important to note that these facilities will not be exclusive to UTSA. The athletic park will also have the potential to host the Pan Am games according to some sources.

I hope that the community will agree and help support it's largest university in an endeavor that will ultimately be a huge plus for the city.

http://www.sanantonio.gov/2007bond/P...nformation.pdf