SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Conservation Society is suing to stop the demolition of the former Institute of Texan Cultures building — a key piece of real estate for Project Marvel.
The 13.59-acre site at the southeast corner of Hemisfair is the planned home for a Spurs NBA arena that could cost up to $1.5 billion. Though the land next to Interstate 37 is owned by the University of Texas system, the City of San Antonio has an exclusive option to purchase or lease it.
UTSA already has permission from the Texas Historical Commission to demolish the building, which dates back to the 1968 World’s Fair and, according to the conservation society, is the only downtown landmark designed by a Mexican-American architect.
In a lawsuit filed Wednesday morning in state district court against UTSA and the city, the society argues the city improperly used UTSA as a proxy to get the demolition permit and that plans have proceeded without a required federal review process.
The society also argues that demolishing the building violates the 1967 deed that transferred the property from the City of San Antonio to the State of Texas.
The society is asking a judge to order a halt to any demolition until requirements related to the Texas Natural Resources Code and the National Historic Preservation Act have been completed.
Society President Lewis Vetter says the lawsuit isn’t about simply making the city and UTSA jump through hoops. He believes the building can be repurposed for public use.
He says asbestos abatement work inside the building has already begun, but the society doesn’t know “how much work has been torn out of that place.”
“We have to stop it and not let it be further demolished,” he told KSAT, “If it gets to a point of no return, then everybody has won their battle.”
The society says it does not want to block Project Marvel, but believes there’s still room for the 180,000-square-foot Brutalist-style building.
“It’s (the site) over 13 acres. That stadium could still be there as well as the ITC, so one does not preclude the other,” Vetter said.
The city, however, has said the building has to be removed.
Without a clear site to build, it’s not clear what happens to the plans for a new arena. A Spurs spokesman did not immediately respond to a KSAT request for comment.
The city, Spurs, and Bexar County still need to hammer out a plan to fund the new arena, which is expected to be presented by July.
In the meantime, the Institute of Texan Cultures museum has already been temporarily relocated to the Frost Tower.
UTSA and the city emailed brief statements in response to the lawsuit.
“The Conservation Society did not give us the courtesy of providing us with a copy of the suit, but we continue to work with UTSA on the acquisition of the property and fully support UTSA’s efforts to find an appropriate location for the Institute of Texas Cultures given the cultural and historical significance of the collection.”
San Antonio City Attorney's Office
“It is UTSA’s policy not to comment on pending litigation. Our efforts to redevelop the Texas Pavillion [sic] property have been and will continue to be in compliance with applicable laws and regulations."
Joe Izbrand, UTSA Spokesman
BACKGROUND
The city has estimated costs for about half the projects in its vision for “Project Marvel,” including the arena.
The combined price tag currently exceeds $2.75 billion, though the final cost will likely be higher, since several of the listed projects don’t even have cost projections: a “revised” plan for the Alamodome, a new land bridge across IH-37, the acquisition of a former federal courthouse, and the related infrastructure needed to support the district.
City staff have laid out possible funding sources, both public and private, for each portion of the project. However, the exact breakdowns — especially for projects drawing money from multiple places — remain unclear.
The city and Spurs began quietly discussing a downtown move in early 2023, though the city did not unveil its “Project Marvel” plans until November 2024.
