SAN ANTONIO – KSAT has been closely monitoring the progress of the proposed new San Antonio Missions baseball stadium in the heart of the city.
On Thursday, the city council held a public hearing to hear comments from citizens on the $160 million project.
KSAT caught up with former Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, the namesake of the Missions’ current home stadium.
He said that with all the reports about the Missions’ proposed move, he has been reflecting on nostalgic moments surrounding the Missions’ journey to have the venue built and finally moving into Wolff Stadium.
Memories aside, Wolff fully supports a new stadium in downtown San Antonio.
“Thirty years ago, when we built the stadium when I was mayor, downtown, there was really nothing going on,” Wolff said. “Today, with all the investments you see in the county and that have (been) made in the private sector, it’s booming.”
“The one piece of downtown or West Martin is not really developing, and that’s where they want to build it or on the creek. The county did the creek when I was there, so we like to see investments around where we have already made an investment.”
“The unique way of building this, I think it’s terrific because they have to build some of the other projects first. Whether it’s a hotel or apartments or whatever to show that (they) can generate additional revenue to help pay for the stadium, so this time, we know we will get economic development because it will have started first, even before the stadium, but they know the stadium’s coming.”
Wolff said he is behind the Missions stadium being in downtown.
“I think it’s an exciting venture. I hope it works.”