Minor League Baseball is on its way to a new ballpark in downtown San Antonio surrounded by millions of dollars in private development to help pay for it.

Why it matters: Yesterday marked the first time the City Council publicly discussed the proposed project, which could change the face of west downtown.

• City officials revealed new details about the previously secret ballpark and said it will move forward alongside massive new downtown development likely to include apartments, restaurants and hotel rooms.

The big picture: City and business leaders are hopeful that bringing sports downtown could revive a central business district now largely reliant on tourism that was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.

What they're saying: "Today we're looking at a framework that's innovative, that protects San Antonio taxpayers, that produces public amenities in areas of our community that, frankly, need investment," Mayor Ron Nirenberg said.

Zoom in: A new downtown ballpark for the San Antonio Missions, a Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres, could have about 4,500 seats and capacity for up to 7,500 people, city documents show.

• It could be completed by April 2028.
• Four phases of new private development, totaling $1 billion in taxable value and surrounding the stadium, could be completed in 2027, 2029, 2030 and 2031.

Context: The Missions have played at the West Side Nelson Wolff Stadium since 1994. Major League Baseball officials have said the stadium is too old and not up to minor league standards.

Flashback: A group of local investors, led by downtown developer Graham Weston of Weston Urban, bought the Missions in late 2022, bringing the team under local ownership for the first time since the 1980s.

By the numbers: The project could cost about $160 million for the ballpark alone, city officials say.

How it works: A new San Pedro Creek Development Authority formed by the city and Bexar County would own the ballpark. That authority plans to issue bonds backed by revenue captured through taxes from the new private development.

• There is no extra tax cost to residents.
• The Missions team is contributing about $34 million.
• There will also be a $2 fee on Missions tickets to help cover the cost.

What comes next

An overwhelming majority of Texans consider housing affordability to be an issue, per a new survey by the University of Houston and Texas Southern University.

Why it matters: Housing remains a widespread problem across genders, races, generations and partisan lines.

• Rising housing costs and living expenses limit economic mobility and increase financial stress, per the report.

Driving the news: The survey found 90% of Texans consider housing affordability to be a problem in their part of Texas, with 44% considering it a big problem and 46% somewhat of a problem.

The survey, fielded from late June to early July, was conducted in English and Spanish, with 2,257 respondents 18 or older and a 2.1% margin of error.

By the numbers: The poll found that 53% of Latino Texans and 50% of Black Texans believe housing affordability is a significant issue in their part of the state, compared with 39% of white Texans.

• 47% of Black Texans and 46% of Latino Texans report housing costs create substantial financial strain for them and their families, compared with 30% of white Texans.
• 68% of Texas Democrats and 46% of Texas Republicans favor government policies designed to increase the amount of affordable rental housing.

Between the lines: Nearly a quarter of Texas' 6.9 million homeowner households are classified as housing-cost burdened, spending more than 30% of their income on housing.

• This issue is largely driven by high property taxes and rising homeowner insurance costs, per the report.

The full story

A Texas Tribune data analysis found that Texas likely underreported heat-related deaths between 2013 and 2019.

• The state counted 777 such deaths, but the Tribune counted 998. (Texas Tribune)

🐟 The Guadalupe bass has returned to the San Antonio River Walk. The species only exists in Texas. (KENS)

♟️ A teenage chess player from San Antonio earned the National Master title, a distinction held by less than 1% of rated players. (Express-News 🔒)

In Bexar County, Latinos made up 58.6% of the voting age population in 2022, per U.S. Census Bureau data.

Why it matters: Latino voters are a key and rapidly growing part of the electorate.

• South Texas counties have the highest proportions of Latino voters in the country.

Tomorrow

🇩🇪 Prost to a Summer Gartenfest at Beethoven Männerchor in Southtown from 4-11pm. There will be German music and food. No cover.

🎨 Enjoy music, live painting and an art display at The Starlighter in the Deco District.

• Doors open at 8pm. Tickets cost $10.

🍍 Dress up for the second annual SpongeBob Party at Brass Monkey on the St. Mary's Strip, starting at 9pm.

Saturday

👟 Bring your own paddle for pickleball at Hemisfair, 9am-noon.

🎂 Head to the Alamo to celebrate David Crockett's birthday with games, living history demonstrations and more, 9am-3pm.

🕯️ Honor the life of Beatriz Llamas, a renowned Tejano musician who died last year, with a female vocal competition and mariachi performance.

• The free event runs 6-9pm at the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center.

Sunday

🍹 Catch the second Puro Pinche Pool Party at the Ranch Motel on Broadway from 4-9pm.

• $40 ticket includes a cocktail.

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